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emilypuddleduck's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Death of parent
sehenry20's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Suicide, and Death of parent
h_iris's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Suicide, and Blood
sarasreading's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I'm so glad I finally read this one! I thought it would be way scarier than it actually was, although it'll probably make me rethink anything going bump in the night when I'm staying somewhere unfamiliar. I really liked how the reader is brought along on the mental journey of one of the characters being targeted by the house, and how her thinking evolves and changes the longer she's there. It really gets under your skin that way. I kind of wish the book was longer and scarier. I would have happily read something twice as long.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Death and Suicide
the_wistful_word_witch's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
After everything I'd heard about this book, I expected it to be much scarier. Instead, it's just sad and left me disliking most of the characters.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Death, Suicide, and Death of parent
readingwithgoose's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Suicide, Blood, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Alcohol
betag1013's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol
zsabella's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I fell somewhere in the middle on this horror classic. I knew going in it wouldn’t have a fast-paced plot about the strange happenings in Hill house, but it was so repetitive and took too long to reach the climax.
Shirley Jackson is a great writer, but the character relationships in this really brought it down for me. Other than Theodora, the rest of the characters felt too distant for me to care. I get why Eleanor feels flat because she’s trying to find any way to be likable and interesting, but I didn’t personally enjoy reading SO much about this dynamic with the other characters.
I don’t regret reading it, but I think I like Jackson’s dreamy, surreal type of dialogue and plotting better in her short stories because ~200 pages was stretching the limits of my attention. The off-balance, unsettling atmosphere was there, but I wanted more perspective from Hill House itself to get an equal blend of real spookiness and character study.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Suicide
Minor: Blood and Abandonment
caribbeangirlreading's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The Haunting of Hill House > We Have Always Lived in the Castle
I wish I had read the introduction by Laura Miller in the Penguin Horror edition before book club so that we could have discussed it. What an interesting theory about what was really happening to Eleanor at Hill House. Also, the Penguin Horror hardcover edition is chef's kiss. I hope they expand this collection because this is the reason why readers choose books by their covers.
I wish I had read the introduction by Laura Miller in the Penguin Horror edition before book club so that we could have discussed it. What an interesting theory about what was really happening to Eleanor at Hill House. Also, the Penguin Horror hardcover edition is chef's kiss. I hope they expand this collection because this is the reason why readers choose books by their covers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Blood, and Car accident
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
meg_thebrave's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I am going to be mulling this story over for a long time, I think. I really really liked this a lot, Shirley Jackson writes some unsettling stuff. Eleanor is an excellent character. Perfect for Halloweentime.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death