Monday 20 December 2010

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson


I think I've found a new favourite author. After I had read We Have Always Lived at the Castle I knew that I wanted to read more of this author who I previously hadn't heard of. This was the next book that the library had available.

The Haunting of House Hill follows four people brought together to stay in a haunted house. Previous residents have all fled after just a few days declaring business elsewhere that has made them abandon the house, but never declaring that they were scared. The main character Eleanor, a lonely woman who had previously spent all her life nursing her sick mother feels the full force of the haunting.

The book grabbed me from its very beginning, the oddly angled house, the odd way that the characters interact with one another and the mystery of what it is that possesses the house ring out from the pages. It is scary, but I never was scared when reading it. I found it strange rather than scary, perplexing. Apparently this book is the basis for two films both called The Haunting, neither of which I've seen I'd like to know how they portray the characters when much of the book is pschological fear.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

My nerves are weak, I get scared easily. So I tend to avoid horror stories... But heard so much good things about this one. Glad you like it. :)

serendipity_viv said...

I got this for Christmas last year and still haven't read it. I read We Have Always Lived in the Castle last month and thought it was fab.

katrina said...

I loved We Have Always Lived in the Castle, which was much gentler than this.