Now a hit Netflix miniseries directed by Mike Flanagan and starring Michiel Huisman, Carla Gugino, and Timothy Hutton
Past the rusted gates and untrimmed hedges, Hill House broods and waits.
Four seekers have come to the ugly, abandoned old mansion: Dr. Montague, an occult scholar looking for solid evidence of the psychic phenomenon called haunting; Theodora, his lovely and lighthearted assistant; Eleanor, a lonely, homeless girl well acquainted with poltergeists; and Luke, the adventurous future heir of Hill House. At first, their stay seems destined to be merely a spooky encounter with inexplicable noises and self-closing doors, but Hill House is gathering its powers and will soon choose one of them to make its own.
This classic horror novel has been hailed as a perfect work of unnerving terror.
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"I really enjoyed this book. I identified strongly at the time with the woman who had no real life of her own after years of taking care of her mother..the plot was great, the other characters well drawn. I re-read it not long ago (30 yrs later) and still enjoyed it but no longer identified w/the woman who had no real life...because somewhere along-the way, I'd lived mine and it was far from empty."
— Michele (5 out of 5 stars)
“Bernadette Dunne’s performance of Jackson’s novel is so eerily superb that she breathes new life into the 1959 ghost story…Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
— AudioFile“A goose-pimple horror story, and a good one.”
— New York Herald Tribune“Makes your blood chill and your scalp prickle…Shirley Jackson is the master of the haunted tale.”
— New York Times Book Review“The Haunting of Hill House is a highly engaging and suspenseful ghost story, that is, like all good ghost stories, an anatomy of its characters. Jackson’s “hauntedness” is in her troubled protagonist, not in the actual house—there is a possiblity that a toxic individual is a contagion to others and to herself.”
— Joyce Carol Oates, New York Times bestselling author“The story is great, scary, and wonderful, but the book also elicits such great questions about the powers of suggestion and the myth of the delicate female…I love that it is steeped in gothic terror, and without veering into grotesque horror, it chilled me to the bone. I didn’t think I’d enjoy a classic ghost haunting story quite so much, but this book knocked me out and has sent me on a Shirley Jackson kick.”
— Tessa Fontaine, author of The Electric Woman" Liked the book, though its starting to date a bit. Still scary in a lovecraftian way. "
— Lizbeth, 2/20/2014" Standard Gothic ghost story. Worth checking out. "
— Kris, 2/13/2014" It's subtle, sometimes a little obtuse, but it builds and builds like a slow, step by step climb on a perished gantry to the top of a tower. "
— Clayton, 2/8/2014" "Whatever walks in Hill House walks alone." This is part of the starting sentence. A good old fashioned ghost story. A group four people come to stay at a haunted house to see what they can learn. Doors shake, cold spots appear, ghostly writing all reveal a sinister spirit at work. The ending is a total surprise. "
— Bebe, 2/7/2014" this book off the chain i love this book already............[even if i didnt read it yet....] "
— Michaeguyton, 2/3/2014" The book defiantly put me on edge for a while. I read it while I was visiting my father and staying in a bedroom with blue paint, curtains, and bedspread, much like the main character in the novel. The ending stayed with me for quite some time after I read it, I did not see it coming at all. If you like paranormal novels I would defiantly suggest it. "
— Kelly-Ann, 1/29/2014" i like imagining that shirley and i are best friends. i bet she was fun. "
— Ida, 1/25/2014" This scared the heck out of me. "
— Fox, 1/8/2014" I don't think I've ever described a book as "delicious" before. But the combination of a first-rate character study with some of the cleverest dialogue ever (which does not descend into "banter") makes this a joy to read. "
— Nathan, 12/22/2013" creepy, atmospheric, wonderfully written haunted house story. I must have read this book thirty times since my first time back in highschool, and everytime I am reminded of just how great a piece of fiction it truly is. "
— Dustin, 12/22/2013" Read this book in my younger days. Very chilling. Movie made from it was also good. Four people came to try to discover the mystery of Hill House. "
— Vicky, 11/14/2013" a fascinating, splendid book. hemingway's 'garden of eden' meets sartre's 'no exit' meets wes craven's 'scream'. straight up 1959 awesomeness. "
