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silenttwg's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Cat goes to a supposedly haunted mansion to support her best friend with his bride-to-be, but when the fiance's taken by the house, they're thrust into a situation that will forever change their future.
This was an interesting read. It's full of gorgeous imagery, but to the point where at times, it was difficult to wade through. It built that sense of unease and distress, but I couldn't always decide if it was the story building it or if it was the need to dive through the narrator's strange way of seeing the world and obscuring the tale with her overwhelming comparisons.
I wanted to like this and I'm not sure I don't, but I feel let down by the experience. It had so much potential, but it ultimately didn't really hit home. I think I'd enjoy it more if the gorgeous prose were spread thinner over more pages and the characters and ghost story were given more depth and exploration.
But can't argue with how beautiful the cover is and that it does look pretty nice sitting on my bookshelf, just sayin'.
This was an interesting read. It's full of gorgeous imagery, but to the point where at times, it was difficult to wade through. It built that sense of unease and distress, but I couldn't always decide if it was the story building it or if it was the need to dive through the narrator's strange way of seeing the world and obscuring the tale with her overwhelming comparisons.
I wanted to like this and I'm not sure I don't, but I feel let down by the experience. It had so much potential, but it ultimately didn't really hit home. I think I'd enjoy it more if the gorgeous prose were spread thinner over more pages and the characters and ghost story were given more depth and exploration.
But can't argue with how beautiful the cover is and that it does look pretty nice sitting on my bookshelf, just sayin'.
emrodav's review against another edition
2.0
Pretty disappointed in this one, to be honest. It’s not scary enough, and the author seems more focused on proving they have an impressive vocabulary than anything else.
luminous's review against another edition
3.0
I really liked this! Worked well as an audiobook! The narrator does a very good job. I think listening to this is the fun way, because I could tell the prose was dense and I might have had a clunkier time reading with eyeballs. The only reason it's not higher is a bit of "It's not you; it's me" because I am realizing I don't love haunted house stories.
You're thrown right in and even though the prose is dense, your hand is not held. Also I attribute, maybe generously, a lot of the over-the-top level of metaphor to the voice of the first person narrator, who has been experiencing mental instability recently. I liked how Khaw throws in unsettling imagery right from the start even when all is still normal.
Yes, the characters are mostly unlikeable. What's wrong with that? They still achieved surprising depth for such a short tale.
Overall, this reads like a rough-around-the edges work of an extremely talented writer. I look forward to checking out whatever Cassandra Khaw puts out in the future.
You're thrown right in and even though the prose is dense, your hand is not held. Also I attribute, maybe generously, a lot of the over-the-top level of metaphor to the voice of the first person narrator, who has been experiencing mental instability recently. I liked how Khaw throws in unsettling imagery right from the start even when all is still normal.
Yes, the characters are mostly unlikeable. What's wrong with that? They still achieved surprising depth for such a short tale.
Overall, this reads like a rough-around-the edges work of an extremely talented writer. I look forward to checking out whatever Cassandra Khaw puts out in the future.
honnari_hannya's review against another edition
1.0
TW: Mentions of psychiatric holds, suicide attempts, gore
So incredibly disappointing. Especially considering this was tailor made to fit my interests. Horror? Heian palaces? Yokai? Sign me up.
But I ended up finished this out of spite and only spite. A mess of the purplest prose with bad metaphors (A Dante reference? The Sword of Damocles? Couldn't Khaw even find one allusion to Japanese literature in the course of its 1000-year history, it just seemed so goddamn lazy), nonsensical characters whose "traumatic" backstories were but a thin veneer for them to act like assholes for no real reason, petty girl drama, and the most horrible horror cliches you could think of to wrap it all up in a bow that wasted about 2 hours of my life I will never get back. And just to add that cherry on top (see, Khaw? I can do it too, and by it, I mean just stack metaphors on top of metaphors on top of metaphors), the most self-serious 4th-wall breaking "the queer characters die first" bullshit speeches tossed in, and for what? For what? The kind of horror that proudly declares that it is "different" and "not like all those othergirls horror books." Blegh.
So incredibly disappointing. Especially considering this was tailor made to fit my interests. Horror? Heian palaces? Yokai? Sign me up.
But I ended up finished this out of spite and only spite. A mess of the purplest prose with bad metaphors (A Dante reference? The Sword of Damocles? Couldn't Khaw even find one allusion to Japanese literature in the course of its 1000-year history, it just seemed so goddamn lazy), nonsensical characters whose "traumatic" backstories were but a thin veneer for them to act like assholes for no real reason, petty girl drama, and the most horrible horror cliches you could think of to wrap it all up in a bow that wasted about 2 hours of my life I will never get back. And just to add that cherry on top (see, Khaw? I can do it too, and by it, I mean just stack metaphors on top of metaphors on top of metaphors), the most self-serious 4th-wall breaking "the queer characters die first" bullshit speeches tossed in, and for what? For what? The kind of horror that proudly declares that it is "different" and "not like all those other
ratchel_l's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
sonyesquivel's review against another edition
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? It's complicated
3.0
patte042's review against another edition
1.0
I can honestly say this is the worst book I have ever read. I am a horror fan and love picking up a short book once in a while for a nice “sit and read the whole story” experience. This book is incredibly short and I had to labor my way through it. After completing it I cannot tell you the point of anything in the book or what happened, because it is so poorly constructed.
crumpkl's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
ambrose_7's review against another edition
4.0
This is what I wanted "The Haunting of Hill House" to be. It was creepy, pretty graphic, and very fast-paced. The plotline was about some 20-something-year-olds who used to be in a friend group and are now staying in a haunted mansion in Japan to host the wedding of two people in the friend group.
I was surprised to see so many negative reviews of this when I was checking them out before I wrote this review, I thought the pros were witty, and the friends bickering was the reason the horror worked. These were people that should have moved on from each other long ago, I think that's the point. They drove each other to the climax of the book, and you can say that the house was the cause of it, but I think it just kindled a fire that was already built up and ready to burn. I like that the fact that the plot was supernatural but psychological at the same time.
I liked the main character to the contrary of a lot of other people, I think she was maybe a little too intuitive to be realistic, but some of the things she thinks are really fascinating. They made me think about the way I interact with people and why, and to get that from a horror novella was pleasantly surprising.
Everyone is raving about other books by Khaw and if I liked this one a lot I don't see why I won't like her other works more so I have that to look forward to.
I was surprised to see so many negative reviews of this when I was checking them out before I wrote this review, I thought the pros were witty, and the friends bickering was the reason the horror worked. These were people that should have moved on from each other long ago, I think that's the point. They drove each other to the climax of the book, and you can say that the house was the cause of it, but I think it just kindled a fire that was already built up and ready to burn. I like that the fact that the plot was supernatural but psychological at the same time.
I liked the main character to the contrary of a lot of other people, I think she was maybe a little too intuitive to be realistic, but some of the things she thinks are really fascinating. They made me think about the way I interact with people and why, and to get that from a horror novella was pleasantly surprising.
Everyone is raving about other books by Khaw and if I liked this one a lot I don't see why I won't like her other works more so I have that to look forward to.
fromtiffany's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0