Skip to content
Scan a barcode
Scan
Mass Market Paperback The Haunting of Hill House Book

ISBN: 0143134779

ISBN13: 9780143134770

The Haunting of Hill House

(Book #1 in the Hill House Series)

Select Format

Select Condition ThriftBooks Help Icon

Recommended

Format: Mass Market Paperback

Condition: New

$9.99
50 Available
Ships within 24 hours

Book Overview

The greatest haunted house story ever written--the inspiration for the hit Netflix horror series

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;...

Customer Reviews

7 ratings

3 stars

THE HAUNTING OF HILLHOUSE by Shirley Jackson This classic horror novel has inspired multiple movies and shows over the years. I’ve watched most of them so I figured I should read the actual book. Perhaps listening to the audiobook wasn’t the best way to absorb this story. Maybe one has to read it in the dead of night for the it to invoke a sense of fear…? Regardless, I didn’t get any spookiness, thrill or horror. If anything I felt like a casual, unaffected observer in this weird paranormal experiment. I wish there was more backstory to Dr. Montague and his work. I liked Mrs. Montague and Authur’s scenes as it provided just enough comic relief. Was this scary? Nah. Creepy? Eh, somewhat. Maybe I just don’t scare as easily as I used to. In short I didn’t love it, but it was still worth reading/listening. Rating: 3/5 ⭐️

Scary but confusing????

Once it got scary…..it was scary……but I was also so confused about 75% of the book and most of it just seemed like words there to take up space. I also have already seen the Netflix version and it is NOTHING like the book which also ruined the story for me a bit. I love classics but this isn’t necessarily one I would recommend

This books haunts you (in a good way)

As an avid horror fan, this book had been on my to-read list for a while, and I'm so glad I finally got around to it. Jackson is a master of words, spinning simple sentences into haunting memories for the characters and the reader. You remember scenes from this book like they're your own memories because of how vividly the story is written and how powerful the words are. If you want true horror due to a scary story of ghosts and of the breaking of the human mind, you have found the right book.

Even the words on the pages are haunted

The Haunting of Hill House remains one of the most important horror novels of all time and certainly one of the most singular haunted house tales ever written. It is certainly worth mentioning that at no time do we or the characters actually see any sort of visible ghostly manifestation; the phenomena are limited to cold spots, spectral banging on the walls and doors, messages written on walls, and torn, blood-spewed clothing in one room. If Jackson had compelled Hugh Crain (the main who built Hill House) to pop out of the woodwork and say Boo!, this story would have been long forgotten. Still, it quite amazes me that Shirley Jackson has met with such critical success and eternal popularity; I say this only because her writing style is unique and rather off-the-wall. Truly, Jackson's writing itself is haunted, and she herself almost surely was in some manner. There is a degree of insanity in every page; the characters often engage in dialogue that is childish of a sort and certainly different from normal adult conversation. I would think such idiosyncratic writing would appeal only to those like myself who are different, somewhat kooky, outsiders looking at the real world through thick-paned glass that sometimes fogs over or plays tricks with our eyes depending on the angle in which the sun hits it or does not hit it. Eleanor is an especially appealing character to me because I share many of her doubts and fears: I don't belong, what are people saying about me?, are people laughing at me behind my back?, why am I here and where am I going?, etc. No one rivals Jackson in the ability to paint a deeply moving, psychologically deep portrait of the tortured soul. The fact that so many people praise this book must mean that most people are plagued with self-doubt, which I find sadly comforting. In any event, Eleanor is a perfectly tragic heroine; those who can't relate to her must surely at least pity her. The character of Theodora is also fascinating, as she largely represents Eleanor's opposite: a vibrant personality, full of life and a need to be in the middle of it, probably insecure inwardly but strikingly bold outwardly. This dichotomy between two "sisters" is a constant theme in Jackson's work. The Eleanor-Theo relationship is reflected and honed against the relationship of Hugh Crain's two daughters, twin souls who grew up the dark mansion as loving sisters but who eventually came to hate each other and fight for ownership rights to the house. Eleanor and Theo also have a subtle love-hate relationship, the conflict between the two representing a jealousy over the house. Both want to be the center of attention, although Eleanor would never admit such a desire, and the fact that the house itself obviously harbors a strange enchantment for Eleanor bothers Theo and enchants Eleanor. When Theo's room and clothing are painted in blood, the house clearly signifies the soul with whom its sympathies lie, and this marks a turning point in

