Review by ghulsona - The Haunting of Hill House

ghulsona 's review for:

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

5.0

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This was my first time delving into the horror genre for books, and I can safely say I enjoyed it wayyy more than I thought I would. It was more tense and uneasy than actually scary, but I really loved the psychological slow burn. Shirley Jackson's prose is lush and gorgeous; I am absolutely enamored with the one passage where Eleanor is driving to Hill House and imagines herself as a lost fae princess returning home. Speaking of Eleanor, she was a fantastic character. In a way, she really was a lost princess returning back to what she thinks is her rightful home. After years of repressing her emotions, she finally gets to explore them . . . in a haunted house setting. Isn't it so heartbreaking how the house exploits her desire to have a home, to the point of self-destruction? I love me a good unreliable narrator :') The other characters were also delightful. I may be reading too much into it, but Eleanor was definitely in love with Theodora, right? Gah, I really adore this book!!!

Content Warnings