The Haunting of Hill House

By: Shirley Jackson

Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne

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.

©1959 Shirley Jackson; renewed 1987 by Laurence Hyman, Barry Hyman, Sarah Webster, and Joanne Schnurer (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Best narrator I've listened to to date

Would you listen to The Haunting of Hill House again? Why?

I wouldn't, only because I've never been the type to read/listen to a book twice. It's nothing negative about the book itself.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Haunting of Hill House?

The ending....although I won't say anything more to spoil it

Which character – as performed by Bernadette Dunne – was your favorite?

I enjoyed her performance for all the characters. She did an amazing job distinguishing them.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Absolutly. I was highly disappointed when I would arrive at my destinantion and have to turn off the book.

Getting this book because of the show? Don't.

This book is a really good read. Very detailed scenes make you feel like you're there with Elenore and Theo. However if you, like me, purchased this book because of the show adaptation, it is very different.

A Pity Party Ends Badly

I have heard about The Haunting of Hill House for years, but never read it. But it is on Charlaine Harris' list of favorite books so when Audible had it on sale, I picked it up. Since it is a bit of classic, I'm not sorry I listened to it and Bernadette Dunne's narration is so very good I can't consider it a total loss, but I am glad I didn't pay full price. There is very little action and I didn't find it very suspenseful either. The characters are reasonably interesting, but the only backstory you get in detail is for Eleanor who seems to be psychologically damaged and absolutely drowning in self pity. The more I knew about her, the less I wanted to know. There is some superb spooky mood setting, but any real suspense is undermined by an unbalanced central character who steals the show from anything paranormal or horrific.

Just okay

I really wanted to love this story but it just didn't keep my interest. Oh well.

In the night, in the dark...

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I wouldn't recommend it to all my friends, but to the ones who like horror, I would highly recommend it. Since it's such a source of inspiration for many horror writers, it would be such a disservice as a horror fan not to experience this book. It's a deliciously poetic gothic horror that haunts the thoughts. No pun intended.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Haunting of Hill House?

There were so many, but I'd hate to give away the surprises. I'd say the ending was perhaps one of my favorites because it leaves readers with such a sense of "What the hell happened?"

What about Bernadette Dunne’s performance did you like?

Her raspy reading voice helped to accentuate the creepiness of the story, but she did an excellent job creating voices and personality for the characters through her voice as well. I don’t think this would have been quite as enjoyable without her narration of the story. I loved hearing her Mrs. Dudley, who was probably the most terrifying and the funniest person in the book for me.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

"No one can hear you scream, in the night, in the dark."

Any additional comments?

This is a ghost story, but it manages to be more than just a story that’s told around the camp fires. Jackson brought a psychological angle that makes the reader question if these things are really happening to this bunch or if it is some unexplainable shared delusion. The Haunting of Hill House is a tense story that seems to ask if the house is truly haunted or could these things have happened because the group believed in them. Would they have been faced with this same terror if they hadn’t had certain expectations about what to expect or is the house truly some primordial evil waiting and watching for victims? It’s almost as if the story is asking the reader, “What do you think… in the night… in the dark?”

For its reputation, I was very disappointed

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

truthfully, it wasn't well spent. it's not that the book isn't well written, it just isn't scary. at all. for 'haunted house' books, Hellhouse is much better.

Would you recommend The Haunting of Hill House to your friends? Why or why not?

I wouldn't recommend it. very little actually 'happens.'

What aspect of Bernadette Dunne’s performance would you have changed?

none, she does a good job.

Was The Haunting of Hill House worth the listening time?

no

Fantastic!

Feels like a classic creepy, spooky story, that keeps you guessing what to believe. Jackson was an unparalleled master of writing these kind of stories, reminiscent of Agatha Christie but with a more psychological angle. Excellent narration as well.

Couldn't stop listening.

It was a little different than what I was thinking nut it was good. I know that there are movies from this book but when reading i never think about that. It was great.

Lacks something?

At first I felt vaguely let down by this book. I think most modern readers / listeners like me have been led to expect a bit more from horror stories than this delivers. If you want shocks and scares, or blood and guts and gore, you will be disappointed. This is much more psychological. The enjoyment comes from the richness of the characters (including the character of the house itself). I wasn't especially keen on the narrator who sounded like a little old lady but she did manage to create distinct and believable voices for each of the characters, my favourite being Theodora.

Kinda weird.

The whole story was strange from beginning to end. It could have been a very good story if you could understand what was going on!