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A review by lialeahlio
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
4.0
The Haunting of Hill House is evidence of Shirley Jackson's masterful skill in foreshadowing using objects and dialogue to blur the lines of reality. Every detail mentioned by characters and the endless maze of Hill House will lead readers on a chase to find answers about the eery sounds, the delusions, and the questions from ones consciousness. Shirley Jackson will plunge readers into the dark halls of Hill House, deceiving at every turn, manipulating the sanity of every character and readers alike.
There are many moments when the lines completely blurs, leaving me in a state of mental fugue making me question what I was reading. This is due to Eleanor's unreliable perspective as the main protagonist who slips into a state of wishful thinking and delusions to escape from reality. The house takes advantage of Eleanor's habits to misdirect what is truly happening in Hill House. Just like the characters who can't seem to find their way around Hill House, readers will experience the same thing throughout reading up until the ending.
I admire every page Shirley Jackson has written and appreciate the many hints that seem to connect somewhere, sometimes nowhere at all. Using the presence of the house as a passive looming antagonistic threat that slowly consumes the sanity of its victim is just *chef's kiss*. Hill House will stay with me for a long time. It has claimed me.
There are many moments when the lines completely blurs, leaving me in a state of mental fugue making me question what I was reading. This is due to Eleanor's unreliable perspective as the main protagonist who slips into a state of wishful thinking and delusions to escape from reality. The house takes advantage of Eleanor's habits to misdirect what is truly happening in Hill House. Just like the characters who can't seem to find their way around Hill House, readers will experience the same thing throughout reading up until the ending.
I admire every page Shirley Jackson has written and appreciate the many hints that seem to connect somewhere, sometimes nowhere at all. Using the presence of the house as a passive looming antagonistic threat that slowly consumes the sanity of its victim is just *chef's kiss*. Hill House will stay with me for a long time. It has claimed me.