Rating: 
Summary: A Good Read
Review: This book wasn't as creepy as I wanted it to be, but the psychological thrill was great.It's not very long so it is a good choice when you don't have much time.
Rating: 
Summary: A dated, but effective chiller.
Review: This odd little book seems dated today. Not particularly scary, but definitely with its spooky moments. The story is more focused on character than chills. Jackson's writing is mostly flat, occasionally flowery, and rarely suspenseful, but it's a good read and moves quickly, involving the reader in the strange goings-on at Hill House without letting go. The original film adapted from this book captured the tone and story very well, unlike the modern version which was a complete departure. If you're looking for some good creepy scares, read Peter Straub. But as a minor landmark in horror literature, Hell House is worth your time.
Rating: 
Summary: SHIRLEY JACKSON'S MASTERPIECE!
Review: I love this book! This is the best haunting book I have ever read and would have to say, will probably ever read! Shirley Jackson has created a timeless account of the horrors that can live within' walls and the horrors that we create in our mind. I found this book to be truly enchanting at times, and downright chilling at others. The movie 'The Haunting', which is loosley based on this novel, is not, in my opinion, a fair representation of this novel. However, I believe the ending does not do justice to the story or the charector of Eleanor. The movie, as corny as it may have been, had an ending which was far more relastic than this. I will not give away the ending to this novel, because that would ruin the whole mystery of it. So, if you have seen the movie, read this book because I guarantee you, you will enjoy this novel far more than the movie! Shirley Jackson har created charectors with depth and emotion, within' the novels short span. There are moments in this novel that will leave you breathless and truly entertained! Five Out Of Five
Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece
Review: Beneath the brooding gables of Hill House, something walks alone -- and if it wasn't haunted at the beginning, it certainly is now. Jackson's masterpiece is recommended for reading only in well-lit places, attesting to her genius in seducing one into the shadow world of the paranormal. Bleak and unforgiving, the story follows the fugue state of Eleanor Vance, thirty-two years of age and prone to disassociative disorders. From the hint of an isolated childhood spent in near-hysteria (and a brief poltergeist manifestation), to the eleven years spent caring for an invalid mother, Eleanor has lived her life with a sense of presque vu, searching for completion. Responding to an invitation from philosopher/anthropologist John Montague to spend a summer at Hill House under the auspice of a paranormal investigation, Eleanor is drawn inexorably to her eventual fate, deep within a house "born bad". The slight imperfections of the mansion, from its misaligned rooms to the doors that never remain open, reflect the labyrinthine psyche of Eleanor herself, and, by inference, the personality of one who lived there before. Hill House remains one of the greatest villains of American literature, becoming at once malevolent entity and eventual "mother"; whether its haunting is actual or whether it becomes the focal point for Eleanor's own energy, the hallways and rooms within rooms provide a dark and disturbing ground for the reader to tread. Previous reviews criticize Jackson's seeming inability to resolve the story, but this suggestion is ridiculous. Hauntings, by definition, are subjective phenomena, and the story is carried forward to its most natural and plausible ending, as the house offers its arms only through the desolation and eventual suicides of those who share its guilt. From the terrifying manifestations of the second night to the degrading cold spot outside the nursery, Hill House both repulses and welcomes its own. We, like Eleanor, are beaten into submission by a greater force.
Rating:
Summary: The trajedy of a yearner: creepy, not shocking...
Review: In The Haunting of Hill House, Mrs. Jackson employs one of her most effective tools in the telling: she's chosen to write about a girl who's chasing her heart's desire, a child determined at all costs to fulfill her singular needs. In this case, she's out to prove to her controlling sister that she can live happily, after losing the mother she'd cared for. Toward that end, she answers an add to participate in a para-psychological experiment at dreaded Hill House. What follows is an unauthorized trip via the family car to the remote location, where she meets a kindly man who runs the project; two more participants: a young man and another lady; and the creepy tenants: an irrascible gatekeeper and an odd housekeeper who speaks in Jackson's weird, trademark mono-phraseology. Soon thereafter, the young ghost hunters are subjected to maddening psychological horrors, like rooms that seem to reposition themselves, cold spots, etc. Mrs. Jackson's central character, the yearning girl, is continually placed in jeopardy, as she tries to cope. This whole book is filled with the haunting prose, both spooky and yearning, that seems to me a trademark of Shirley Jackson's work.
Rating:
Summary: Reach for your cup of stars...
Review: Forget the movies, both of them, for only through the book can you properly slip into Eleanor's brightly haunted mind. What a wonder this book must have been when originally published: nowhere on the Donna Reed show or Leave it to Beaver would you have found the likes of our Eleanor: gentle and innocent, yet certainly far more perceptive and often more slyly witty than her sophisticated companions. Despite clear writing and quick story progression, if you need your ends sewn up then this isn't the novel for you. Consider how the most recent film adaption portrays Theodora. In the movie it's clear that Theo is so satisfied with her bisexuality that she may as well curl up on the rug and lick the milk from her whiskers. But in the book, you never know. You can't even guess. Such is the tone for the entire piece. Your mind jumps with so many maybes: Was Theo ever really as encouraging as she originally seemed? Is sweet Nell actually doing things to get attention? Is this a haunted house or just haunted people? And just who _are_ the normal people here? Soon you are as disturbed as Eleanor, with no idea of how much you've actually experienced (or read) and how much you've told yourself. This is where the horror lies. The classic haunting is there with its chilly corridors and unseen hammering at the bolted doors, but it's the touches of reality which will keep you awake afterwards.
Rating:
Summary: A NOT SO SCARY GHOST STORY
Review: After watching the movie, I decided to get a copy of the book and read it, what a disappointment. I have always been a fan of Shirley Jackson and her short story The Lottery and the novel We Have Always Lived In The Castle. This novel was a let down compared to those works. This book may have been scary in its day, but not anymore. The book is ponderously slow and showcases very little that would proclaim it to be a ghost story. The book does however show the psychological unraveling of Eleanor in the face of stress and fear of the unknown.
Rating:
Summary: Realistic Horror
Review: This is one of the only realistic haunted house stories out there. Some people criticize it because the horror is not very overt. The apparent haunting amounts to little more than a few bumps in the night. But the real haunting is far more dangerous- the house gets into the main character's mind and drives her insane. If you look into the folklore of hauntings, you'll find the same pattern. The extreme manifestations found in most horror movies are only fantasies. This book tells it like it is, and if you can appreciate that, you'll find it far more unsettling than the merely physical threats other stories offer.
Rating:
Summary: A grave disservice has been done to this book
Review: It was a major mistake to tie the new (and ridiculous) remake of the movie The Haunting with this book. I cannot help but believe that Jackson would be appalled at the liberties taken with her book to make this new movie. This has been reflected in the reader reviews as several people had expected this novel to be the movie in book form. With the exception of Flannery O'Connor, I know of no better writer than Shirley Jackson in depicting the subtleties of her characters. The Haunting of Hill House and the first movie by Robert Wise are as frightening as it gets, unless you get your jollies out of seeing lots of blood and gore. To me, the destruction of the mind and the soul are much more frightening. If you are expecting a remake of the new Haunting film, do yourself, and us, a favor and skip this book. If, however, you want to see terror beyond the cheap gore represented all too often in today's film and fiction, this book is essential.
Rating:
Summary: A cup full of stars
Review: This book is very good-and I found the original movie to be an excellent adaptation as compared to the pitiful remake. If you've seen the original movie-there's not much to add. If you've never seen the original movie-it's the story of a woman named Eleanor who cared for her dying mother and is now quite delusional, who is invited to be part of a "team" investigating an alleged haunted house. Sometimes it's rather vague as to what is real and what Eleanor has imagined. Fairly suspenseful with a few frights. The book is rather short-and Jackson's style is a little different, but it is definitely a good book worth reading. As I've seen the original movie many times, there were few surprises, the exception being Mrs. Montagues characterization. Strongly recomended!
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