pastormi_on_rye 's review for:

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

5.0

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This book is done a huge injustice by people reading it expecting to get a regurgitation of the television series. While the show is clearly a love letter to this atmospheric, unsettling masterpiece, they share almost nothing in terms of storyline. But if you can get past any preset expectations, this book really is so special. Succinct and gripping, this is a quick read that stands the test of time. I’m personally fairly weary of most “classics,” since the prose is typically pretty dense and the hooks are written for an audience that simply no longer exists. Not so with this one! Beautifully but not obscurely written, with a story and theme that still feel potent, engaging, and relevant. The author plays with truth, perception and identity through the eyes of the main character in a way that I genuinely have not stopped thinking about since I finished it.