Reviews tagging 'Suicide attempt'

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

47 reviews

hocuscrocus's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious sad tense slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Car accident, and Death

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Grief, and Suicide

abyissmal's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt and Death

Moderate: Gaslighting

Minor: Classism

lilifane's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

To be honest, I didn't expect to like this so much. I knew it was different from the Netflix show and classics are always a hit or miss for me, but I really enjoyed this one a lot. The writing is great, the atmosphere fantastic, I liked the characters and their dynamics. I didn't like the ending that much, though. But the more I think about it, the more I understand and appreciate it. There is just something that bothers me about it. Maybe it was too abrupt, maybe I needed a little more time at the end? Maybe I was identifying with Eleanor too much? 

I kind of wish I had read the book before I watched the show. It is a different story, but it still influenced my reading of the book, my expectations, and the way I saw the characters. Can't say I was surprised by most of the things that happened here. I'm curious how I would have felt the other way around. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Blood, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Car accident, Death, Suicide attempt, Emotional abuse, and Grief

luv2readbooks's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Minor: Suicide, Child death, Death of parent, and Suicide attempt

anna_hepworth's review against another edition

dark tense slow-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? No

4.0

I can see why this is a classic horror story, and I imagine that it would translate quite well into a visual medium.  While very well written, I didn't find myself gripped by it. 

Lots of interesting details that I think may well have been picked up in later horror as worth developing - the cook with the very persistent phrasing and timing of events; the angles of the house that are just a bit off; how the haunting episodes occur. 

What didn't work for me was the characterisation. The viewpoint character, Eleanor, was the best fleshed out, but only because we get a lot of what is going on in their head. The others were a bit flat. Particularly the two characters introduced later in the book, who were just a bit too close to farce, and seemed to be in a completely different genre of story. This might have been meant to intensify the creepiness the others were experiencing, but instead it managed to cheapen it. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death of parent, Suicide attempt, and Suicide

starlit_pathways's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad slow-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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Confinement, Car accident, Suicide, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Moderate: Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, and Grief

bexi's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad 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? Yes

3.75

I'd probably rate this higher after a re-read. It was very atmospheric, which I enjoyed. However, I found it hard to follow at times. I believe that was intentional, and a smart choice on Jackson's part considering the direction she took the story in.
 
It wasn't very scary, more creepy and unsettling. Which is what I was hoping for because I am a soft, anxious marshmallow and need to be careful about the content I consume. If you're not a fan of gore/murder/body horror in spooky books I think this is a good option, but do check out the content warnings.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

Moderate: Death of parent, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Car accident, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Toxic relationship

Minor: Ableism, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Death, Terminal illness, Abandonment, and Suicide attempt

chaoticnostalgia's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Death

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Toxic friendship, Car accident, and Toxic relationship

annoyedhumanoid's review against another edition

mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

i wouldn't say i found it scary or tense at all, just a lil spooky at times. it started off strong but kind of fell into a lull for the last third until the very end. i wanted to see

the house's control over Eleanor

play out longer; it was definitely a slow burn but there wasn't much payoff.
also, no, this book doesn't have any queer undertones. they are so blatant they're fucking overtones.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide attempt, Car accident, and Suicide

Minor: Blood, Child abuse, Death of parent, Confinement, Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, and Death

flowingleaves's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Death

Moderate: Cannibalism and Confinement