The Haunting of Hill House

“Nobody is doing it like Shirley. Genuinely haunting, but also one of the funniest books I’ve ever read. Nell is a truly fascinating character, and I love how the book explores the danger of a (very human) tendency to narrativize. It sits right at the boundary between a haunted house book and a work of psychological horror, and the intersection of those two forces is truly terrifying. What’s scarier than losing yourself?”

“This is absolutely one of my top three favorite books. You don't need to be a horror fan to enjoy the writing and the psychological complexity of the protagonist's journey. The audiobook is also wonderful!”

“Absolutely one of the greatest haunted house books of all time. Full of thoroughly captivating personalities (none moreso than Eleanor except for maybe Hill House itself). Despite being gripping and eerie it’s also got really funny dialogue. Immensely quotable. As a note, pretty low on the ‘code’ side of queer coding for a book from the 50s, and you could probably argue that most of the outcome of the book hinges on the dynamic between Theo and Eleanor (vs Eleanor’s alternatives). Rereading and I’m glad I am.”

“Over the years there have been a lot of adaptations of this which lead the common man to believe they know this story, but Miss Shirley is doing things on the page you couldn’t imagine in your wildest dreams. 4.2/5”

“This book will haunt you. This house will own you.”