The Haunting of Hill House (Penguin Classics)
The greatest haunted house story ever written—the inspiration for the hit Netflix horror series!
One of The Atlantic’s Great American Novels of the Past 100 Years
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.
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
One of The Atlantic’s Great American Novels of the Past 100 Years
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.
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
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Community Reviews
It was a quick and easy read, though Jackson's style includes these little twists that might have you thinking "Wait, what did I miss?"
It boils down to the question - is the house haunted or is Nell the ghost all along?
In later chapters the way that she eavesdrops on everyone and just waits, wanting for them to mention her, to acknowledge her existence... Nell is a ghost, and she's been a ghost all her life. It just all clicks into place so quickly.
Definitely a good book, I can see why it's a horror classic.
It boils down to the question - is the house haunted or is Nell the ghost all along?
In later chapters the way that she eavesdrops on everyone and just waits, wanting for them to mention her, to acknowledge her existence... Nell is a ghost, and she's been a ghost all her life. It just all clicks into place so quickly.
Definitely a good book, I can see why it's a horror classic.
not as spooky as i had hoped. weirdly liked other iterations of this story as opposed to the original work. glad to have read this classic regardless.
I was ready to explore the numerous factors that are involved in a haunted house, however the scary part in this 📖 isn't Hill House, it's the mind. I imagine this story based on a female character was scary for its time (1959). During 1850-1900 women were placed in mental institutions when they didn't behave accordingly to men. During 1940 Lobotomies were used on these women which ruined them for the rest of their lives. I would warn that if you're looking for scary, this is not it. This is a psychological story.
Hill House might be the asylum Eleanor has been locked up in. Creating this paranormal study led by Dr. Montague is the only way she can cope. Dr. Montague cld be her real life Psychiatrist. There are many parts implying that it cld all be inside her own head.
Enjoy & decide for yourself.
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