Not sure if anyone needs another summary of this novel since it is considered a classic horror and there have been movie adaptions for it. But in short: This is about a few people getting invited into a house that might be haunted and develops into a story about madness. I did really like the writing but I have to admit that I expected to be more scared and creeped out by this novel since it is talked about so much in the community. The story felt just a little weird and like a game of hide-and-seek instead of a proper horror story. Still, I am happy to have read this now, so I can go on and watch the movie and series! :D

What a brilliant little story about a haunted house and its visitors. What I’ve learned in 2018 is, I think, that I have some problems with modern horror novels. Either the content is too gory for my liking or nothing ~creepy happens (maybe I just haven’t found the right authors). The true masters are the old ones, especially female authors, because they know what true terror means. The Haunting of Hill House was entertaining and sometimes a little spooky. I had fun to fill in the gaps Shirley Jackson left in the story and now I cannot wait to read more of her! Can't believe I did not pick up any novel by her much sooner.

Not sure if anyone needs another summary of this novel since it is considered a classic horror and there have been movie adaptions for it. But in short: This is about a few people getting invited into a house that might be haunted and develops into a story about madness. I did really like the writing but I have to admit that I expected to be more scared and creeped out by this novel since it is talked about so much in the community. The story felt just a little weird and like a game of hide-and-seek instead of a proper horror story. Still, I am happy to have read this now, so I can go on and watch the movie and series! :D

I wanted to read this book because I loved the Netflix series with the same title. Although the setting and some of the characters names are the same, the story itself is rather different. In the series the viewer follows a family who lived at Hill House and is still feeling and experiencing the aftermath of that time. In the book the reader follows a group of people, previously unconnected and unrelated, coming together in Hill House to take part in a experiment or kind of investigation by Dr. Montague. Over the course of the book, which is told from Eleanors perspective, the characters experience all kinds of supernatural occurrences. Although afraid, they try to make the best of the situation and document everything they witness. The house seems to be singling out Eleanor, as it writes specific messages to her. It also seems to be playing on Eleanors deep rooted feelings of loneliness and her wish to belong somewhere, to finally be home. As the story progresses Eleanor is affected more and more by the house and is feeling more left out by the others. As her feelings of loneliness increase she starts to also feel an increased connection to the house and can hear everything that is going on in it, almost as if she was part of the house already. At the climax of the story Dr. Montague realizes the effect the house has on Eleanor and tries to send her home to protect her. That ultimately fails because Eleanor drives her car into a tree in the driveway, killing herself and therefore staying in Hill House, her perceived “home”, forever. I loved the way this book was written and the characters seemed to get along easily. The story explores loneliness and the dangers that feeling can bring with it beautifully and although I knew Eleanor was going to die (because of the series) it still made me sad to watch her succumb to her loneliness. On another note: Dr. Montagues wife was really annoying and obnoxious but that was how she was supposed to be, I guess. Both series and book will have a special place in my heart forever and I will definitely return to this story.

Ich liebe viktorianische Geschichten und Gebäude, sowie die Auseinandersetzung mit der paranormalen Welt, das war mein Kaufgrund für dieses Buch. Es war zwischendurch sehr spannend, man hat jedoch nie eine bildhafte Beschreibung von der anwesenden Gestalt in Hill House erhalten, weil die Charaktere diese selbst nie zu Gesicht bekommen haben oder es nie eine Gestalt in Hill House gegeben hat, sondern nur das Haus und die Fantasie der Gäste. Man konnte gut erkennen, wie die Charaktere sich durch die Präsenz von Hill House verändert haben, was leider erst zum Schluss so richtig gezeigt wird. Das Ende war mir persönlich etwas zu abrupt und unerwartet. Dennoch gefiel mir das Buch im Allgemeinen sehr gut, weil man schnell in einen Lesefluss gerät, da man immer neugierig ist, welches paranormale Phänomen nun als nächstes auftreten wird.

Tell me you are a horror author from the US without telling me you're a horror author from the US: "The house was super batshit crazy old. It was 80 years old." This was super fun. I enjoyed: the descriptions of the hauntingshow Eleanor and Theodora are such good friendsall the parallels between past & present thourought the storyhow the house is described as a living thing without explicitly mentioning itthe mysteries that remained intactthe endingIt didn't quite get to me emotionally, though. "I'm no good at talking to people ... and saying things."- I feel you, honey.

