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A review by plantbasedbride
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The Haunting of Hill House is a character study about a woman who has never truly lived, buried in utter loneliness, finally finding contentment and a place to belong. Except that place is a haunted house, and that contentment comes from finding joy in the terrifying exhilaration of being trapped with the lingering souls of the dead.
"Journeys end in lovers meeting; I have spent an all, but sleepless night, I have told lies and made a fool of myself, and the very air tastes like wine. I have been frightened half out of my foolish wits, but I have somehow earned this joy; I have been waiting for it for so long."
It's never quite clear if this is a straightforward haunting, a result of the supernatural, or if it is all in our protagonist's head. Unsettling and subtle, you never truly know what is real.
Who is haunting who?
We'll never know for sure.
"Journeys end in lovers meeting; I have spent an all, but sleepless night, I have told lies and made a fool of myself, and the very air tastes like wine. I have been frightened half out of my foolish wits, but I have somehow earned this joy; I have been waiting for it for so long."
It's never quite clear if this is a straightforward haunting, a result of the supernatural, or if it is all in our protagonist's head. Unsettling and subtle, you never truly know what is real.
Who is haunting who?
We'll never know for sure.