The Haunting of Hill House (Paperback)

There are several references to real life haunted house case histories, as in Borley Rectory and Ballechin House, and clearly Ms Jackson was influenced by these, in that she wanted to write a story in which a small party of ghost-hunters hole up in a haunted house to see what will happen. Where this differs from all that though is that Hill House itself appears to be the evil entity, not the ghosts it may contain. She constantly refers to it as a mad place, with a mad appearance. Eleanor Vance, one of the party, is a young woman who has spent many years nursing her invalid mother and missing out on life. She has become deeply introverted and neurotic. (I felt there were some comparisons with Catherine Deneuve's character in "Repulsion"). She wants desperately to belong somewhere, but when the group she finds herself in start to act like a family, i.e joshing each other, teasing etc, she can't cope with it. Some of the early scenes, when the characters are getting to know each other, were reminiscent of "Big Brother". You felt Eleanor needed a Diary Room to retreat to and voice her concerns at! The ghost-hunters do become a family, with Dr Montague, the genial old academic, as the father figure. Hill House itself at times becomes to resemble a comfy sanitorium, with the younger people reduced to a childlike state, spending their days eating and exploring the house and grounds.

The spook factors may be too subtle for some people's tastes. This is no Richard Laymon-style horror with machete-wielding psychopaths leaping out of the woodwork. The most frightening things that happen are the hammerings on the walls. What makes this novel great is the way it shows a small bunch of people acting in an unusual set-up, and of course, the final chilling realisation that Hill House wants Eleanor as it's captive. Stephen King in his book "Danse Macabre" said that he found this fact too horrifying for words. Highly recommended.

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 the text. Eleanor's rapid descent into madness seems a little sudden to me at times, and the exceedingly nonsensical conversations between all of the characters strikes me as quite mad. Of course, at the end, one wonders just which of the later conversations actually happened outside of Eleanor's own mind.

The introduction of the doctor's wife in the closing section of the book effects a radical change in the mood of the novel. Mrs. Montague and her associate Arthur are incredibly annoying people. Their professed beliefs in the paranormal and attempts to contact spirits by way of a planchette clearly upset the mood of both the house and its occupants (and the reader). Their over-the-top belief in spirits and determination to contact them using parlor-method techniques serve to ridicule the house and Eleanor and quickly usher in the dénouement of the story. Eleanor's sense of belonging to the house takes precedence over everything else in her life; she has come home, and the house's wish in this regard is fulfilled. The ending itself is striking and perfectly fitting, I feel, and does much to keep the spirit of this wonderful novel in your mind and soul for a long time. This is not a novel to cast aside and forget; long after you have finished the book, Eleanor and Hill House will haunt your mind and soul.

Somewhat later I got around to reading the book. For one thing it is remarkably similar to the original film screenplay, lines are identical on page as they are on the film, in certain areas. The quality of the book is not in question, it is a remarkable read, full of suspense and drama, but it all depends on whether you prefer your chills and frights from the page or the screen. Only then, to get the full impact of the storyline, can you decide whether to read this book first then watch the film or vice versa. It's upto you.

My own personal choice would be to read this first, then watch the film, but like me, many of you who have already seen the film and not read this book will be left in a quandary. Don't be, this book is a great read, buy it either way.