Das gruseligste Buch, das ich jemals gelesen habe. Der wahre Horror ist hier der Zerfall der menschlichen Psyche. Ich finde, Eleanor ist eine der interessantesten Buchcharaktere, die mir jemals untergekommen ist. Ihre Ängste nicht dazuzugehören oder nicht genug zu sein, sind absolut nachvollziehbar. Shirley Jackson kann so gut unheimliche Stimmungen beschreiben - schon der erste Absatz auf der ersten Seite hat mich in den Bann gezogen. Ich finde, man erkennt total, dass Shirley Jackson eine der wichtigsten Inspirationen von Stephen King ist. Ich liebe dieses Buch einfach!

Jackson ist Meisterin des domestischen Horrors. Liebe ihre Prosa und die gothischen Szenerien. Kapitel 1 "No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality; even larks and katydids are supposed, by some, to dream. Hill House, not sane, stood by itself against its hills, holding darkness within; it had stood so for eighty years and might stand for eighty more. Within, walls continued upright, bricks met neatly, floors were firm, and doors were sensibly shut; silence lay steadily against the wood and stone of Hill House, and whatever walked there, walked alone."

Sehr angenehm und schnell zu lesen, aber ich hatte etwas völlig anders erwartet. Ich habe immer auf den großen Höhepunkt gewartet und bin daher von dem Ende doch etwas enttäuscht. Obwohl es literarisch völlig logisch und Form-richtig ist, hätte ich mir etwas komplexeres gewünscht.

Vorlage der erfolgreichen Serie „Spuk in Hill House“. Allerdings völlig anders als die Serie. Anders als in der Serie treffen hier Menschen aufeinander, die sich nicht kennen. Dr. Montague möchte Hill House untersuchen, da es als heimgesucht gilt. Ihn begleiten Luke, Theodora und Eleanor. Luke ist Hill Houses Erbe, Theodora und Eleanor haben beide schon Erfahrungen mit übernatürlichen Erscheinungen. Gemeinsam wollen sie die übernatürlichen Phänomene erleben und dokumentieren. Alles scheint gut zu laufen, his Eleanor dem Haus zu verfallen scheint. Atmosphärisch und spannend geschrieben, setzt sich dieses Werk mit dem Übernatürlichen auseinander und hat gleichzeitig psychologische Tiefe. Shirley Jackson ist die „Queen of Horror“. Sie gilt als Vorbild für Stephen King & Co.

Ich mochte das Buch. Es hatte ein paar gruselige Momente, aber vor allem war es eine psychologische Analyse von menschlichen Verhaltensweisen. Bei manchen Stellen bin ich immer noch im unklaren, was Realität und was Einbildung ist - das macht es wirklich spannend. Auch die Sprache war auf den Punkt gebracht. Sie war genau auf die Situationen abgestimmt und es war kein Wort zu viel. Ich bin also begeistert!

Contrary to the mainstream opinion, the Netflix bored the shit out of me. I found this book for 99ct, and my expectations were quite low. But I flew through the first 120 pages! The pacing was kinda off, and irritated me that every other word was written in italic . I know that the author wanted to emphasise it, but it kinda threw me off. It definitely wasn't as creepy as I hoped it would be. It wasn't awful, and considering the fact that I usually hate classics, this one was a pretty decent book.

I chose this book as a means to relax after the incredibly busy and exhausting days I've recently experienced. Sadly, I could not concentrate on the excellent book I'm currently reading, so in the meanwhile, I opted for something short yet emotionally stimulating: a ghost story. The book revolves around a group of strangers who decide to spend the whole summer doing research on a haunted house. Each of them has one thing in common: they all caused paranormal activities in their lives. Despite warnings from others to stay away, they courageously venture into the Hill House, only to find themselves involved in a series of unexplainable bizarre occurrences. Sounds intriguing, doesn't it? This is sadly one of those examples where the synopsis is better than the book itself. In the first half of the book, literally nothing is happening. The second half of the book feels like notes of a person going insane. Throughout the story, nothing is explained, starting from the characters' supernatural abilities, ending with the events that unfolded in the Hill House. At the end of the book, I questioned myself: what was the purpose of it all?

