The Haunting of Hill House

Article written by Emma Baldwin

B.A. in English, B.F.A. in Fine Art, and B.A. in Art Histories from East Carolina University.

‘The Haunting of Hill House‘ by Shirley Jackson was first published in 1959. It is a chilling ghost story that has been adapted for film and television numerous times, each time offering its own unique take on the sinister events that take place in the titular house.

The story follows four main characters who investigate supernatural occurrences within Hill House. The characters include Eleanor Vance, a young, deeply sad woman, and Dr. John Montague, a paranormal investigator. The characters in ‘The Haunting of Hill House’ experience a series of increasingly strange and terrifying events in the house, including writing on the walls, ghosts in the halls at night, and much more. The book is filled with wonderful examples of foreshadowing, allusion, and suspense.

When the book was published, critics declared it a complete success, celebrating Jackson’s skill and superiority in the realm of gothic horror. This praise feels particularly emphatic as many horror novels of the time and decades prior were dismissed as nothing more than penny dreadfuls, lacking any real literary substance.

Key Facts about The Haunting of Hill House

• Title: The Haunting of Hill House
• When/Where Written: 1950s in Vermont
• Published: 1959
• Literary Period: Contemporary
• Genre: Gothic horror, suspense
• Point-of-View: Third-person
• Setting: the USA
• Climax: When Eleanor crashes her car into the tree
• Antagonist: Hill House

Shirley Jackson and The Haunting of Hill House

The story of ‘The Haunting of Hill House‘ is a classic horror novel by Shirley Jackson, published in 1959. It falls into the gothic horror genre, a genre known for emphasizing the supernatural and uncanny in its exploration of the dark side of human nature. It is characterized by eerie settings, mysterious events, and macabre imagery.

Gothic horror often contains elements of romance, madness, and violence, as well as psychological and philosophical questions. This genre has been around since the late 18th century and is still popular today.

The history of the gothic horror genre can be traced back to the works of authors such as Horace Walpole and Mary Shelley. Many modern authors continue to draw from these works, creating new stories that explore the human psyche and bring an element of terror and suspense to their readers. Works such as ‘The Haunting of Hill House‘ by Shirley Jackson have become classic examples of this genre.

Famously, Jackson wrote ‘The Haunting of Hill House‘ after suffering from agoraphobia for some time. She was living in Vermont at the time with her husband and was also suffering from drug addiction. She’s thought to have taken elements from her life experiences, such as her fear of the supernatural, and incorporated them into the story. Around the same time, she wrote ‘The Sundial‘ and her equally popular ‘We Have Always Lived in the Castle.’

The novel follows Eleanor Vance, Dr. Montague, Theodora, and Luke as they investigate the strange phenomena of Hill House. Throughout their time at the house, they experience things they can’t explain, such as a disembodied voice calling out to Eleanor.

Books Related to The Haunting of Hill House

Of all of Shirley Jackson’s works, “The Lottery” is considered to be one of the best works of horror ever written. The story is a chilling depiction of a small town’s idea of justice that’s read in schools around the world.

Jackson’s ‘We Have Always Lived in the Castle‘ is another book that’s related to her famous ‘The Haunting of Hill House.’ It centers around a pair of sisters who live in an isolated home with their invalid uncle.

As famous gothic horror books go, readers are also likely to find similarities between Jackson’s writing and other popular books like Anne Rice’s ‘Interview with the Vampire,’ and Stephen King’s ‘The Shining‘. ‘Frankenstein‘ by Mary Shelley (1818) is another unavoidable comparison, as is Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula‘ published many years before Jackson’s novel in 1897.

Some similar short stories include Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” and H.P. Lovecraft’s “The Call of Cthulhu.” Many modern authors are still writing in the genre, such as Neil Gaiman and Guillermo del Toro, who have produced new works of horror for a contemporary audience.

Legacy of The Haunting of Hill House