The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson Published by Viking on 1959
Genres: Horror, Paranormal / Supernatural, Psychological Horror
Pages: 288
Format: Hardcover
Where to buy: Affiliate Link
The greatest haunted house story ever written—the inspiration for the hit Netflix horror series!
First published in 1959, Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House has been hailed as a perfect work of unnerving terror. It is the story of four seekers who arrive at a notoriously unfriendly pile called Hill House: Dr. Montague, an occult scholar looking for solid evidence of a “haunting”; Theodora, his lighthearted assistant; Eleanor, a friendless, fragile young woman well acquainted with poltergeists; and Luke, the future heir of Hill House. At first, their stay seems destined to be merely a spooky encounter with inexplicable phenomena. But Hill House is gathering its powers—and soon it will choose one of them to make its own.
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson is a classic I picked up after watching the Netflix miniseries. It absolutely boggles my bookish brain that the Netflix adaptations—both The Haunting of Bly Manor and The Haunting of Hill House—somehow outshine the source material. Though it hurts my literary soul to admit it, I think Netflix actually did it better. How could I, of all people, betray my inner bookworm and say a screen version is superior? I might need to lie down with a cup of tea and rethink my life.
I waited over a month to write this review because Shirley Jackson seems both a little mad and a little genius. The story follows Eleanor (“Nel”), Theodora, Dr. Montague, and Luke as they investigate the supposed haunted Hill House. As a classic gothic horror novel, Jackson’s writing style is both eerie and lyrical, leaving the reader constantly questioning what is real and what is imagined. Few books have left me so unsure—was Nel losing her mind and imagining everything, or was the house truly to blame for the strange occurrences? Jackson’s brilliance lies in her ability to craft a psychological puzzle that lingers long after the final page. Was Hill House haunted, or was Eleanor simply unstable? Did the house manipulate its inhabitants, or were they already primed for hysteria? Theodora’s ruined clothes reappear perfectly fine, and the boundaries between reality and madness blur at every turn. While this ambiguity is a hallmark of Jackson’s genius, it can also be frustrating for readers who crave answers or a more traditional haunted house story.
Character Development (or Lack Thereof)
While Jackson excels at building an unsettling atmosphere, her characters are, frankly, dull. But where she falls short is in her characters. To put it plainly… they’re boring. All of them. The women come across as immature, the men as bland and forgettable, and the only standout is the doctor’s wife, who appears so abruptly and disruptively that I had to double-check if I’d missed a chapter. Instead of being unique or memorable, she’s simply annoying and out of place, adding chaos without adding depth.
The original owner of Hill House, as revealed through diary entries, is no better. Instead of a chilling ghostly presence, he comes across as a “culty fruitcake” whose ramblings add little to the suspense. To be precise, his diary entries feel like the thoughts of someone who’s been left alone with too many candles and not enough fresh air. I would have loved to see him come back as a furious ghost or at least have his presence felt more strongly, but alas—if he’s haunting the place, he’s doing it from a safe distance, because we get absolutely nothing.
To sum it up, I’ll borrow from another classic: “We’re all mad here.” The author, for writing such a dull book; the readers, for soldiering through it; and the characters, who are as dull and lifeless as your Mamaw’s good fabric scissors after someone used them to cut paper.
Lastly, while Jackson’s novel is a classic in the horror genre, it failed to engage me emotionally. The characters are lifeless, the plot is subpar, and the ambiguity—while clever—ultimately left me cold. If you’re looking for a classic haunted house novel with strong character development, The Haunting of Hill House may not be the right fit—at least, it wasn’t for me. As much as it pains my inner bookworm, I recommend watching the Netflix series or one of the movies instead. Save yourself from being ghosted by the ghosts in this so-called ghost story.
About Shirley Jackson
Shirley Jackson (1916–1965) was a groundbreaking American author recognized for her mastery of psychological suspense, dark humor, and the uncanny. Best known for her iconic short story “The Lottery” and novels such as “The Haunting of Hill House” and “We Have Always Lived in the Castle,” Jackson’s work explores the complexities of human nature and the unsettling undercurrents of everyday life. Her writing has inspired generations of readers and writers, earning her a lasting place in the literary canon. Jackson’s legacy endures through her influential contributions to horror, mystery, and American fiction.
