The Haunting of Hill House
I feel it is worth noting from the start, I enjoy reading haunted fiction. I despise writing it. I enjoy more creating hallucinations and delusions that stem from mental health for my characters. BECAUSE yep you guessed it, I have those issues. However, "ghost" stories and films are probably some of my absolute favorite things to dive into when I can. I have a lot of opinions on how the paranormal and demonology is portrayed, among other supernatural aspects in most of the more recent popular culture. Scott nailed a nice list this term (as always).
Jackson's novel is regarded as one of the best ghost stories ever written under literary fiction. Now when I think of her, I think of her twisted story "The Lottery." What a horrifically fabulous piece of work, one you won't forget after reading it. I cannot say this novel impressed me as much as that short story. I imagine this as soft horror, almost like The Rust Maidens. A work that really belongs more comfortably in the literary work than horror. I am not saying I did not enjoy this read, but it was not my taste in a haunted house story.
We get a lot of mixed symbolism from Eleanor throughout the piece. I must say that is single-handly the best part of this novel. At times, I found myself questioning if she was a "chosen one," a ghost of the house herself, or merely a real visitor under Dr. Monatgue's plans. I will say, I was mostly convinced she was actually a spirit of the home, maybe one of the original sisters in disguise or even the girl the home was left to when she refused to enter the library. From this moment, which was very early in the book, I was convinced she was nothing more than a shell for a spirit or a spirit herself. Granted, we were given her back story, so I understand how illogical this comes across.
However, she had a strange depth the other characters lacked. Mrs. Monatogue quite literally had a broom up her ass from her late arrival. Arthur seemed much like a follower and someone who feels "higher" than others on a scale that lacks to exist. Dr. Monatogue was not much different from his wife outside of being more empathetic. His broom was more his obsession notes and being the leader of the pack. Theo, the nicest way to describe her is the most fucking annoying character in this book that I had to scrape my teeth on concrete to deal with. The Dudleys really just seemed like extremely stereotypical caretakers of a haunted place. Finally, Luke; just another rich kid that doesn't see what he has.
What about this made it worth it for me? Those of you who know me will be surprised. The ending made this worth it. It was not the mazes of the house, the comparisons, the eeriness that felt over pushed on the readers, but the actual ending. Eleanor rams her car into the same tree where the original owner's wife lost her life. It came to me like a never-ending cycle. It reminded me of life. How strange.
Jocelyn Jackson (a NYT best-selling author, if you aren't familiar with southern literary fiction) once said, "All writers are bat-shit crazy. Just learn to act normal, especially on front of editors and agents." That's my way of fist-bumping you on the mental health issues. And this novel really pokes me in the sore places. You and I are on opposite ends of the ghosting spectrum. I lean toward gothic (which is now I would label HHH) and sometimes even stoop so low as to enjoy domestic/cozy hauntings. After reading your post, I'm rather enamored with the concept of "soft horror." Maybe I'll start introducing myself to other authors as a mystery writer who likes a bit of soft horror. Sounds kind of naughty, but it's not. Anyway, the ending of this book is kind of perfect, isn't it? It felt inevitable and exactly right to me. However, I read some recent reviews that said the book ended too abruptly and felt unfinished. I'm glad you think the ending made the book worth reading.
ReplyDeleteThis is Trisha BTW. I guess I forgot to register or sign in with Blogger before commenting. Oops.
DeleteSoft horror is not bad! Just generally not my cup of tea. I like guts and disturbing the most. I urge you to read The Rust Maidens. You may enjoy it! The ending was fabulous to me. You will learn that is one rare sentence to ever come from me. I relentlessly pound at endings, even my own! LOL
DeleteI never thought to wonder if Eleanor was a real person or not. I just assumed she was a regular human, but I did think about her ghost staying at Hill House once she died. I think her spirit definitely is still dancing with Hugh Crain.
ReplyDeleteAlso, can you elaborate more on why you liked the ending? You are normally a big critique of those, and for once I didn't care for it and you did. I thought it was a cop out and cheesy, though they did mention it at the beginning that people never really left alive. But foreshadowing doesn't mean it was satisfying for me.
Absolutely! So, this ending did not come off as a cut-off or cheap shot because of Nell's development. I was satisfied; she made it to her match. We never confirm her spirit remains in the house, but it is assumable as most souls who pass violent/unexpected deaths lack the peace to move on. Therefore, they stay within the spiritual realm of where they perished. Scott has now gotten me with two books thus far in this class, where I have nothing but good things for the ending. I think he is out for me.
DeleteNell was developed as this unstable and emotional character that lacked herself. She did not know who she was. She took this journey off a whim to find who she is. Under this umbrella of journeys end in lovers meeting. By the end, we know that match is the house, and her death puts her where she belongs. Sad, she never found herself in a physical sense while alive, but satisfying to know she made it there beyond. I also, cheesy incoming, think she is now happy.
I do agree with that last bit, it's nice to think that rather than the others forcing her to leave, she takes it into her own hands to make sure she stays with the house by violent death.
DeleteThis is Glenna (not sure if I registered either.)
ReplyDeleteI love your theory about Eleanor being a spirit from the get-go, existing in a human shell. Was she chosen by the house? Or did she choose the house? Or was she just vulnerable to the house's "charms"?
Mrs. Dudley scared me. A lot. I kept wondering why the characters didn't confront her. I mean, Luke couldn't even get a cup of coffee between meals? She said "no" to that? In a way, it makes me think that SHE was a representative of the house. Like the spirit of the house.
I liked the ending, too, and I think it was the only possible ending.
I said in my own blog post that I read this book for the first time when I was thirteen. I could relate so well to Eleanor back then. My family visited some work associate of my dad's back then, and there was a brother, and another girl my age. She was so mean to me. She felt like Theo to my Eleanor. All day while we were there I had an inner dialog running in my head like Eleanor - are they laughing at me? Did I sound stupid? etc.
Reading the book again at my present age, I was amazed at how different I am. I wanted to sit Eleanor down and play therapist with her! I really wanted to save her.
I love this book but I wish the nighttime "haunts" scared me the way they used to.
p.s. sorry for the word echos!
DeleteYES! I wanted to play therapist with her in a much different way. More so on the journey of finding who you are as a person: putting yourself in front of other people, etc. Your post was honestly fascinating on how deep you went in with her.
DeleteI have to agree. I do not think there was any other way to end this.
So, I have this ironic humor to Dudley. Back when I was super young, there was a PS2 game called The Sims Bustin Out. Dudley was a slob stepbrother to the Sim you made for the storyline. All I could think about was him and his trailer when I encountered the name.