Tommy Karr

Having seen both the original 1963 film and the 1999 remake, I was intrigued to read Shirley Jackson’s original novel. The novel, told almost entirely from Eleanor’s perspective, reads partly like a decent into madness and partly like a romance. Eleanor is broken. Her past, which is lightly looked at in all three forms (book, film, film), is littered with issues which may have ultimately lead to her current state of mind. But Jackson implores the reader to be opened minded to the possibility that Nell is also experiencing supernatural events inside Hill House. Through the inclusion of Theo, Luke, and Dr. Montague, who each find evidence to support the claims of ghostly activity, the reader has an eye to the reality that is happening around Nell and the possible horror that surrounds them all. Whether it is an unknown vision in the woods outside the house, the pounding in the hallways late at night, or the destruction of personal belongings, something is happening to the foursome. Something sinister is happening in Hill House AND inside Nell’s mind. The best scares come from not knowing what frightens us and The Haunting of Hill House is a true work of horror in this way.  Follow me on Goodreads.