The Book Stacks

(Catslyn has been kind enough to write today’s guest post. Conveniently, she is discussing a book that I would *never* read. This blog is now that much more well rounded. Enjoy!)

Some houses are born bad. At least, that what one learns to believe when reading Shirley Jackson’s 1959 masterpiece, The Haunting of Hill House. The story of an ordinary but lonely woman named Eleanor and her sojourn in Hill House, the book is a true must-read-now! Eleanor is invited to spend the summer living in an abandoned, and supposed haunted, mansion that was built more than 130 years ago. It’s all part of a university professor’s attempt to prove the existence of the paranormal, and Eleanor isn’t alone in the experiment. The house, though old, is ordinary enough. Except… sometimes the doors close by themselves. The walls are too straight somehow, too perfect, yet the rooms are the wrong sizes. How can a house be bigger inside than out?

I know it all sounds like a modern day episode of Ghost Hunters or Most Haunted, but those shows are kid’s stuff by comparison. Stephen King, at his best, could never come close to matching Shirley Jackson’s ability inspire skin crawling terror with a simple cold draft of air. Perhaps most chilling to the reader is the story’s frightening finish. You find yourself wondering… could it happen to me?

Re-released by Penguin Classics on November 28, 2006, The Haunting of Hill House can be purchased at most any bookstore, including online at the links below.

Purchase from Amazon

Purchase from Barnes and Noble

You can also get a brand new copy from numerous sellers on eBay just by typing the title into their search engine. But right now, eBay also offers up a rare first edition. The book isn’t in mint condition, and the cost is high, but it’s worth a look.

First Edition on eBay

The Haunting of Hill House has inspired many movies over the years. The one which most closely resembles the story of the book was the 1963 film, The Haunting.

This movie, starring Julie Harris as Eleanor actually manages to capture some of the tingling terror of the book and is definitely worth watching, though I would read the book first, naturally.

The 1999 remake of The Haunting starred such big names as Catherine Zeta-Jones and Liam Neeson with the role of Eleanor played by Lili Taylor.

While this movie is entertaining in a modern, special effects laden way, it bears almost no resemblance to Shirley Jackson’s novel. Now, don’t get me wrong, it a fun movie or I wouldn’t own it. But the psychological unease, the gut churning disturbance of The Haunting of Hill House just isn’t there. If you like convoluted story lines and angst, watch it. Otherwise, pass it by. Your choice.

But never pass by the book. The Haunting of Hill House is a true horror classic, but it is so much more. Genres limit us. Even if you aren’t a fan of horror and ghost stories, don’t overlook this tale of longing, of a desperate need to belong. Though I suppose I should warn you, The Haunting of Hill House will resonate in your bones for years. It will come back to you at the oddest moments, and it will never be an easy memory to bear. And you’ll just keep wondering. Could it happen to me?

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SCA Life for all things medieval!

Housework Hater

Shirley Jackson, The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting