The Haunting of Hill House

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful language gives vivid life to a herky-jerky plot
Review: Jackson's classic is garnering much attention as a new film verges on release.

I enjoyed the book and was genuinely terrified several times, but these build ups of terror are seemingly jerked to an abrupt halt before they can climax. Clearly, the haunting of the title is merely a backdrop to the true action of the book - namely Eleanor's mental disintegration. Although there are superficial parallels to The Shining, the difference is clear. In The Shining, Jack is used by the house and fights back. In The Haunting of Hill House, Eleanor is invited by the house, and she joins the party.

Once this is established, the reader's view is subtly shifted from the fear which holds all of the characters in check, to Eleanor's growing paranoia and insanity. It is this switch which leaves many readers confused.

It will be interesting to see how this plays on scree, as I must admit that I have never seen the original movie. The question is, will the new movie emphasize the haunting or the Eleanor's paranoia and madness? If it chooses the first at the expense of the second, then the movie will clearly deviate from Jackson's intent. If it, instead, stays true to form, it will be interesting to see how the Eleanor's paranoid thoughts and views will play out on screen.

Rating:
Summary: The most frightening book I have ever read!
Review: I read the Reader's Digest condensed version of this novel in the early '60s as a 12 or 13 year old. No book has ever scared me more and no horror novel has ever stayed with me like this one did. The scene where the two female characters fall asleep holding hands and then awake to find that it wasn't the other's hand they were holding was absolutely terrifying. I hope the new version of the movie lives up to the original novel. Past movies didn't do it justice.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing, and left me with too many questions...
Review: Perhaps I am the type of reader who likes things spelled out for me. When I finished reading this book, there were too many questions left unanswered. What did Theodora see in the woods that made her scream? It never said (or I missed it). Why did Theodora and Luke act strangely towards Eleanor during their outing to the brook? Why was everyone in the house somewhat cruel and uncaring towards Eleanor, and how was she being foolish? And from chapter 9 on, I was completely lost. The very end was completely absurd. Maybe I just didn't get it. I certainly didn't get SOMETHING. On top of all of that, the book wasn't even remotely scary. Anyone who read this book and can answer some of these questions for me, I would greatly appreciate it. Please email me your responses.

Rating:
Summary: YIPE!!!
Review: I havn't read a book that really scared me untill I read this. Shirley Jackson took this book to the edge and back. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone with night problems, you'll sleep with the lights on for a week.

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Summary: Please, redefine your horror stereotypes
Review: For heaven's sake, people, open your eyes! Read horror lierature that is older than fifty years, ok? If you do that, you will find that horror has been subtle for over five hundred years. No, when you read "Haunting," there will be no slasher, no blood, no Jennifer Love Hewitt running around and screaming. You will find some of the most skillful subtle horror ever. Do you really need a monster to feel fear? If you do, please read such authors as Henry James, H.P. Lovecraft, and, yes, even Stephen King (the book "The Shining" comes to mind).

Rating:
Summary: THIS IS THE BEST BOOK EVER!
Review: This book is terrific!! I saw the original black and white movie, and decided to read the book. It's better than the movie. It keeps you in suspnese throughout, and goes into detail about the characters lives. I can't wait to see the colored movie that's out. This book deserves all 5 stars!!

Rating:
Summary: A great, interesting, humorous, psychological, thriller.
Review: As soon as I finished my first novel by Shirley Jackon I fell in love with her and "The Haunting of Hill House". The way Ms. Jackson gets into the minds of her characters is quite entraping. As I was reading I wanted to be in Hill House and exchange my thoughts with Dr. Montague and Elaneor.

Rating:
Summary: Looking forwward to reading this book.
Review: I have never read this book but have seen the movie 3 times when groing up in the 60's. The movie was not one of gore, decapitations, or the actual seeing of apparitions, but what you allow your mind to see and experience. At 14 or 15 years old, I was still scared when seeing this movie (The Haunting taken from The Haunting of Hill House).

Rating:
Summary: creepy ride
Review: a really good scary boo

Rating:
Summary: A not-so-classic classic!
Review: This book has very little going for it. It was not exciting, not interesting, and definitly not haunting in any way. I was left wondering if some of the pages of my edition were missing. I felt that the story just plodded along with very little action. The book was like an outline for a really neat story. Maybe the film that is coming out this summer will have a lot of the substance that this one lacked.