From the Bookshelf of Read Between the Wines…

The Haunting of Hill House

Shirley Jackson,

Laura Miller (Introduction)

Start date: October 1, 2012

Finish date: October 31, 2012

Discussion: Book Club Discussions

Why we're reading this: This book was nominated by Jason.
[close] This book was nominated by Jason.

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 47 topics — 1,078 comments total

Book Club Discussions

Discussion: The Diary of a Young Girl
By Jason , Cabernet Sauvignon · 7 posts · 7 views

last updated May 25, 2017 06:30AM

Discussion: Slade House
By Jason , Cabernet Sauvignon · 16 posts · 11 views

last updated Feb 17, 2017 04:44PM

showing 1 of 1 topics view all »

What Members Thought

Sep 19, 2012 Jason rated it really liked it

Shelves: for-kindle, wine-club, reviewed

My mom has always said that an involuntary shudder—a shiver going up your spine, if you will—indicates someone having just walked over your grave. That cold spot you pass through when walking from the living room into the foyer? That’s not a draft of unheated air coming from upstairs (cold air sinks, you’ll recall)—no, that’s a ghost. And the message written in blood on your bathroom mirror this morning? Well, er, let’s just ignore that for the time being. But really, what is our obsession with My mom has always said that an involuntary shudder—a shiver going up your spine, if you will—indicates someone having just walked over your grave. That cold spot you pass through when walking from the living room into the foyer? That’s not a draft of unheated air coming from upstairs (cold air sinks, you’ll recall)—no, that’s a ghost. And the message written in blood on your bathroom mirror this morning? Well, er, let’s just ignore that for the time being. But really, what is our obsession with the paranormal or the supernatural? What makes it so fascinating even to those of us who don’t believe in it?

Eleanor Vance isn’t sure she believes in it, and yet she agrees to spend a summer at an unoccupied house purported to be haunted. Eleanor reminds me of the unnamed narrator from Rebecca. She is insecure, introverted, and often finds herself fantasizing about her current and future situations. Dreams keep us sane, though, right? Or is the descent toward instability a more slippery path than we’d like to think?

Eleanor is both intrigued by and simultaneously frightened by the concept of solitude. Being an introvert, some of her favorite fantasies involve being on her own, secluded from the unwelcome intrusion of others. But after a few nights in Hill House, maybe being alone isn’t such a grand idea. What induces fear in Eleanor and the other guests of Hill House is their inability to reconcile observed phenomena with fact-based logic at the moment it occurs. They encounter something for which an explanation cannot be immediately provided and their minds are unable to cope. So what happens when these unexplainable occurrences no longer induce fear? Has the fear been somehow conquered? Or is there something more sinister in the fact that the need to formulate logical explanation for the otherwise unexplainable is no longer pressing?

Unlike this guy, I do not believe in spooks. But when the fight-or-flight response associated with fear is triggered in a secure setting—you are home with your significant other and the doors are locked, or you are at a Spooky World funhouse where you know the scares are manufactured—the adrenaline jolt can be a pretty fun thing to experience. And this book is a pretty fun thing to experience because Jackson’s choice to limit the perspective of the protagonist is effective at heightening the senses. Eleanor doesn’t always know what’s going on around her, so neither does the reader. Not only is the line between the living and the dead somewhat blurred, but so is the line separating Eleanor’s internal ventures from that which she perceives externally. It is suffocatingly frightful, I say.

So for those who don’t believe in ghosts, how many of you would be willing to spend a few nights in a house considered haunted by restless spirits? After all, you don’t even believe in restless spirits, so what is there to be afraid of? Except, how would you feel if people refused to believe in you? ...more

126 likes · Like · see review

Nov 23, 2011 Gary the Bookworm rated it it was amazing

I read this as a teenager. I was in a phase where I was reading horror fiction- Carrie, Rosemary's Baby-and I selected this because I knew about Shirley Jackson from her short stories. I loved it and it remains the quintessential haunted house book. It's both gripping and gruesome and beautifully written. The characters are unforgettable. Give it a shot. Don't bother locking your doors because the real terror here is all in your mind.

...more

14 likes · Like · see review

Sep 04, 2014 Becky rated it really liked it

Shelves: spooky-scary-werewolf-bar-mitzvah, heeby-jeebies, 2014-horror-halloween-reads, living-theatrically

Can you have an absolutely charming ghost story? Wonderfully witty dialogue, enchanting characters, a slow creeping sense of terror (really not a *horror* novel, but its fun to dwell on the difference), and a ending that I didn't see coming! Short and sweet a perfect read for the season. I'm really worried about giving something away even though its a classic, so I'll just say its a real piece of work! ...more

7 likes · Like · see review

Sep 29, 2012 Keryn rated it liked it

Shelves: horror

Not being a great reader of horror stories, I was not sure if I should read this after dark! It started off quite innocently, as most horror stories do - pretty mundane stuff. Then it slowly grew, and grew. I ended up struggling to put it down.

I think the book can be seen on multiple levels - on the surface it's a character sketch of a woman who has had no life, and suddenly breaks out and finds a connection which becomes an obsession. But the story is full of observations and insinuations that ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Sep 21, 2012 Michelle Silvestri-Oetinger rated it really liked it

Shelves: ghost-stories-supernatural

Just as I remember...glad I took the time to read it again!

1 like · Like · see review

Oct 12, 2012 Jennifer rated it liked it

I expected to be more scared. The book was easy to read and enjoyable. I thought the ending was lacking some. I felt like there needed to be sequel.

Like · see review

Nov 11, 2024 Kelly rated it really liked it

Shirley Jackson has a way of making the hair on the back of your neck stand up. The house felt like a character in this book. This was a great Halloween read.

Like · see review