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A review by the_cheerful_necromancer
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Ported over from my now-abandoned Goodreads:
There is nothing like this book in the world; I've never known language used so richly and vividly, I've never known horror done so masterfully. It seems that Shirley Jackson crafted every single sentence with perfect, meticulous care. The characters are wonderfully, beautifully real. The book may or may not scare you, but it weaves a perfect feeling of slow and creeping dread that will stick with me for a long, long time.
(Also, always points for lesbian homoeroticism, even if probably unintended.)
There is nothing like this book in the world; I've never known language used so richly and vividly, I've never known horror done so masterfully. It seems that Shirley Jackson crafted every single sentence with perfect, meticulous care. The characters are wonderfully, beautifully real. The book may or may not scare you, but it weaves a perfect feeling of slow and creeping dread that will stick with me for a long, long time.
(Also, always points for lesbian homoeroticism, even if probably unintended.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, and Mental illness
Moderate: Death of parent and Blood
Beware especially that mental illness, paranoia and unreliable narration are a MAIN theme of this book.