(e)Book – The Haunting of Hill House

   (e)Book –  The Haunting of Hill House

Author:  Shirley Jackson

Score: 10/10
Year: 1959(original) ;  2013  (this edition) 

Publisher:  Penguin Books

ISBN 9781101663004/ 978-1-101-66300-4

Pages 200* (novel p. 45-200) 

Dr. Montague is an occult scholar looking for solid evidence of a "haunting" in Hill House, a notoriously unfriendly gothic house, shunned by the inhabits of the nearest city, Hillsdale. 

To his letters and calls of assistance, only Eleanor and Theodora answer and come. They are joined by Luke, the future heir of Hill House, sent by the family to make sure the Doctor and his assistants follow certain procedures and don't damage the house in their search. 

Later on Mrs Montague, the Doctor's wife, her planchette, and her friend, Arthur also arrive to Hill House. 

The story lasts just over a week, during which these seekers' characterization is told in the first chapters, and then, as the story unravels, they start to encounter spooky and inexplicable phenomena - which the Doctor and his guests try to explain rationally as long as they are able... For example, when Dr Montague says that 

"No, the menace of the supernatural is that it attacks where modern minds are weakest, where we have abandoned our protective armor of superstition and have no substitute defense"

The story is mostly centered around one character, Eleanor, who's inner thoughts are the only ones given, even as she drives from the city, to Hillsdale and then on to Hill House. She fancies a different life to the one she has known ; and although the narration is in third person omniscient, almost everything that happens in this novel is in Eleanor's presence and relating to her - with very few exceptions, alluding to more than her imagination. 

The story does show that each of the characters experiences the events differently, and at times, their experiences seem totally disjointed and not shared by one another, or lived by one group, and not another.  Thus, the narrative involves both individual and shared experiences as well as emotions, but almost always in Eleanor's perspective and hearing of dialogues. Often, Elanor's experiences and feelings of being invisible and alone reflect the main themes of this book, beyond its creepy haunting portion : loneliness, isolation - despite being in company, the fractured self, dangers brought by one's own mind and fears. 

Here I'll include two more quotes (and that's all), 

“Fear is the relinquishment of logic, the willing relinquishing of reasonable patterns. We yield to it or we fight it, but we cannot meet it halfway,”

and 

"When I am afraid, I can see perfectly the sensible, beautiful not-afraid side of the world, I can see chairs and tables and windows staying the same, not affected in the least, and I can see things like the careful woven texture of the carpet, not even moving. But when I am afraid I no longer exist in any relation to these things. I suppose because things are not afraid.”

Both of these quotes speak about fear and the logical awareness of it. They both speak to me on a personal level as someone who suffers from anxiety disorders - GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder), cptsd and other trauma-related phobias... Thus, I could relate quite strongly to these passages  -though they are in a horrific setting and my current struggles aren't. 

Hill House is certainly a character of its own, with its misaligned portions, its gloomy atmosphere and ever presence... throughout the novel, it is described, analyzed and dissected as possibly being 'born bad' as its past 80 years of existence are summarized, alongside its occupants, and their tragedies.  In its origin story, even darker and disturbing elements are hinted to, with strong implications toward incest, so that may be a trigger to some readers, as well as mentions of blood, suicide and murder, especially in the second half of the novel.

The Haunting of Hill House is really well written, not verbose for those who dislike verbosity, often poetic in phrasing ; despite not being overly graphic and leaving a lot to the reader's own imagination, its topics are adult, and some, as I just said, potentially triggery. Read it with that awareness. 

Aside for loneliness, isolation, fear, rational mind vs paranormal, the novel also has additional themes of Inferiority complex -Eleanor often feels less than the others, invisible, unheard, and her backstory involves an oppressive Mother. 

Questions of sexuality, possible bisexuality are hinted at, and also, right from the start, the notions of freedom and surrender are greatly present - again via Eleanor's flight of fancy, from home to Hill House, but also, to other extent, those of the other characters, as opposed to the rigidity of the caretakers, the Dudleys. The notion of freedom is evidently also opposed to the very suffocating atmosphere at Hill House itself. 

Evidently, a sub-current them of Home is ever present, being welcome or not, the feeling of belonging - and through a few dialogues and thoughts from Eleanor, the question of interaction and expectations between people.

More than a haunting story with its creepiness, this novel offers food for thought and can open some philosophical debates  - even if you don't believe the supernatural aspects. 

I suggest you don't read any of the preliminary content in this edition. I tried after the novel itself, and had to stop, as you'll see bellow : 

firstly on page 2 there's a rather spoilery story plot, then some of Guillermo del Toro's intro to the Penguin Horror series (pages 11-28) is spoilery about books he mentions, such as Frankenstein (lucky I'd read it already), so I didn't finish reading him, and decided not to read Laura Miller's introduction (to this novel, pages 29-42), assuming she'd have similar spoilers for some books that I may not have read and already on my TBR. 

*****

I have to re-watch (when possible) the 1963 Robert Wise adaptation of this novel, seen on Halloween 2016... but too long ago for me to remember its adaptation quality... stay tuned for an update on that hyper-linked review. 

I don't plan to watch other adaptations, due to their graphic content, so I'll let you, less sensitive viewers, discover for yourselves.