A review by motherofbears
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
This is a solid, slow burn, spooky tale told from an unreliable narrator, which makes for some interesting assumptions. If you are looking for gore or to be terrified, this is probably not the book for you. It is only loosely related to the Netflix series(very good, imo) of the same name and a lot more like the 90s movie with Catherine Zeta-Jones — which, honestly, great casting.
However, there is an uneasy feeling immediately that slowly builds, the house is described well and some of the scares (there are a couple, you have to really put yourself in the story though) were truly scary in that “hair on your arms stands up” way. “Hill House” as a myth adds depth to this outside of our story, we only get a taste of what the house is and the strange happenings. A nice little haunting story that leaves you feeling a little more shaken than you expected.
However, there is an uneasy feeling immediately that slowly builds, the house is described well and some of the scares (there are a couple, you have to really put yourself in the story though) were truly scary in that “hair on your arms stands up” way. “Hill House” as a myth adds depth to this outside of our story, we only get a taste of what the house is and the strange happenings. A nice little haunting story that leaves you feeling a little more shaken than you expected.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Minor: Suicide