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A review by theidlereader
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
2.0
Some things are better suited for the screen and I think the horror/ thriller genre is one of them. I started reading this because of the Netflix series and, after reading some of the book reviews, I had hoped that I would end up liking this better. The beginning was enjoyable enough and I liked the idea of these four strangers coming together in this haunted house, but I found the actual haunting to be very disappointing. To start with, the first haunting episode didn't begin until nearly halfway through the book but then there's no build up. There are only a couple of moments where things happen and the rest is just the four characters going about their business in the house. In fact, most of the conflict of the book happens inside Nell's head as the house begins to permeate her mind and twist her thoughts.
The characters themselves aren't relatable because we know almost nothing about them. In fact, and much of this is because the story is being told through Nell's eyes, I found there to be few genuine interactions between everyone. When something happens, their fear is almost always written off with jokes. For a group trying to investigate a haunted house, they sure brush off the hauntings quickly. When Mrs. Montegue and Arthur were introduced I found them instantly dislikable, but at least they did something more in their time than just trying to measure a cold spot.
As the story progressed and Nell deteriorated it was sometimes interesting to try and figure out what was true and what was being skewed by Nell's mind but the fluctuations in her relationships with everyone, especially Theodora, became confusing. One moment she's lamenting how little she thinks of Theo and then the next Nell's talking about how she's going to follow her home and live with her.
In the end, I think the first half of the book moved too slowly and the second half too quickly. The characters were tolerable but the actual haunting lackluster.
The characters themselves aren't relatable because we know almost nothing about them. In fact, and much of this is because the story is being told through Nell's eyes, I found there to be few genuine interactions between everyone. When something happens, their fear is almost always written off with jokes. For a group trying to investigate a haunted house, they sure brush off the hauntings quickly. When Mrs. Montegue and Arthur were introduced I found them instantly dislikable, but at least they did something more in their time than just trying to measure a cold spot.
As the story progressed and Nell deteriorated it was sometimes interesting to try and figure out what was true and what was being skewed by Nell's mind but the fluctuations in her relationships with everyone, especially Theodora, became confusing. One moment she's lamenting how little she thinks of Theo and then the next Nell's talking about how she's going to follow her home and live with her.
In the end, I think the first half of the book moved too slowly and the second half too quickly. The characters were tolerable but the actual haunting lackluster.