In this atmospheric ghost story, author Shirley Jackson (The Lottery) takes on one of the oldest tropes in horror: the haunted house.
But this story is less about the ghosts within the walls than the ghosts we carry within ourselves. Young Eleanor, a dimunitive shut-in is invited to Hill House, a reputed haunted house, by Dr. Montague, an academic determined to prove the existance of the supernatural. With her, Theodora, a young woman with supposed telepathic abilities (however, they don't seem to manifest within the pages of this book), and Luke, heir to the 80-year old house.
This book, published in 1952, would be considered tame by today's standards. However, its significance to the resurgeance of haunted house stories cannot be understated. Its prose is somewhat convoluted at times and could turn off the casual reader. But, its that prose that adds to the increasing feeling of dread that builds up through the enirety of the book.
One of the failings of the book is the dilalogue. While enchantingly witty, each character seems destined to play off the others and they all seem to share the same attributes. Each's humor is almost indistinguishable from the next.
It is only through the naive eyes of Eleanor that we see their failings, and whether they are real or imagined is left to the reader to decide. However, these do not become apparent until well into the second act, and by then I was left with a disjointed view of the characters.
This book's overwhelming strength is its pacing. Almost instinctively, it races forward. Even as each character is introduced in short, but nearly biographical entries, we learn about Hill House and we can begin to form our opinions. Once we do arrive at the mansion nestled between the hills for which it is named, it rockets forward with ease.
The descriptions of the disturbances are plain and raw, contrasting nicely with the style of formal prose that was no doubt the norm for the period. By the time we get to the climax, Eleanor's journey is relayed with a chaotic yet smooth narrative befitting a final journey into the maw of the haunted madness in which she ultimately finds herself. The frenetic descriptions of Eleanor's decline urges the reader onward, resulting in an almost unavoidable desire to read faster than one can decipher each word. In short, I found myself reading too fast too take in each word.
What truly sets this book apart from contemporary entries into the genre, is its descriptions of Hill House. Jackson describes the house in such detail as to put the reader in its halls. She gives it atributes, but magically its the reader that gives it life.
Certainly, this book goes beyond the standard bumps in the night (of which there are many), and delves into the fragile psyche of the protagonist. It is the internal and worldly horrors of self-doubt and regret that make this book scary, not the unseen entities of Hill House. Eleanor longs to fit in, but constantly puts herself at a disadvantage through her own misgivings.
Cheap thrills are used to leverage the more worldly horrors that face a young woman woefully unprepared for a life away from her tiny cot, especially one so damaged as Eleanor.
The book was good, and a must-read for any fan of the genre. Though the characters seemed a bit one-sided, their similitaries led to interesting dialogue in which it seemed one mind was speaking with four different voices. If intentional by the author, she accomplished her goal.
The story is exposed to a fantastic infusion of new character traits with the introduction of Mrs. Montague and her man-servant, Arthur, in the third act. Their efforts to understnd the "loving" spirits of Hill House were most likely the catalyst for the final scene with Eleanor. However, its their no-nonsense approach to ghost hunting that will speak to readers.
How do we confront the ghosts of our world, both real and internal? Do we dash headlong into discussion as Mrs. Montague does, or do we dance around (and with) them and let them consume us as Eleanor does? The Haunting of Hill House poses that question in a classic story of a haunted house.
