The Haunting of Hill House

The Haunting of Hill House is one of the few classic ghost stories that I have read all the way through. I have one word for it, creepy. Part of the terror comes from the fact that you never really know if there really are ghosts, or if Eleanor herself is just crazy. I personally believe that there are ghosts, and Shirley Jackson has said that it is a ghost story. It is worth a read. Especially since Stephen King, the king of horror, has been quoted saying that it is one of his favorite books.

                The story follows the lives of Dr. Montague, Eleanor, Theodora, and Luke Sanderson as they investigate the mysterious and creepy Hill House that has been in Sanderson's family for generations. Montague wishes to prove scientifically the presence of ghosts in the house, Sanderson is there because it is his inheritance and Eleanor and Theodora are there because they have had psychic experiences in the past. The longer they are there, the house seems to possess Eleanor and things slowly go from bad to worst.

                A funny note when reading this book. There is a lot of thumping. The ghost thumps down the hall pounding on the door and scaring everyone out of their wits. Right in the middle of reading thumping, a bird hits my window. It sounded just like the sound effects I had been picturing from the book and made me jump at least a little!

The Haunting (1963)

The first of the movies based off the book, I feel that this one stays true to the original story in a way that the remake doesn't. In this version you are also not entirely certain if Hill House is haunted or not. It is truly terrifying and you're not really sure what to make everything. It begins and ends the same way as the book: The House has stood for 90 years. It will stand for 90 more and those that walk here, walk alone. A creepy line if ever there was one. A great movie for the Halloween season.