E-book
English language
Published Nov. 10, 2009 by Penguin Group UK.
The Haunting of Hill House book follows four strangers, all of whom come to Hill House, long-rumored to be haunted, under the guidance of Dr. Montague, who is hoping to scientifically prove the existence of the supernatural.
It’s so difficult to rate a book that has obviously been so influential to so many things I’ve read
Content warning maybe mild plot spoilers
I did my yearly ritual of doing marathon reading of spooky books around Halloween, starting August or September and continues until I finish Carmilla. This year, I got two haunted house books in, first Matheson's Hell House, then this. I found Eleanor partly relatable - intrusive thoughts, persecution complex (and actual persecution), social awkwardness. There was some nice, unexplained creepiness that I love. Whatever force is here isn't killing everyone who goes in. It's not creating endless pandemonium. It gives the residents plenty of time and space to reenter a sense of ease. It's finding the vulnerable person and fucking with them, creating the illusion to everyone else that there's nothing supernatural going on, just one person who's solely responsible for everything weird. But the reader knows better when Eleanor comes to the same demise that others who entered have, being puzzled as to why she's doing it. But again, we're not explained what's really going on.
What I love is when I get into a book not knowing famously known things about it. I didn't realize the homoromantic undertones that it had (Hell House had gayness too, see my comments about that - bookwyrm.social/user/thomasjwebb/comment/8706939#anchor-8706939). It became apparent pretty early on that Eleanor had a thing for Theodora though I think the latter was just teasing and probably just wanted to get back with her ex-girlfriend (her roommate). Instead of an evil monster exploiting a hapless character's internalized homophobia as Belasco did in Hell House, it felt more like Theo's gayness (in both senses of the word) represented a polar opposite of the repression Eleanor felt both as a caretaker for her mom, and then as a third wheel with her sister and brother-in-law. There isn't the indication that Eleanor feared her own queerness so much as common fears about heartbreak and unease about what the two even are, given Theo's often aloof behavior.
Fun, then uneasy, then extremely disquieting. Jackson breaks the unwitting reader down as deftly as Hill House does its unwitting inhabitants. Excellent prose- campy but not cheesy. Perfect pace & tension, a new favourite!
A good read with a disappointing ending.
The writjng from Nellies POV is exquisite. Her flighty, naive personality is so perfectly portrayed, that one can only marvel at the author's ability to so thoroughly become her character. I didnt, however, like the ending. Such build up and then...nothing much. Alas, still an engrossing read.
A good read with a disappointing ending.
The writjng from Nellies POV is exquisite. Her flighty, naive personality is so perfectly portrayed, that one can only marvel at the author's ability to so thoroughly become her character. I didnt, however, like the ending. Such build up and then...nothing much. Alas, still an engrossing read.
A clearly very personal novella that is both funny and disturbing. The protagonist is described using repetitive and obsessive thoughts that suggest a borderline personality with a week sense of self. This fits very well with both a haunted house that has its own strong sense of self and with the interactions among the various characters assembled and their responses to the "manifestations".
A clearly very personal novella that is both funny and disturbing. The protagonist is described using repetitive and obsessive thoughts that suggest a borderline personality with a week sense of self. This fits very well with both a haunted house that has its own strong sense of self and with the interactions among the various characters assembled and their responses to the "manifestations".
Scariest book ever, even the third time through. A great Halloween read!
