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She begins seeing and hearing things that the others seem immune to—and most chillingly of all, Mrs. Montague reports back that her planchette has written copiously about Eleanor. From Henry James’s “ The Turn of the Screw” to Stephen King’s “The Shining,” the haunted house is a staple of horror novels. The supernatural elements of Hill House are what makes this novel so interesting to read and what fueled its many adaptions for the screen. Readers are likely to find themselves intrigued by the vaguely described features of the home and the growing dread the characters experience, particularly Eleanor Vance. Fear plays a major role in motivating and informing the characters’ actions. The idea of being scared of the unknown and the supernatural forces at play in Hill House creates an atmosphere of suspense and dread.
Family
A series of dark events occur around the home, including the death of Hugh Crain’s wife (the man who built the home). Years passed, Dr. Montague explained, and the house passed from Hugh to his eldest daughter’s caretaker, a woman who (after being harassed by the locals) hanged herself. In the morning, Doctor Montague and the others tell Eleanor that she needs to leave Hill House for her own good. Eleanor is unable to express to the others just how much she feels a part of the house—and how impossible it seems that she could ever leave.
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As the show’s presence ascended, it would attract many A-list celebrities to take part, but some fans would complain that they forgot to keep it scary and credible. However, there are still some scares to be found in the early seasons before it descends into camp and cliche. Based very loosely on the classic novel of the same name, this was a surprise hit for Netflix, who would work with the creator on many other projects too. The Haunting of Hill House skips from the present to the past as it explores the relationships between horribly flawed family members and the chilling events that happened at their haunted home.
By Shirley Jackson
The architecture is extremely confusing, making it very easy to lose one’s way as one tries to find a specific room. The home is also filled with doors that open and close by themselves, symbolizing the character’s access to information about the home and their ability to capture the supernatural phenomena occurring within. The style of ‘The Haunting of Hill House‘ is characterized by its lack of exposition. Rather than explicitly spelling out the details of the plot and the events that occur in Hill House, Jackson instead relies on slow reveals and subtle hints about what is really going on in Hill House. This enhances the mystery of the novel and allows the reader to piece together the events of the story from their own imagination.
The man who built it, Hugh Crain, purposefully designed the house to be labyrinthine and disorienting, and after his wife’s death in the house’s driveway, a series of strange occurrences took hold of the place. All four of the inhabitants begin to experience strange events while in the house, including unseen noises and ghosts roaming the halls at night, strange writing on the walls, and other unexplained events. At the same time, Eleanor may be losing touch with reality, and it is implied that at least some of what Eleanor witnesses may be products of her imagination. Another implied possibility is that Eleanor possesses a subconscious telekinetic ability that is itself the cause of many of the disturbances experienced by her and the others, which might indicate there is no ghost in the house at all.
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As the four begin their stay at Hill House, they explore and chart the manor’s twisting depths. A series of strange disturbances occur, mostly at night—but the pounding, rattling, strange laughter, and cold spots throughout the house and on the grounds actually excite the group. However, after writing in chalk appears on the wall of the great hall one afternoon—writing which is directed at Eleanor—the terror the group feels increases, as does their suspicion of one another. The others suspect Eleanor of writing the scary words herself, while Eleanor reels at the possibility that the house is singling her out. After more frightening occurrences—a terrifying presence which Theodora spots in the woods, and more writing on the wall (this time in blood)—Doctor Montague summons his wife, Mrs. Montague, who is also a parapsychologist, to come join the team. The story of ‘The Haunting of Hill House‘ is a thrilling classic gothic horror book that was published in 1959.
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It’s hard not to talk about modern anthological horror without mentioning the work of Mike Flanagan, the showrunner behind some of the most terrifying and nuanced horror shows ever made. Jackson also employs an array of literary techniques to create a dream-like atmosphere. For instance, she often uses symbolism to convey a sense of mysteriousness and otherworldly horror. Additionally, Jackson often juxtaposes beauty and innocence with terror and violence. In the short, final paragraph that follows, the reader is left uncertain whether Eleanor was simply an emotionally disturbed woman who committed suicide, or whether her death at Hill House has a supernatural significance. Towards the end of the novel, it is becoming clear to the characters that the house is beginning to possess Eleanor.
About Shirley Jackson
Eleanor Vance steals the car she co-owns with her sister Carrie and her brother-in-law and drives over a hundred miles to Hill House, excited to finally have an adventure of her own. As she arrives at the house and meets the caretakers, Mr. and Mrs. Dudley, she realizes she is the first one there—and she senses a deeply malevolent energy coming from the house. Nevertheless, Eleanor is hungry for an adventure, and she decides to stay rather than turn tail and head for home. She soon meets Theodora and the two young women bond quickly—Eleanor is dazzled by Theodora’s beauty and wit. Doctor Montague and Luke Sanderson soon arrive, and Doctor Montague explains that Hill House has been the site of a haunting for as long as eighty years.
The 1963 version is a relatively faithful adaptation and received critical praise. The 1999 version, considerably different from the novel and widely panned by critics, is an overt fantasy horror in which all the main characters are terrorized and two are killed by explicitly supernatural deaths. This classic horror novel begins with Dr. John Montague renting out the haunted Hill House, a well-known home filled with supernatural occurrences.
In 2015, Anthony Neilson prepared a new stage adaptation for Sonia Friedman and Hammer for production at the Liverpool Playhouse. Dr. Montague hopes to find scientific evidence of the existence of the supernatural. He rents Hill House for a summer and invites as his guests several people whom he has chosen because of their past experience with paranormal events. She finally agrees to leave after being convinced that the house is damaging her mind. But, even as she leaves, she realizes that there is nothing she can do to get away from the house. Eleanor suddenly accelerates into an oak tree, feeling as though she’s totally lost control of her actions.
Even in moments of safety, characters like Eleanor and Luke struggle with their inner fears and anxieties, making the reader even more aware of how powerful and overwhelming fear can be. Throughout the novel, the reader is presented with multiple examples of how familial relationships can be strained and challenged by supernatural forces. For example, the complicated history of the Crain family (who built the home). The house itself plays a role in their suffering and is fueled by Hugh Crain’s cruelty.
His aunt is very aware of this and wants him to stay busy, watching over the house and making sure that Dr. Montague, Eleanor, and Theodora don’t do anything in the home she wouldn’t approve of. His two companions are Eleanor Vance, a young woman scarred by an experience she had with a poltergeist when she was a child, and Theodora, another woman who supposedly has psychic abilities. 'The Haunting of Hill House' by Shirley Jackson is a must-read horror novel about four people who decide to investigate the many reports of ghosts in Hill House.
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