The Haunting of Hill House (Penguin Classics) by Shirley Jackson
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Book Reviews of The Haunting of Hill House (Penguin Classics)
Book Review: Did I expect too much?
Summary: 4 Stars
This was a good book. No question about that. But I was never scared by it. I'm not a horror aficionado with a high tolerance for terror, so it isn't as if I was hoping for blood and guts, but this just didn't get to me. Reviews say 'don't read it alone'...'your skin will crawl' and other such warnings. I even read it at night. Cold, windy nights!! And I was really wanting to be drawn in to it. Instead I dozed off over the few nights it took me to finish it. Very well written, very good story, I'm just disappointed that it didn't have me unable to put it down. I really wanted to EXPERIENCE this book. Maybe it's because I work in retail. NOTHING scares me anymore!Book Review: Creepy
Summary: 4 Stars
Most books are better than the movies, this is one of them. I've had The Haunting of Hill House on my must read list for a while, I'm glad I finally read it. The book lets you get more into Eleanor's mind, the movie made her seem more cheesy than anything, when you read the book you get a better understanding over whats going on in her mind. Overall this book is a fun read with moments that will make your hair stand on end, let your imagination take you into Hill House.Book Review: Haunting of Hill House book
Summary: 4 Stars
This was a good book. I read it in one day. "The Haunting" (1999) is based on this book. I wasn't thrilled with the ending in the book but couldn't put it down. It's definitely a keeper.Book Review: Spooky
Summary: 4 Stars
Creepy book. One of the few that I read that actually caused a rise in my personal creep meter. Jackson's literary descriptions were great.Book Review: "Journeys end in lovers meeting"
Summary: 3 Stars
Thirty-two-year-old dutiful Eleanor is the first of four persons to arrive at Hill House, 80 years old and frequently uninhabited, for a planned three-month summer stay to experience and observe supernatural phenomena. Each guest arrives separately and is greeted by the caretaker's wife, a no-nonsense, severely serious woman whose primary duty is to provide sustenance for the guests. Others participating in the "experiment" are the likeable Theodora, and Luke, homeowners' nephew and property heir, invited at the owners' insistence. Their host, John Montague, Ph.D. (anthropology), rented the property and chose the invitees. Of the dozen prospective guests contacted by Dr. Montague, only four replied and two accepted. Both have past experience with the paranormal: Eleanor in a childhood experience involving rocks: Theodora in card identification. The two women begin their acquaintance with lighthearted banter after which Luke arrives, followed by the doctor, who explains the situation and his goals. Days later, the doctor's overbearing wife and a friend/headmaster arrive and muddle things up. The social experiment is cut short after a few spooky incidents occur (pounding on doors, clothes getting ruined) and a significant change in the behavior of a guest, who seems to be adversely affected by the house. The expectation from the start [mine, at least] is that something really scary will happen, but nothing does. Although the writing is fabulous, especially in the interactions between the characters, the climax is unclimactic and the plot is barely scary. Better: The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins, The Lottery [my all time favorite short story] and Other Stories by Shirley Jackson, and The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe.