The Haunting of Hill House


A Classic Ghost Story

(possible spoiler warning)

The Haunting of Hill House – a classic of the supernatural sub-genre of thriller novels.This review was written decades after I read it, and it is still vivid in my mind.

I can still remember the feeling of terror it created in me. I don’t know if a film was ever made – I doubt that the film medium would suit the story. Your imagination does the work. You don’t need descriptions of horrible beasts or strange visions – I still recall the scratching sound at the door. Brilliant.

Five stars, as much for the memory as for Jackson’s skill in evoking fear – the memory still there after forty years.

I can still see the book cover in my mind’s eye – the edition I read had a strange green colour (or is that my imagination still at work)?

41 Editions. That says it all. Would that one of my efforts should reach that lofty peak.