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

dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I expected a simple ghost story, but this was so much more than that.

This is the kind of book that made me Google “but WHAT does it all MEAN” at 1 am, had me pick up the book and start to reread it the first thing the next morning, had me read other’s reviews looking for that one detail that I missed that would answer all my questions.

Don’t get me wrong, this book isn’t an absolutely confusing mess. It’s a perfectly understandable story. But with the feeling that there is so much UNDERNEATH that understandable story that is just out of reach. This book feels like it answered all my questions between the lines, and if I just read a little better, if I just think a little harder, I will understand. But the answers are never quite there.

Jackson’s writing is absolutely something I haven’t seen often before. She ignores all writing rules which results in an intentional mess. Sentences start in the middle of others, transitions are skipped, characters seem to transport from one location to another… And it all makes sense at the end and adds to a unique reading experience. I was so stuck in the main character’s psyche that, even though I recognised that psyche was a little messed up, didn’t realize what was happening until it was too late. Just like the main character, I suppose.