Had to read the book for my literature class and was surprisingly please with it. I used to not be a fan of horror but this book managed to change this. The horror is subtle and creeping, different to what I expected. The protagonist‘s character is deep and while reading it seems that Hill House is also taking in the reader, which I enjoyed very much.

This was a really good book!! I love Shirley Jacksons writing. I usually read other genres of books and was afraid I don't finish this one (also because I've watched the series and it is hard for me to read books when I've already seen the movie or series, but the series is very different from the book!!). But I finished it and I really liked it!! It was interesting to see how the characters and their behavior changed during the time in Hill House. <spoiler> also, is it just me or is there a tension between Eleanor and Theo??? Did I get it right that Theos "friend" (the one she is living with) is her girlfriend or is it only my gay ass interpreting such things?? </spoiler>Was really spooky sometimes, was a little anxious at night because of it!!

"Journeys end in lovers meeting."Can't believe it took me years to discover that one of my favourite fall movies The Haunting (1963) is an adaption of this novel.Sadly the lore of Hill House lacks a bit in the book, but the character dynamics definitely make up for that. A kind of Found Family story set in a haunted house!

Tuning into Halloween with Shirley Jackson’s gothic suspense novel ‘The Haunting of Hill House’! At first, I was overly cautious for I find horror stories scary and make sure to avoid them. #dontjudgeme ☺️ But, I was determined to get out of my comfort zone this Halloween. So, this novel was the perfect read for my purpose. Big thanks to my bookish friends on this platform who inspired me to read this book! I have enjoyed this novel for its flawless premise, diverse and well-developed characters, impeccable writing style that triggered creepiness coupled with curiosity in me. Happy, spooky Halloween

Tales about haunted houses are by now as common as major character deaths in Game of Thrones (sorry, couldn't resist that comment), but it seems like Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House belongs to those classic stories which caused the hype first of all. Shirley Jackson may be best known for her dystopian short story [b:The Lottery|6219656|The Lottery|Shirley Jackson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348757577s/6219656.jpg|15161007] which initially introduced me to her writing, but in the end, Hill House is what made her a commonly mentioned presence in the genre of classic horror stories. However, don't be led into the wrong direction here. There are no zombies strolling over streets, no vampires lurking in the dark, no monsters running behind desperated victims. There is only a mysterious house with secrets of its own, only some curious characters experiencing something they would not have expected. The true terror of the story is lurking behind the words, catching hold of your mind only when you are reading between the lines. In The Haunting of Hill House four characters who could not have been more designed as caricatures seek to learn the truth behind this house: a peculiar professor, his lighthearted assistant, the future heir of the house and a fragile woman. Inexplicable incidents soon cause those characters to be confronted with difficult questions, and the course of the story might lead some of them into the deepest corners of their conscious minds. This sounds like an intriguing premise, but ultimately, the execution turned out to be not as intriguing. I have read quite a few other Shirley Jackson short stories, all of them quite slow-paced and narrated without directly involving the reader, but each of them still managed to stand out in their own right. The same happened with this novel - you don't find any real twists there, no moments of true, climatic horror. The only difference to her short stories was the characterisation. While this can't be directly minded in her shorter works, her missing talent at writing believable characters sticked out in this novel, and it bothered me throughout my entire reading experience. In a short story, it can be enough to have an engaging plot, but in a book, you have to accompany characters on their journey, and if the author fails at making you care about them, the journey can turn out to be uncomfortable and disappointing. Shirley Jackson's writing style is unique and interesting, a style so different from other authors that in spite of the slow pace, it somehow manages to attract readers. But a good plot, an intriguing atmosphere and good writing are sometimes simply not enough. Someone should have taught Shirley Jackson how to create breathing, vivid characters before writing her novels. It is sad that she died way too young, at the age of 48 - she had a lot of potential for writing more powerful works and stories. Another book by her, [b:We Have Always Lived in the Castle|89724|We Have Always Lived in the Castle|Shirley Jackson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1415357189s/89724.jpg|847007], has become quite popular throughout the years, so I will probably give this one a chance as well. It has almost been a year since I read this novel, but it still remains in my memory as if it was glued to my mind, so I feel like three stars are the perfect rating to this novel. Maybe my expectations were wrong or Shirley Jackson simply didn't exhaust all the possibilities with the potential of this story, but something always kept this from becoming an extraordinary work for me.

