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A review by louiza_read2live
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
3.0
POSSIBLE SPOILER
An enjoyable read with a frightening theme, but definitely not scary in its depiction. I found certain parts creepy enough that I did not feel like reading them at night at home; however, these "scary" events ended up having an anticlimactic effect on me because I did not feel that the characters' reactions were strong enough to make me feel that they were frightened or even concerned enough– Thus the 3 stars when I could have given it more.
Nevertheless, I think the characters are well described in every other way and we get to see their different personalities, albeit not their fear. Moreover, the characters are annoying and pathetic and I did not find anyone particularly likable, which, I think, strangely, that is part of the success of this book.
I felt that The Haunting of Hill House was more of a study of the fears and desires, a study of the psyche of the characters and the reasons each one of them ended up at the Hill house rather than the mystery surrounding it. It seemed to me that the house was acting on the fears and thoughts/desires of the people that inhabited it and it haunted the most vulnerable, which in turn ended up haunting the house itself; thus, possibly, the interesting structure of the title as The Haunting of Hill House instead of The Haunted Hill House (Just a thought as I wonder why the title was written this way and not the other way?).
Bizarre and (although I have not read much in this genre) unique, I believe, on its rendition of what we would assume a haunted house is and looks like, The Haunting of Hill House is a good book, and the ending makes it even more worth it as I did not expect that ending.
I gave it 3 stars for the anticlimactic fear factor, but I would give it 5 stars for its strong character study and the interesting character analyses that could come out of this book. Plus, the ending elevated it more to my mind, and connected it to the title.
An enjoyable read with a frightening theme, but definitely not scary in its depiction. I found certain parts creepy enough that I did not feel like reading them at night at home; however, these "scary" events ended up having an anticlimactic effect on me because I did not feel that the characters' reactions were strong enough to make me feel that they were frightened or even concerned enough– Thus the 3 stars when I could have given it more.
Nevertheless, I think the characters are well described in every other way and we get to see their different personalities, albeit not their fear. Moreover, the characters are annoying and pathetic and I did not find anyone particularly likable, which, I think, strangely, that is part of the success of this book.
I felt that The Haunting of Hill House was more of a study of the fears and desires, a study of the psyche of the characters and the reasons each one of them ended up at the Hill house rather than the mystery surrounding it. It seemed to me that the house was acting on the fears and thoughts/desires of the people that inhabited it and it haunted the most vulnerable, which in turn ended up haunting the house itself; thus, possibly, the interesting structure of the title as The Haunting of Hill House instead of The Haunted Hill House (Just a thought as I wonder why the title was written this way and not the other way?).
Bizarre and (although I have not read much in this genre) unique, I believe, on its rendition of what we would assume a haunted house is and looks like, The Haunting of Hill House is a good book, and the ending makes it even more worth it as I did not expect that ending.
I gave it 3 stars for the anticlimactic fear factor, but I would give it 5 stars for its strong character study and the interesting character analyses that could come out of this book. Plus, the ending elevated it more to my mind, and connected it to the title.