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Hugh and Olivia Crain, along with their children Steven, Shirley, Theodora, Luke and Eleanor, temporarily move into Hill House while they renovate the mansion, then sell it at a profit and build their own house as designed by Olivia. It is loosely based on the 1959 novel and the first season consists of ten episodes. Much of the supernatural phenomena that occur are described only vaguely, or else are partly hidden from the characters themselves.
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What is the book The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson about?
Her fear is only enhanced after she meets the caretakers, the Dudleys, who warn her that what she’s feeling is real. Mrs. Montague is contemptuous of her husband’s methods and resistant to hearing about the very real terrors the group has already witnessed, and she insists on contacting the presence on her own. As Eleanor begins to suspect Theodora and Luke of talking badly about her behind her back and even scheming against her, she begins to lose her grip on reality, and feels that the house is urging her to “surrender” to it.
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The 1963 version is a relatively faithful adaptation and received critical praise. The 1999 version, considerably different from the novel and widely panned by critics, is an overt fantasy horror in which all the main characters are terrorized and two are killed by explicitly supernatural deaths. This classic horror novel begins with Dr. John Montague renting out the haunted Hill House, a well-known home filled with supernatural occurrences.
By Shirley JacksonIntroduction by Laura MillerEdited by Guillermo del Toro
That night, Eleanor gets out of bed in the middle of the night and gleefully causes a ruckus, raising the others from their beds by pounding on their doors. She then runs away into the library, from whence she feels the voice of her deceased mother beckoning her. She climbs a rotting staircase in the corner of the library to get to a trap door that will allow her access to the house’s highest turret. The group comes into the library and coaxes Eleanor down from the precarious staircase, reproaching her for her childish and worrisome behavior. The house's two caretakers, Mr. and Mrs. Dudley, refuse to stay near the house at night. The four overnight visitors begin to form friendships as Montague explains the building's history, which encompasses suicide and other violent deaths.
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She begins seeing and hearing things that the others seem immune to—and most chillingly of all, Mrs. Montague reports back that her planchette has written copiously about Eleanor. From Henry James’s “ The Turn of the Screw” to Stephen King’s “The Shining,” the haunted house is a staple of horror novels. The supernatural elements of Hill House are what makes this novel so interesting to read and what fueled its many adaptions for the screen. Readers are likely to find themselves intrigued by the vaguely described features of the home and the growing dread the characters experience, particularly Eleanor Vance. Fear plays a major role in motivating and informing the characters’ actions. The idea of being scared of the unknown and the supernatural forces at play in Hill House creates an atmosphere of suspense and dread.
As the four begin their stay at Hill House, they explore and chart the manor’s twisting depths. A series of strange disturbances occur, mostly at night—but the pounding, rattling, strange laughter, and cold spots throughout the house and on the grounds actually excite the group. However, after writing in chalk appears on the wall of the great hall one afternoon—writing which is directed at Eleanor—the terror the group feels increases, as does their suspicion of one another. The others suspect Eleanor of writing the scary words herself, while Eleanor reels at the possibility that the house is singling her out. After more frightening occurrences—a terrifying presence which Theodora spots in the woods, and more writing on the wall (this time in blood)—Doctor Montague summons his wife, Mrs. Montague, who is also a parapsychologist, to come join the team. The story of ‘The Haunting of Hill House‘ is a thrilling classic gothic horror book that was published in 1959.
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Hoping to prove to the world of science that supernatural/paranormal phenomena exist, he picks two people to help him record the many terrifying experiences that occur in the house. Hill House is a mansion in a location never specified, surrounded by hills. Montague hopes to find scientific evidence of the existence of the supernatural. He rents Hill House for a summer and invites as his guests several people whom he has chosen because of their experiences with paranormal events.
As the show’s presence ascended, it would attract many A-list celebrities to take part, but some fans would complain that they forgot to keep it scary and credible. However, there are still some scares to be found in the early seasons before it descends into camp and cliche. Based very loosely on the classic novel of the same name, this was a surprise hit for Netflix, who would work with the creator on many other projects too. The Haunting of Hill House skips from the present to the past as it explores the relationships between horribly flawed family members and the chilling events that happened at their haunted home.
This is particularly true for Eleanor, who forms a terrifying bond with the house while she’s there. Theodora finds the phrase “Help Eleanor” and “Come home, Eleanor” written on the wall. As time progresses, Mrs. Montague, John’s wife, shows up and states that even though her husband has made no progress, she’s going to change everything and record all the supernatural occurrences in the home. It allows her, supposedly, to communicate with Nell, a spirit living in the house. The other characters make the connection between the name “Nell” and their companion Eleanor. The group starts to separate themselves from her, worried that something else is going on.
Even in moments of safety, characters like Eleanor and Luke struggle with their inner fears and anxieties, making the reader even more aware of how powerful and overwhelming fear can be. Throughout the novel, the reader is presented with multiple examples of how familial relationships can be strained and challenged by supernatural forces. For example, the complicated history of the Crain family (who built the home). The house itself plays a role in their suffering and is fueled by Hugh Crain’s cruelty.
This adaptation is an overt fantasy horror in which all the main characters are terrorized and two are killed by explicitly supernatural deaths. A finalist for the National Book Award, the book has been made into two feature films, a play and is the basis of a popular Netflix series. Jackson’s novel relies on terror rather than horror to elicit emotion in the reader, using complex relationships between the mysterious events in the house and the characters’ psyches. Stephen King, in his book Danse Macabre (1981), a non-fiction review of the horror genre, lists The Haunting of Hill House as one of the finest horror novels of the late 20th century and provides a lengthy review. Eleanor is the first person to arrive at the home and is immediately struck with feelings of terror. She knows immediately that this is a bad place, somewhere that nothing good is going to happen.
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