Hm. Also irgendwie war ich entweder zu blöd, um es zu verstehen oder es war wirklich einfach nicht meins. War irgendwie durchgehend auf dem gleichen Level „spannend“ - hat aber nie zugenommen. Das Ende fand ich zudem extrem enttäuschend und unbefriedigend. Vielleicht gebe ich der Serie auf Netflix noch eine Chance.

Irgendwo in einer einsamen Region in den USA, in den fünfziger Jahren des vergangenen Jahrhunderts. Ein altes, unheimliches Herrenhaus, in dem offenbar niemand wohnen mag, ein Gelehrter, der paranormale Ereignisse erforscht und drei Personen, die auf Einladung des Gelehrten zugestimmt haben, eine Zeit lang mit ihm in dem Haus zu verbringen, um herauszufinden, ob dort Übersinnliches vor sich geht. Es handelt sich um Dr. Montague, Luke, der Erbe der Besitzerin des Hauses, Eleanor, eine junge Frau, in deren Jugend es poltergeistartige Phänomene gab, und Theodora, die ein erstaunliches hellseherisches Talent unter Beweis gestellt hat, jedoch selbst gar nicht so beeindruckt davon ist. Was werden die vier in Hill House erleben? Ich habe vor Jahren die alte (und gelungene) Schwarzweiß-Verfilmung dieses Werkes von Shirley Jackson gesehen und wollte das Buch seitdem lesen. Schon öfter habe ich erwähnt, dass ich mit blutigem Horror nichts anfangen kann, die subtilen, wirklich gruseligen Geistergeschichten sind die, die mir einen Schauer über den Rücken jagen. Der Film hat dies geschafft – ebenso wie die literarische Vorlage. Schon relativ früh im Buch wird klar, dass Eleanor die wichtigste Figur ist, sie ist der Charakter, der am besten und intensivsten ausgearbeitet ist, bei den anderen Charakteren ist dies weniger der Fall, was aber in Ordnung ist, denn der Fokus liegt auf Eleanor und das ist auch wichtig. Shirley Jackson schwört gekonnt eine bedrohliche Atmosphäre herauf, die Poltergeistszenen selbst sind für meine Begriffe sehr gruselig, es gab einen Schockmoment, der mich wirklich hat erschaudern lassen. Doch Shirley Jacksons Roman ist viel mehr als eine oberflächliche Geistergeschichte, die einfach nur Grusel erzeugen will. Es geht um die Ursache der Erscheinungen, um Eleanors Seelenleben und um die Natur des Poltergeists an sich. Hier habe ich Parallelen zu „The Little Stranger“ von Sarah Waters festgestellt, das mir äußerst gut gefallen hat. Die Auflösung ist nicht ganz offensichtlich, mit ein wenig Überlegung jedoch gut zu erschließen – und sie ist schlicht umwerfend. Wer wie ich eine Ausgabe mit Vorwort besitzt, in meinem Fall von Laura Miller – bitte erst nach der Lektüre des Romans lesen! Wie so oft ist das Vorwort nämlich voller Spoiler, ich lese, insbesondere bei Klassikern, inzwischen grundsätzlich das Vorwort, wenn überhaupt, zuletzt. Soll nicht heißen, dass das Vorwort schlecht ist, wer am Ende unsicher bezüglich der Auflösung ist, wird sie hier finden. Ein wirklicher Klassiker der Gruselliteratur mit Tiefgang.

Even though this is a different genre, the characters and dialogs gave me Agatha Christie vibes. The people in this are really entertaining to read about and there was a good balance between likability and flaws. Of course, with this being rather old, there were clichés which would probably annoy me in newer books and the horror isn't as intense as it would be today. I like these more classic horror stories, though. The atmosphere is nice, I really enjoyed the physiological impacts of the haunting and the character interactions were so much fun for me. Maybe it could have been a little longer to develope some things more thoroughly, but it worked pretty well as it is.