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The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson


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Title of book: The Haunting of Hill House

 

Name of author: Shirley Jackson

 

Paperback: 256 pages

 

Publisher: Penguin Classics

 

ISBN-10: 0141191449

 

ISBN-13: 978-0141191447

 

Synopsis ~

 

Four seekers have arrived at the rambling old pile known as Hill House: Dr. Montague, an occult scholar looking for solid evidence of psychic phenomena; Theodora, his lovely and light-hearted assistant; Luke, the adventurous future inheritor of the estate; and Eleanor, a friendless, fragile young woman with a dark past. As they begin to cope with chilling, even horrifying occurrences beyond their control or understanding, they cannot possibly know what lies ahead. Hill House is gathering its powers and soon it will choose one of them to make its own.

The story begins with Eleanor Vance, 32 years old and alone in the world following the death of her mother, Eleanor cannot cope with her selfish sister and brother in law who berate her at every turn. Eleanor thinks her life is improving when she is invited to Hill House by Dr John Montague, a doctor of Philosophy with an interest in the supernatural. Hill House already has a reputation of deaths and suicides and Dr Montague has rented Hill House for 3 months for an experiment, Eleanor is part of the experiment.

 

‘The Haunting of Hill House’ is not your typical haunted house story, it starts with friendships forming, then to paranoid, you see the slow decline of Eleanor’s mind, there is something in Hill House and only Eleanor can feel it.

 

The 1963 version of ‘The Haunting’ based on the book is closer to the book compared to the 1999 version of ‘The Haunting’, which was more violent.

 

An interesting read with plenty of atmosphere and tension.

 

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That sounds great Gyre, something I would probably enjoy. The 1966 film scared the pants off me though :friends0:

 

I remember watching it and being quite scared :D its very subtle the book, you are constantly thinking, 'what's happening', I hope you get the chance to read it :lol:

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I'm dubbing this my Halloween Read.

 

At Halloween I usually read a scary book and watch scary movies while eating Malloween Delights :D

 

I hope you enjoy it Nollaig :friends0:

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I loved this book. There is one particular part that sooooo gave me the creeps, but I won't give anything away. :friends0:

 

I know what part you mean, I think :D

The part that gave me the creeps was when Eleanor and Theodora and walking outside and Theodora starts running and telling Eleanor to run and not to look behind her!, you never find out what it was Theodora saw, its just the idea of it

 

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Sounds just up my street Gyre! Thanks!!

 

I can remember watching the modern film version, with Catherine Zeta-Jones in it, but didn't realise it was based on a book! So will be looking out for it!

 

NN.

 

Good stuff NN, the 1963 version is closer to the book, I thought so, I liked the newer version, it was a different kind of spin on it but I don't think they needed as much gore in it :friends0:

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This is one of my favourite scary books, great review Paula - it reminded me that I still need to buy a replacement copy :friends0:

 

Good stuff Fi! :D

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  • 6 months later...

I just wondered if anyone else had read this book and if so what they thought of it.

 

I have just finished it and it was nothing like I expected. A few friends of mine raved about it but I feel quite undecided so am interested in the view of others.

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One of my favourite novels of all time, it's extremely influential and inspiring and reads as if it were carved from marble and flows just as beautifully. Jackson is criminally under rated. I wouldn't say the plot is perfect or the characters particularly groundbreaking, but that doesn't really matter when it comes down to it. Hill House is the star of the show here - the life she paints in the subject at the heart of the story. The best haunted house tale in the genre for me.

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One of my favourite novels of all time, it's extremely influential and inspiring and reads as if it were carved from marble and flows just as beautifully. Jackson is criminally under rated. I wouldn't say the plot is perfect or the characters particularly groundbreaking, but that doesn't really matter when it comes down to it. Hill House is the star of the show here - the life she paints in the subject at the heart of the story. The best haunted house tale in the genre for me.

 

I agree Rawr, Shirley Jackson was under rated, have you read 'The Lottery and Other Stories'?, I felt whilst reading it, you knew how great a writer she was but the same time, Shirley Jackson is saying, 'this is me, take it or leave it', which I liked, a true force to be reckoned with.

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Yes I have, and I totally get that vibe too, she just writes as she is, which is very natural and alluring without being too fancy. I want to get hold of We Have Always Lived In The Castle when I can afford to snoop around online.

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Yes I have, and I totally get that vibe too, she just writes as she is, which is very natural and alluring without being too fancy. I want to get hold of We Have Always Lived In The Castle when I can afford to snoop around online.

 

I have a copy if you want to borrow it :D

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Oh wow, that would be really wonderful Weave :D

 

Not a problem, pm me your address when you get the chance :D

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Thanks for that - I looked but couldn't find a thread:blush:

 

Its great to see so many others enjoyed it. I really liked the book and it didn't end how I thought that it would, the way that the story builds though is really clever.

 

The reason that I picked this book up was due to reading We Have Always Lived in the Castle and found that a fantastic book so thought that I would try more from this author, I certainly wasn't disappointed!

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One of my favourite novels of all time, it's extremely influential and inspiring and reads as if it were carved from marble and flows just as beautifully. Jackson is criminally under rated. I wouldn't say the plot is perfect or the characters particularly groundbreaking, but that doesn't really matter when it comes down to it. Hill House is the star of the show here - the life she paints in the subject at the heart of the story. The best haunted house tale in the genre for me.

 

Couldnt agree more, the haunted house genre has never been bettered since this book and the film in 1963 which retains its power to chill. Jackson sets your own fears and the infinite possibilities of your own imagination upon yourself by never revealing the Thing that walks the halls of Hill House and its a brilliantly twisted and designed setting. I must reread that book soon!

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Yes definitely, just the whole sense of show and tell she has going on, you just never know why it unsettles you, it just does. Reading it is a little like hearing that bump in the night :blush:

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I agree, you are constantly wondering about Hill House and what they are seeing, great story telling :blush:

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