The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

 

Summary (from the publisher): It is the story of four seekers who arrive at a notoriously unfriendly pile called Hill House: Dr. Montague, an occult scholar looking for solid evidence of a "haunting"; Theodora, the lighthearted assistant; Eleanor, a friendless, fragile young woman well acquainted with poltergeists; and Luke, the future heir of Hill House. At first, their stay seems destined to be merely a spooky encounter with inexplicable phenomena. But Hill House is gathering its powers—and soon it will choose one of them to make its own.

Review: Eleanor, along with two others, has been invited by occult scholar Dr. Montague to stay in a supposedly haunted house to investigate for evidence of all things supernatural. At first, Eleanor is able to brush off her feelings of unease and is charmed by lighthearted Theodora and at home with Luke, the future heir of Hill House. But as time in the house passes, it seems to be building its strength and intent on claiming one of the four residents as its own. 

This was a surprisingly eerie and unsettling read, most of it solely through suggestion. Eleanor's first impression of the house is one of discomfort and dislike: "The house was vile. She shivered and thought, the words coming freely into her mind, Hill House is vile, it is diseased; get away from here at once" (264). Jackson has created the perfect storm of hair-raising elements: a dark backstory both for the characters and the house, an unnerving housekeeper, a large and spooky house filled with mysterious passageways and slamming doors, and long nights where the four occupants sit and wait to be visited by the otherworldly. All of the scenes set within the house are uncomfortable and unnerving, from its maze-like layout to the banging sounds at night to the way it makes Eleanor feel: "I am like a small creature swallowed whole by a monster, she thought, and the monster feels my tiny little movements inside" (270). 

As the novel progresses, the reader begins to question whether this book is truly about a haunted house or a haunted person. In other words, is all this in the house or in Eleanor's mind? Or is it both - is the house slowly and deliberately driving Eleanor insane? Increasingly, the house seems to be targeting Eleanor, or at least Eleanor believes this to be true. Jackson deliberately keeps many details obscured. For instance, multiple references to Eleanor's prior history with poltergeists are made, as well as insinuations of a dark relationship with her mother, yet nothing is fully fleshed out. The intentional mystery adds to the suspense and sense of impending horror in this tale. 

Jackson successfully created a dark and frightening tale. Having read it, I understand why this is considered such a classic. 

Stars: 4