The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson
author [[ Shirley Jackson ]]
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson is a classic I had often heard about but never read. Its vivid and unsettling, all told from the perspective of a deeply disturbed, lonely woman. Is it all in her head? Jackson leans into the ambiguity, never giving easy answers.[^2] For all that, it contains intense, arresting images that stay with you and somehow jump scares. Brilliant.
- Slow dread horror with vivid imafe- sudden picnic in bright sunshine at night holding someone’s handwhen they are on the other side of the room
- Elaborate is lonely ill and isolated, blaming herself for her mother’s death and unsure how to interact with people. Is it all in her head? Possibly but it is open to interpretation
- Others around her say harah things in the Middle of a conversation- how much is true?
- House is a character in itself- sprawling, strange dimension odd angles, rooms that lead to rooms. Unsettling.
- Seems to possess elaborate at the end- she can feel every creak and hear every sound. Dances through the house.
- Side characters add to the feeling of wrongness- Mrs Dudley is robotic, Eleanor’s sister is awful, the wife of the doctor is from another time. Sharply observed but all feel cruel and pointed
- Third person narration but tied to Eleanor’s point of view. Don’t see anything outside it. Close to her thoughts and intrusive thoughts.