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juntakinte1968 's review for:

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
3.0

This book has some things going for it, other than providing me some context to the plot that Scary Movie 2 is spoofing. Compliment sandwich:

Something good: Shirley Jackson rides high on the mid century tone of The Twilight Zone or Alfred Hitchcock Presents. You get a perfect example of the story shape that Kurt Vonnegut described--a character starting in a bad place, and things progressively getting worse right up until the downer ending.

Something bad: unfortunately it is also a mid century melodrama for a bit too long. I wasn't entirely sold on the love triangle of the novel. And the sense of humor was a little too high-brow and corny for me.

Something good: she wrote some creepy moments that does make the novel read like a horror story. The section with the two women in the bedroom. The ruined wardrobe. The stairwell. And that ending. I wish she had included more of that. Even the fallout of the nighttime scares, usually covered in the next day, are amazing.

Still, it's a worthwhile read and makes me wish that there was a half star option here on Goodreads. Because this is slightly higher than a 3 out of 5 ranking.