Tuesday 25 August 2015

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

"Around them the house stead­ied and lo­cated them, above them the hills slept watch­fully, small ed­dies of air and sound and move­ment stirred and waited and whis­pered, and the cen­ter of con­scious­ness was some­how the small space where they stood, four sep­a­rated peo­ple, and looked trust­ingly at one an­other."

Prepare yourself for a creepy read. This is the kind of book designed  for October 31st, or to be read around a campfire. There is a constant state of fear, suspense and impending doom.
Dr Montague is seeking scientific evidence of a haunting and is joined by Theodora, Eleanor  and Luke. Will they survive living in the spooky expanse? Queue banging doors, changing temperatures, and unusual experiences all around.

Clearly I'm not the only one who liked this supernatural tome. It appears in the Guardian 1000 novels you must read list, along with a number of other recommendations I've noticed online. Published in 1959, it was also a finalist in the National Book Awards for 1960 and, according to wikipedia, formed the inspiration for two feature films and a play.

I had to leave the book alone in the bedroom and head out for some company before starting on this review.

5 out of 5 creaking doors and temperature changes

National Book Award Finalist for Fiction (1960)

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