My Goodreads review: The Haunting of Hill House

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This is one of the quietest modern horror novels I’ve ever read – and one of the most disturbing. The opening paragraph alone is worth the price of admission.

Touching on both supernatural and psychological themes, The Haunting (also published as The Haunting of Hill House ) follows the attempt of one Dr. Montague to make an academic “summer project” of a house long known to be haunted. The three young people he selects to join him in this project all bring issues of their own – and one (no spoilers here!) may turn out to be just what Hill House, “not sane,” is looking for. Despite being published in 1959, the vibe is pure Gothic.

Jackson’s clear yet poetic prose enhances this tightly written – well under 300 pages! – tale. If you haven’t experienced it yet, consider making it one of your summer projects. Just don’t sit up too late reading . . . especially if you’re home alone. Or are you?





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