one of two books which have genuinely scared me

I saw "The Haunting", the movie version of the book when I was in high school and I remember, quite vividly, how much it scared me. What's so ironic, taken in the context of today's effects and fireworks shows, is that back then, in the early '60s, this movie never shows a monster...or anything else that would OBVIOUSLY frighten. The breathing doors and sounds in the hall were more than ample to illustrate fear. The book is much richer in detail and includes, especially, two scenes which I feel really should have been included in the movie. The first is when Eleanor and Theo take a stroll around the grounds of the house with Luke and Theo and Luke pair off and Eleanor thinks they are right behind her. They are some distance away, yet she senses them (or something) close by. The second is after an altercation one night Eleanor stalks out of the house and Dr. Marquay sends Theo after her to bring her back. The two of them are so wrapped up in their respective inner turmoil they fail to notice how far they've walked from the house(and at Night!) They notice, suddenly, that the landscape has become like a negative photograph, with light and dark reversed...they continue on and come upon a happy scene, in bright color, of a family having a picnic. The description of this made my hair stand on end. The horror is implied and erupts only occasionally but always with tremendous effect. This is truly a modern classic of the genre...the opening lines as memorable as "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again" or "Call me Ishamel"..."Hill House, not sane, had stood for eighty years and might stand for eighty more...within, floors were firm, windows sensibly shut, and whatever walked there, walked alone." My suggestion...don't read this book alone, but read it!

JACKSON'S CLASSIC WITCH'S BREW

THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE is one of the most subtle yet disturbing ghost stories ever written. Deservedly a true classic of the genre and a fine piece of modern American literature, the genius of Jackson's writing is in her SUBTLETY. Generally I find that readers who don't like or understand the book don't realize that all the while they're under Jackson's spell. (it's a book many people need to read over again) This short novel is one of the RARE FEW which will LINGER in the psyche LONG after it's been read! In the previous reviews, approximately 90% of the readers who were "disappointed" felt there was SOMETHING unique about the book. Eleanor. Eleanor was never "normal" to begin with; in Hill House she was like a kid in a candy store! Unable to relate to people, the house becomes her lover and her best friend; they become as ONE. I have to admit that I would have liked the book to have been longer, but I suspect Jackson's sudden ending was her style of "shock". Shirley Jackson knew what she was doing; this book is a classic witch's brew of symbolism and, boy, does it prey in the hallways of the mind! Forget what the previous scoffers say: read this alone in bed on a stormy night and I GUARANTEE you'll agree that Jackson was a master of her craft!

Absolutely wonderful-nothing like the remake!

Shirley Jackson is truly the master of horror. She weaves a dark tale of loneliness, depression, sadness, obsession and fear. Most readers, who have seen the remake, seem to be impressed with special effects and cheesy plots. This story is chilling not because of the supernatural themes, but because of the dark recesses of human nature. People don't seem to realize that the ending (without giving too much away) depicts Eleanor's response towards her feelings of isolation and depression. Who knows if she did what she did because of a ghost or because she was truly mad? was she trying to stay in the only place that understood her or was the house trying to keep her? Please, don't base this literary masterpiece on a REALLY bad movie. read the book and decide WHO was in control-Eleanor or Hill House?

The Haunting οf Hill House Mentions in Our Blog

The Haunting οf Hill House in Book-to-Screen Horror
Book-to-Screen Horror
Published by Ashly Moore Sheldon • September 29, 2024

It's almost October! And that means it's time to double down on book-to-screen horror—meaning read the books and watch the adaptations. Here are seventeen frightfully good horror novels that have been adapted to the screen.

The Haunting οf Hill House in What's New and Coming Soon in Book-to-Screen
What's New and Coming Soon in Book-to-Screen
Published by Ashly Moore Sheldon • October 08, 2023

It's always fun to see our favorite books on the screen. But sometimes, the best literature gets adapted before we've had the chance to read it. Here's the latest, greatest in book-to-screen adaptations. Order your copy of the source material so you can read before you watch.

The Haunting οf Hill House in 13 Days of Horror!
13 Days of Horror!
Published by Terry Fleming • September 30, 2023
Hello Boils and Ghouls! The Thrift Keeper here (named for my devilish ability to find the Best Bargains among Blood-Curdling titles!), and today I’d like to talk to you about the importance of OCTOBER. For the first 13 days of this most gruesome of months (yes, leading up to Friday the 13th), ReadingRewards members will get DOUBLE POINTS on ALL THE BOOKS by the thirteen authors listed below. And as a means of KICKING OFF this promotion, I decided to provide some FUN FACTS for each of our featured, sinister scribes…
The Haunting οf Hill House in Staff Picks: The Scariest Books & Movies
Staff Picks: The Scariest Books & Movies
Published by Amanda Cleveland • October 23, 2022

Because it's the spookiest season, I tasked our staff to tell everyone 1) the scariest book they've ever read, and/or 2) the scariest movie they've ever seen, and 3) explain themselves with a quote so that you all might feast upon our tasty, tasty fear and maybe get scared yourself!

The Haunting οf Hill House in You Are What You Read, Part 2!
You Are What You Read, Part 2!
Published by Ashly Moore Sheldon • April 14, 2022

A few weeks ago, we published a post about how a reader's fave genre might match up with their personalities and it got some attention! Several of you mentioned that you'd like to see some other genres included. So here you go!

Copyright © 2024 Thriftbooks.com Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information | Cookie Policy | Cookie Preferences | Accessibility Statement
ThriftBooks® and the ThriftBooks® logo are registered trademarks of Thrift Books Global, LLC
GoDaddy Verified and Secured