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Summary: THE greatest haunted house story of all time
Review: The Haunting of Hill House is a beautifully written, subtle, and terrifying novel. In this story, a professor brings a group together to stay in, and observe, a haunted house. The result is a psychological thriller that is absolutely stunning in its intensity. In Danse Macabre, Steven King talks about the archetypical horror stories. One of them is the story about the Bad Place. This is the greatest Bad Place story of all time. Literate, intelligent, and highly recommended.
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Summary: The Haunting of Hill House Is As Good As It Gets
Review: "Hill House, not sane, stood by itself against its hills, holding darkness within; it had stood so for eighty years and might stand for eighty more. Within, walls continued upright, bricks met neatly, floors were firm, and doors were sensibly shut; silence lay steadily against the wood and stone of HIll House, and whatever walked there, walked alone." Thus begins Shirley Jackson's classic story. The novella, written in the first half of the last century, has become one of the great literary works of the genre and has remained a favorite amongst fans of horror and the supernatural. But this book does more than tell the story of a haunted house. It is a character study of five people, placed in a situation that stresses their senses and psyche in ways that pushes their acceptance of reality to the limits. It is the story of Eleanor Vance, an introvert who is resentful of the loss of the many years she spent caring for her sickly mother. Not long after her mother's death, living in servitude with her sister and her sister's husband, she receives an invitation to be a participant in a paranormal study at Hill House from Doctor John Montague, a man fascinated by the paranormal. She arrives at the house sometime later, and is at first so completely overwhelmed by a sense of dread, feeling that the house is so overtly oppressive, she nearly flees. However, before she is able to run, she is introduced to the other guests who will participate in the study; Theodora, Dr. Montague's assistant, and Luke, the future heir to the house. It isn't long after they take up residence within the house that each begins to experience different events of horror. Sounds in the night, voices and banging in the hall, apparitions of animals running through the yard, but ultimately, the horrors of this novel take us into the mind of Eleanor herself, and as we see the contortion of her personal reality, we are drawn into the insanity that ultimately leads to the climax of this novel. The story is simple, linear, and in itself not very imaginative-but it is the characters that draw us in. Each has a complexity to them that is revealed a little at a time. Jackson introduces us to Theodora, whose overtly sexual freedoms indicate a strong inclination to lesbianism, a topic not openly expressed in novels of that era. This story is gripping and a quick read, and can (and should) be finished in a single sitting. Jackson, whose stories are often used in high school and college literature books, compels us to see something of ourselves in each of her novels, and this one is no exception. Well worth the investment of time. The Haunting of Hill House is sure to thrill, and leave you clammoring for more. Scott Kolecki
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Summary: This book is stupid.
Review: One of the few case's when the book is a great deal worse than the movie. It lacks action and genuine scare tactics, and isn't worth the time it takes to read it.
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Summary: Inconceivably Scary
Review: I read most of this book sitting in an open cafe, with dozens of people around, in the bright sunshine of the day. And the whole time, I was scared out of my wits. I have never read anything more frightening. I hated to go home alone in spite of my big black dog who provides unrelenting protection. So be warned: if you scare easily, or are the nervous type, this book may be to powerful for you; on the other hand, if you are searching for the fright of your life, you have found it in this book. Several people are gathered in old Hill House, chosen for an experiment in ghost-hunting because each has experienced psychic phenomena before. Do these people bring out the ghosts and demons of Hill House? Are these just suggestible people given to delusions? Read closely to find out.
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Summary: Touching, Creepy, and Well Written
Review: This is one of my all-time favorite books. I don't want to give too much away so I will just say that Shirley Jackson makes you feel for the characters. The way she writes is poetry. It's an easy read, not difficult to follow. It's also one of the freakiest haunted house stories I have ever read. If you liked "Hell House" by Richard Matheson then you will really enjoy this book!
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Summary: Atmospheric and creepy
Review: Hill House has stood for nearly 80 years, vacant for the last twenty. With eerie stories of its past residents, what better place for Dr. John Mantague to conduct his study on hauntings. With him are Luke Sanderson, soon to inherit Hill House from his aunt; Eleanor Vance, whose only experience with the supernatural was a poltergeist phenomenon that rained stones upon her house for 3 days; and Theodora, an artist with a bit of ESP. But, they are not alone. Thanks to Jackson's unique descriptions of the house, Hill House itself becomes a character, with cold spots, shaky metal stairs, the rooms built in concentric circles, and slightly off-kilter measurements (doors not on the jamb, the stairs leaning slightly toward center, a tower that can only be seen from certain angles). It seems to be designed to keep people slightly off-balance. No one experiences this more than Eleanor. The recent death of her mother seems to be lingering in the air, and maybe the house is picking this up. Of all the characters, she is the only one whose thoughts Jackson allows us to see, and her unease permeates the whole house (and novel). With a surprise ending, this is one of the creepier haunted house novels, and it doesn't rely on blood and gore. It's very atmospheric and character-driven.
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Summary: Not as good as claimed
Review: I watched the movie "The Haunting", which is based on this book, and thought it was horrible. Afterwards, I decided to check the book out to see if it was better than the movie. The first part of the book drags on for so long! There aren't even that many scary parts in this book! I reccommend this book only for those who are patient enough to work their way through the dull parts.
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Summary: most haunting novel
Review: This book has stuck with me for a long time It truly made me get shivers due to the intense descriptive deails of things happening almst as if I were there with them. Excellent reading for those who love a good read of things that go bump without the gore.
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Summary: Haunting Character Study
Review: At first glance, THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE seems like the typical haunted house story. That is, a group of strangers assembles in a house to study ghostly phenomena. However, this book is much deeper and therefore much more disturbing. The main character is Eleanor Vance, a lonely and dispirited young woman who has never really done much in her life. She jumps at the chance to go to Hill House, and inevitably, she begins to fall under it's spell. The ways in which the house affects her are rather hearbreaking, while also being fairly creepy and scary. Some fans of modern scary stories may be a bit offput by the dialogue - the characters sound like they're from a 50s sitcom. However, it really is a terrific book, and the oppressed 50s style just adds to its claustrophobic feeling. This novel is the first I've read from Jackson (aside from her famous short-story "The Lottery"), and I look forward to reading more. Highly recommended for fans of psychologically complex ghost stories.
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Summary: not all it's cracked up to be
Review: i had seen the new movie the haunting and loved it, so i thought the book would be even better. but i was wrong. the characters were scatty, and i didn't feel the plot was well developed. i will not be reading anymore of this authors books
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