One name has stood tall in the world of horror and Gothic literature for quite a long time. A personal favorite of many horror writers - Shirley Jackson. Those who are not familiar with the name should at least know 'The Haunting of Hill House'. Considered a classic in horror literature, this has spawned multiple movies and a recent web series as well. I being quite a big fan of horror; had this name on the to-read list for quite a while. I have not been reading horror for quite some time and to make a comeback to my favorite genre, I wanted it to be this very book.
Hill House is a mansion that has stood for a long period. The mansion is located among the hills and has quite a bad reputation. Dr.Montague who hopes to find proof of supernatural existence rents the house to spend a few days. He chooses a few people who have paranormal experiences to spend time at the mansion to which only Theodora and Eleanor respond. Luke; the heir to the house also joins them and the caretakers Mr and Mrs. Dudley work in the mansion only till evening and do not stay back at night. Everyone starts experiencing some sort of disturbance and Eleanor is the most among them. The story mainly revolves around the time they spend in the mansion and the experiences they encounter. Is there a paranormal presence in the mansion? How are the people affected by the stay? forms the rest of the story. The story is written mainly from the point of view of Eleanor.
Shirley Jackson has been one of the foremost writers in the horror genre. She had a childhood dominated by a demanding mother and after marriage, she had a big family with four children with her husband. The town where she had settled after marriage was not quite welcoming to the outsiders and she was almost reclusive for most of her lifetime. All these incidents strongly influenced her writings. This novel focuses more on creating terror rather than horror to elucidate the settings of the house. Most of her personal issues are reflected here across the book. The people in the town and the caretakers of the mansion were an uninviting lot as the town she lived in.
There are four main characters involved in the book who have problems and shortcomings of their own. Eleanor had been taking care of her invalid mother for so many years and the friction is evident similar to the relation that Shirley had with her mother. Theodora had issues with her partner while Luke although acting cool misses a mother figure. Eleanor was the most unstable of the lot which made her narration interesting. Even though eerie, she can connect very well with the house. Eleanor uses a lot of lies to build a pseudo-life that she tries to live at least in her thoughts. The way the house consumes her and the way the whole story ends was the highlight for me. Even though detailed elaborately; the language is not complex or with twisty subplots that you see in a Stephen King book. It was plain and easy to read through. Given the time at which this was written, the psychological aspect is so wonderfully brought out. There is a subtle dark humor that is present throughout the novel which is a clever move from the writer.
The book has been a classic read that should not be missed by readers of horror, thriller, or psychological mysteries. A brilliant book written ahead of time according to me. Classic indeed!
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