Book Review v The Haunting of Hill House

In this issue, we bring you a book review of that perennial classic, The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. And may we just say, hats off to whoever designed the book cover for this edition.

by Ann Fields

If you research “best horror books of all time,” The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson will appear every time. For good reason! It’s scary. It’s disturbing. It’s creepy. It’s understated simplicity attacks on every level – emotional, physical, psychological. In short, it is a perfectly wicked horror story.

The tale opens with Eleanor leaving her family in the city to work as a summer research assistant at an estate in the country. It’s just the assignment Eleanor needs to restart her life after years of dedication to her ailing mother who recently died. Eleanor arrives at Hill House and is immediately afraid of its sinister façade. To quote, “Hill House is vile; it is diseased.” She almost turns her car around but finds the courage to shove fear aside and enter the house where soon, joined by other people who are also participating in the months-long study, she faces physical and psychological, natural and supernatural threats. How does Eleanor manage the threats? Not well.

The Haunting of Hill House falls under the heading of haunted house horror. It can also be categorized as American Gothic horror because of its focus on a spooky old house – estate, really – deep, tragic secrets, and a dark atmosphere. Hill House, the main character in the story, comes complete with weird and unfriendly caretakers, cold spots and doors that won’t stay open, a history of death and loss, and isolation. Other features that fulfill both the haunted house and gothic sub-genre requirements

include a nearby village filled with people who are willing, albeit begrudgingly, to perpetuate the house’s legacy, and a cast of characters who possess their own interesting yet troubling backgrounds. There’s Eleanor, a sheltered city girl with unexplored psychic abilities, Theodora, a footloose and flighty artist with ESP tendencies, Dr. Montague, a professor eager to validate his work and by extension, himself, and Luke, heir to Hill House but best known as a liar and a thief, but according to Luke, “only when circumstances warrant it.”

The story itself is gripping and well planned. Disconcerting events unfold on every page and that, along with reports of the house’s disquieting past and present, ratchets the suspense to a heart-imploding level. I welcomed the slivers of gaiety and pure fun, such as that provided by the doctor’s wife who visits for a few days. The ending is fitting yet surprising . . . at least until you think about the buildup. Masterful!

It’s difficult—okay, impossible—to find weakness in the story (perhaps that’s why it’s been in print for 62 years) so I’ll just mention the writing style. Keep in mind the story was originally written in the 1950s. Just like culture morphs and changes over time so, too, does writing styles. Back in the fifties, the writing style leaned to excess and subtlety, a stark contrast to today’s writing style, which is crisp and obvious. The writing style of the fifties may be a distraction for some, but I enjoyed the step back. It added to the mystique and appeal of the story.

Another warning: the series on Netflix, which is based on the book and carries the same title is not a play-by-play of the book. The only book-related items that make it into the video series are names of the characters, a quote at the beginning of the book, and an eerie house. The creators of the series took great liberties. What a shame!

The Haunting of Hill House is the perfect book to add to your Halloween (really, any time you’re craving a bone-chilling read) reading list. I highly recommend it but for this one, you’ll want to read with the lights on.