Rating: 
Summary: DO NOT READ THIS BOOK (if you loved The Haunting)
Review: I read this book a couple of days before the movie was released, and I must say I was terribly disappointed with it (the book). This was the one--and I mean, only one--time I have ever disliked a book. There is nothing scary about this book except that it ended before anything began--it is such a short book that it could be read in a day, and it is hardly worth even that. Hell, it especially isn't worth the oversized paperback's $12 or so. This was also the only time I liked a movie more than the book upon which it was based. Nothing scary happens, fellow horror fans. No gore, no guts, not a drop of blood. No scary shadows leaping out at you, no strange rotting corpses from beyond the grave, no demons, no Satan, no battle between good and evil. Nothing active happens, and nothing psychological happens. This book is full of just rambling, rambling, rambling. If you want a good haunted house story, read "The Shining" by Stephen King. Now *THAT* is a scary book. It has everything anyone could possibly want in a horror novel, and is much better than this drivel. DO NOT READ THIS BOOK unless you have to read it for a class or anything. If you want scary, do not look in this direction, people...
Rating: 
Summary: Dark and Mystical; a True Psycological Thriller
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."So opens Shirley Jackson's dark thriller about a house that was simply born bad. Eleanor, a quiet, observant woman with a troubled past, comes to the house for a study about the supernatural. Her comrades include Dr. Montague, the leader of the study, Theodora, a woman with some telepathic abilities, and Luke, the young heir to the house. Bangings in the night, writings on the wall, and whisperings from no live person are common in Hill House, and Eleanor begins to realize that she is connected to Hill House in a way in which she has never before been connected to anything. This psycological thriller leaves you hanging on every last word, relating to the characters, and following the Eleanor's mental and emotional progress. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and its unexpected plot twists. This is a good one for curling up with during a stormy evening.
Rating:
Summary: A CHILLING PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER!
Review: The Haunting of Hill House is truly a frightening and beautiful piece of literature. It proves that you don't need a masked-maniac running wild to scare people: you just need a quiet, serene setting, characters the reader will care about, and a chilling story. In The Haunting of Hill House, a neglected woman named Elenore finds peace and serenity in the haunted Hill House where she is involved with a psychic research program. Soon, she feels as if she is a part of Hill House...so a question lingers in the readers mind; is Elenore losing her mind, or is Hill House really calling her? A suspenseful and thrilling novel you can't miss!
Rating: 
Summary: Chills galore!
Review: Shirley Jackson's short novel is truly one of the most atmospheric horror stories ever written. At first glance, there is really nothing surprising about the plot. You can almost predict what is going to happen, but then when you consider when this book was written you realize that nearly every haunted house story since then has taken elements from this story.
Rating:
Summary: The Let Down of Hill House's Haunting
Review: Never in all my love affair with books have I admitted that a movie was better than the book. However, I was terribly disappointed with the Haunting of Hill House. Just when the story began to get interesting, it was all over. All the reviews I read say how Shirley Jackson is a master of her craft. However, I felt like the book was very tame and unimaginative compared to the movie. I realize that movie watchers and book lovers are usually worlds apart, but I was disappointed in the many avenues which could have been explored in this story and were left uninvestigated. Overall, I was left with the impression that I had read a book that was written for pre-teens or early adolescents. What a let down. I still can't believe that I actually prefer the movie version of this story. AAAAUUUUGGGGHHHH!
Rating:
Summary: Haunting, not frightening but an excellent story
Review: The movie (1963 version)is what scared the writer of this reveiw. The book sweeps you into Hill House from its poetic beginnning to the unsettling ending. The book is the story of four people who stay in a house to investigate its dark power. Eleanor: a spinster, alone and entranced with Hill Houses power. Theodora: sophistacated and daring and phsycic. There is the Luke the heir of Hill House and a liar. And Dr. Montague the rational man who is leading the investigation. we follow Eleanor's descent into the house. She grows paranoid and erratic. As she and Theodora are plagued by the house Eleanor realizes she belongs to Hill House. THe book is written through the point of veiw of Eleanor. Her phsycological state is reflected in the writing. Jackson eiher knows what she is doing with the addition of Dr. Montague's wife towards the end and this reveiwer didn't or she didn't know at all. An excdllent book recommended for anyone who enjoys a ghost story.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely excellent! Subtle but powerful! A must read!
Review: I have read a number of reviews stating the blandness of this novel, but I can't understand how they come up with that conclusion! I read this novel in one night, and afterwards I was terrified of my own house! This novel may be very detailed, but it's worth the read! It is subtle, unlike recent novels that spell everything out to the reader, it actually leaves you some thinking to do; I dare say, more novels should do likewise. The novel is of superb quality and the writer is also one of great calibre. I recommend this novel to anyone with a taste for suspense and terror, as well as quality. It may be subtle, but it is also powerful...
Rating:
Summary: Big disappointment
Review: This book was a waste of time. I expected a ghost story, a scary narrative. This was written as a 1940's british story, something you really have to be in the mood to read, and then, nothing happens! The synopsis stated that this is a subtle, psychological horror story, but it is so subtle, you don't know what is going on. Unless you are really into symbolism and looking for the 'deeper' meaning, save your money for a King or Koontz or Clark book.
Rating:
Summary: Don't Read It Alone
Review: Shirley Jackson's classic haunted house story is not a book to be read alone, especially if you have an open mind. Though some might get bored, you should stick to it as best as it can! It's one of the really good ones. And be sure to see the 1963 film adaptation, "The Haunting."
Rating: 
Summary: Good, but the movie is better
Review: I thought the book was okay, but I was a little disappointed. It didn't have many of those "scary moments" and whatever ones it did have weren't frightening at all. I have to admit, it certainly did catch my attention because I kept wondering if it would go further, but each time, it just stopped. No ghosts, nothing. It also made me feel terribly sorry for Eleanor because she was singled out so many times and told out flat that she wasn't wanted. So at the end, I can see her not wanting to leave the house, but everyone was so cold to her that it made me a bit angry. The movie has a better put-together plot and it ties things up. In the book, things would happen, but they were left without description. In one particular part, Theo says, "Don't look back!" and never even describes what she saw when she looked back. She says it was unfortunate to her that she looked, but you don't know if she just saw a shadow or felt like saying "dont look back." Overrall, it was okay, but if you're looking for a scare from "The Haunting of Hill House," watch the movie.
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