A review by ghulsona
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

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

5.0

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!!! 
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