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kat42's review against another edition
dark
funny
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
4.5
I can see how this isn't for everyone, but I found it delightfully odd and unsettling. Definitely psychological horror as we watch Eleanor descend into madness, and I like the ambiguity of the ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Blood and Death of parent
jalepahe's review against another edition
challenging
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This book was okay. It got a little confusing at times because of the prose, but was okay overall. Not a whole lot of 'paranormal haunting' going on, though, and the ending was definitely a bummer.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
berggirl007's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
kolvori's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Car accident
sleepye's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
chaisquarelatte's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I really related to Nell, her worrying about fitting in and whether she had said the right thing. I do think she is an interesting character who has experienced a lot of stress prior to visiting the house. The thoughts she expresses on her journey suggested to me that her mental health was quite fragile to begin with, and while there is a clear paranormal possibility in the book- the psychological explanations are almost more interesting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Suicide and Death of parent
kassandrik's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Suicide and Car accident
julesmv's review against another edition
5.0
Spoiler: The character of Eleanor (nicknamed Nellie) gets invited by a doctor to Hillhouse, meets a few others, becomes very comfortable with them but she starts noticing dark forces in the house. Shes dealing with her own personal abandonment because she never had a home to go to. They say Hill House attaches itself to the painful parts of your life and amplifies it. So Nellie starts believing that she could just stay at hill house because the house has wrapped itself along with her. But the doctor and 2 others notice she’s been acting strange and so they send her home to save her. And literally the last page, she’s frantic and is like, “I don’t wanna go home, I have no home to go to, I need to stay, they can’t force me to leave” So she drives off accelerating the gas and crashes herself into a tree. I’m like oh my god 😭 it’s sooo sad. In the show (which is a diff story of the house), Nellie also commits sui*ide. I mean honestly, what did I expect, a happy ending??. Overall such a good book wow! I really enjoyed the read and it drove me to think about how our past can really drive darkness into our lives.
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide
crackedchelle's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
jedore's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
To learn what we fear is to learn who we are.
I finally got around to reading this book after watching the movie adaptation on Netflix several years ago. I have to say, the book is a classic for a reason.
The story follows four people who come together at Hill House, a mansion with a mysterious and creepy past. Dr. Montague, an investigator of the paranormal, invites three others to join him in his study: Eleanor, a shy woman with a troubled past; Theodora, a bohemian artist; and Luke, the future heir of Hill House. As they settle in, the house’s sinister nature starts to reveal itself, particularly to Eleanor, who becomes increasingly affected by the house’s eerie presence.
The Haunting of Hill House is considered one of the best ghost stories ever written and has influenced countless other works in the genre. Shirley Jackson’s ability to build suspense and a sense of dread without relying on cheap scares really sets this book apart. It’s more about what’s happening in your mind than what’s jumping out at you from the shadows.
While I found the book interesting, I couldn’t help but notice it doesn’t dive too deeply into the characters’ inner lives. I mean, there’s definitely some psychological complexity, especially with Eleanor, but the writing feels a bit distant. Maybe that’s because it was written in the 1950s, and that kind of character intimacy just wasn’t as common back then. To me, it felt like a less sophisticated version of “Rebecca” by Daphne du Maurier—similar gothic vibes but without quite the same depth of character exploration.
That said, I really enjoyed the complex psychology that’s woven into the story. If you’re in tune with what’s going on in the characters’ heads, the plot becomes pretty predictable, but that didn’t bother me too much. The psychology is so much bigger than the ending itself that it almost doesn’t matter where the story ends up.
This is definitely a must-read for anyone who’s into gothic horror. It’s more about atmosphere and psychological tension than anything else, and Jackson does that so well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Abandonment