Pretense reviewed The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (Penguin classics)
Review of 'The Haunting of Hill House' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
I am ashamed it took me until 2023 to finally get to Shirley Jackson’s longer works, but I am so glad I finally took the plunge. Eleanor is perhaps one of the most fascinating protagonists—from the get-go, her anxious manner and hyperactive mind spin the reader along with hardly a moment for reflection. ¬The Haunting of Hill House is atmospheric in every sense of the word—from the moment you arrive to the house, the story draws you in as if you were one of the guests. Few books can get it so perfectly right.
The characters were surprisingly nuanced and well-defined—none felt like a caricature or repetitive. Of course, Eleanor steals the show, but her relationships with the other guests and even the professor are worth noting; Jackson does a great service here by rendering these interaction with the complexity they deserve. All of this, of course, serves to …
I am ashamed it took me until 2023 to finally get to Shirley Jackson’s longer works, but I am so glad I finally took the plunge. Eleanor is perhaps one of the most fascinating protagonists—from the get-go, her anxious manner and hyperactive mind spin the reader along with hardly a moment for reflection. ¬The Haunting of Hill House is atmospheric in every sense of the word—from the moment you arrive to the house, the story draws you in as if you were one of the guests. Few books can get it so perfectly right.
The characters were surprisingly nuanced and well-defined—none felt like a caricature or repetitive. Of course, Eleanor steals the show, but her relationships with the other guests and even the professor are worth noting; Jackson does a great service here by rendering these interaction with the complexity they deserve. All of this, of course, serves to not only illustrate the characters’ foibles, but also to demonstrate the character of the house itself.
Jackson’s writing is also fast-paced and lacks for nothing; it also does not dwell on itself overly much. You can tell that each sentence, perhaps even each word, has been crafted precisely with a specific purpose in mind. Thus, the novel comes together seeming both crafted but also watertight in its logic. I truly enjoyed reading this, even though at times the plot could drag a little bit—especially towards the end. Some of the wonderment of the house’s atmosphere and suspense has worn off, and there are a few turns in the narrative that didn’t make as much sense. But, all in all, I was pleasantly surprised by this book (and forgive me if I did not give Jackson proper credit to begin with).