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Average Customer Rating:

Read and reread

Customer Rating:

This is a book I return to again and again. Jackson's subtle characters are what make the story work so well. We yearn to make Nell happy and whole, see her revel in friendships and maybe her first long-overdue love affair, but know it's doomed from the start. The evil of the house, the downright creepiness of the voices Nell hears, the shapes in the grass, the writing, the blood, the weirdness of the picnic scene and the terror of escaping it, are chillingly described. It may seem strange but I think Jackson's sense of humor is a lot of why the story works so well. An adored classic.

One of the best books ever written, and the scariest

Customer Rating:

* Eerie, terrifying book written with chilling accuracy * Subtle themes can depress vulnerable readers * A classic, similar to The Turn of the Screw - Literary Touchstone Classic This deeply troubling book that was the basis of the 1963 movie (The Haunting, starring Julie Harris), plus the disappointing 1999 remake, also called The Haunting. It's the kind of book you'll read on a windy night when the house is creaking, and you're ready for a "good scare." By the time you finish the book, you may regret ever picking it up. It's that scary, but in a subtle way that can rattle you more than you expected. The book's plot is almost identical to the chilling and sinister 1963 movie, The Haunting. A group of people spend several days at Hill House, testing the house and their own psychic abilities. The main characters are an inquisitive scientist, a skeptical playboy, a woman who follows "a different drummer," and another who is looking for an escape from guilt and the feeling that life is passing her by. The jovial house party quickly unravels as the house -- and its ghosts -- torment the most vulnerable guests. As madness begins to manifest, more than one of the guests is at risk. It's a thoroughly chilling and somewhat twisted tale, on several levels. This book accurately presents the troubling side of ghost hunting in a fictional setting. And, because it is so vivid, reading this book can push some people too far. If you are bothered by unwanted thoughts, I cannot recommend this book. Its effects can be damaging and insidious. However, if you're rabid about ghost hunting, and are either stalwart or foolhardy enough to tackle this book, it's a brilliant work of fiction by an award-winning writer. As with the 1963 movie, this novel provides a genuine sense of what real hauntings are like.

Delirious & eerie

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Forget the unfortunate 1999 remake of "The Haunting." I've been trying to, ever since I made the mistake of watching it. That movie has almost nothing to do with this book, except for the character names and the monologue of creepy old Mrs. Dudley near the beginning ("we couldn't even hear you, in the night .. in the dark ..") The old 1963 black&white movie adaptation was much better, but even it doesn't do justice to the book. Don't be misled: this is not a "horror" novel. Those of you who were weaned on Stephen King and Clive Barker (and maybe even loved the 1999 movie version) are going to be disappointed because this novel lacks all the blood & guts, quick action and shocking thrills that you are accustomed to. This is not a pulp novel, this is an actual piece of fine Literature that happens to have a haunted house as its setting. The story is about the characters. Hill House is the setting, but also functions as a character which contributes to the plot in its own way. The ghostly phenomena are generally subtle, not flashy or overt, and have an air of authenticity to them (Ms. Jackson seems to have drawn heavily from the recorded details of the TRUE haunting of Borley Rectory, which Dr. Montague actually mentions at one point.) There's very little backstory about Hugh Crain (the eccentric millionaire who built Hill House) and the reason why the house is haunted. Of course the 1999 movie makes all this backstory painfully obvious by injecting a story arc that is both insulting to Shirley Jackson's original creation and to the audience (for assuming we're not grown-up enough to handle a few unanswered questions...) Hill House leaves you wondering, still hanging there with so many questions that continue to haunt you after you've read it. I have an old Penguin edition from 1987 and I've read it several times over the years - each time just as spooky as the last. I highly recommend this book, if your attention span hasn't been decimated by modern media; if you want to read something scary that isn't vulgar or condescending.

The Movie is Better Than the Book

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Numbering the the 1963 film adaptation (The Haunting) of Shirley Jackson's "The Haunting of Hill House" among my favorites, I finally read the book. Although a short novel at 246 pages, the book is tedious and slow, weighed down by dialogue and one character's interior reflections, instead of even a modicum of action. The movie was a faithful adaptation of the book. Reading the novel did not add anything for me. I think women are more likely to like this novel; men need a little more action. If you want to read an absolutely great horror story, try Peter Straub's, Ghost Story. I have met with no success in finding a horror story better than Ghost Story.

One of her best

Customer Rating:

If you are not familiar with Shirley Jackson, or if you have only read her short story "The Lottery," the "Haunting of Hill House" is an excellent place to start. Much like "The Lottery," this novel brings you down a compellingly windy path that leads to a shockingly twisted conclusion. Her descriptions of the actual hauntings are chilling and will have you turning on all the lights in your house and checking behind the doors. Jackson's characters, in particular the main character, are written with an attention to detail and you will quickly find yourself absorbed into their fate. A quick warning to fans of the latest "The Haunting" movie: the novel does not contain nearly the same amount of gore or simple answers. Jackson's novel is more a psychological horror that will leave you questioning. For further reading, my personal favorite is "We Have Always Lived in the Castle" and "The Sundial."