— Jeremy, 10/13/2013" This is a work of fiction that at first seems a bit light and foolish, but quickly sinks into unremitting horror. You keep expecting a reasonable explanation, but alas, you receive no reasonableness, just unremitting horror. No monsters, but rather gut wrenching horror. "
— Rob, 9/25/2013" This book is so much better than various movies that have been based on it. I am glad I finally read it. This is definitely the classic haunted house story that I just love. "
— Celia, 4/12/2013" Absolutely chilling. I loved it. The deliberate pace and quiet tone are maddening. A beautifully crafted and harrowing tale of slipping over the edge. "
— Danielle, 2/9/2013" Nice and creepy. A good book to read on a nice, bright, sunny summer's day when shadows and cold can't add their own touch to Jackson's atmosphere. "
— Melanie, 12/18/2012" Jackson knows how to create atmosphere, that is for sure! I guess I was just expecting more from this book. It didn't live up to my expectations. Because of the old style wording it was hard to get through in parts. I have read scarier books in my time! "
— Tia, 10/25/2012" Classic for a reason. Must read. "
— Brandi, 8/12/2012" This one is more of a character study than a haunted house story. It is a trip into insanity. Shirley Jackson knew how to get under your skin. "
— Andy, 2/27/2012" Amazing horror story that builds and builds and forces you to imagine the worst bits without ever being explicit. Full of unnerving ambiguities and human frailties. That's what really seems to be at the heart of this book. "
— Eric, 11/26/2011" Sofisticata storia di fantasmi (?) letta nell'ambiente ideale "
— Barbara, 9/30/2011" Powerful, economic prose, psychological horror. Wonderful. "
— Nick, 6/20/2011" Shirley Jackson is so creepy. I love her. <br/> <br/>(Also, Stephen King's TV miniseries Rose Red is totally a homage to this book.) "
— Leigh, 5/20/2011" Scared me to death but I couldn't put it down! "
— Judy, 5/19/2011" My favorite horror novel, bar none. "
— Selah, 5/16/2011" I just finished this book. Oh boy, did this book give me shivers! It's one of those delicious books that renders itself to several interpretations. My head is being haunted by it now, excellent psychological horror! "
— Cameron, 5/9/2011" creepy, atmospheric, wonderfully written haunted house story. I must have read this book thirty times since my first time back in highschool, and everytime I am reminded of just how great a piece of fiction it truly is. "
— Dustin, 5/9/2011" re-read (audio): 5/11 <br/> <br/>audiobook note: Bernadette Dunne is a great match for Shirley Jackson. "
— Cathleen, 5/8/2011" Parapsychologists come to THE most haunted house in the country and find more than ghosts, including life-changing experiences. <br/>One of the all-time scariest books ever, I'd recommend you NOT read this alone in the house, or during a windstorm..... "
— Abbey, 5/6/2011" While there were some scary moments, I can't say that this novel was particularly terrifying. This is still a worthwhile read and the ending leaves the reader asking questions about what may have really happened, but for a truly frightening novel, readers might be better off finding another book. "
— Anna, 4/26/2011" Well, I liked the characters and the dialogue and how the author set up tension of the house. But nothing really happens until page 127, and really, nothing really happens. I would be scared to be in that house, but... Still, I LOVE Mrs. Dudley, so there you go! "
— Donald, 4/19/2011" This chilling tale reads with the leisured grace of an 18th-century novel. Stephen King called it the greatest haunted house story ever written. "
— Lindsay, 4/15/2011" Maybe '50s scary. Memorable characters. Fantastic dialogue. "
— Jim, 4/6/2011" Jackson knows how to create atmosphere, that is for sure! I guess I was just expecting more from this book. It didn't live up to my expectations. Because of the old style wording it was hard to get through in parts. I have read scarier books in my time! "
— Tia, 4/1/2011Shirley Jackson (1916–1965), a celebrated writer of horror, wrote such classic novels as We Have Always Lived in the Castle and The Haunting of Hill House, as well as one of the most famous short stories in the English language, “The Lottery.” Her work has been adapted to film, television, and theater and has influenced such writers as Neil Gaiman, Stephen King, and Richard Matheson.
Bernadette Dunne is the winner of numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards and has twice been nominated for the prestigious Audie Award. She studied at the Royal National Theatre in London and the Studio Theater in Washington, DC, and has appeared at the Kennedy Center and off Broadway.