The Haunting Of Hill House | Shirley Jackson (1959) | Review

A haunted mansion filled with secrets or a manifestation of everybody’s worst fear? Shirley Jackson leaves the reader wondering this very thing upon finishing this book. Set in an isolated mansion surrounded by trees and hills at an unspecified location, we follow a group of believers and skeptics through a series of horrific events that can only be thought of as hauntings. Jackson puts us in the mind of Eleanor, our main character, and we follow her inner dialogue and feelings as the story unfolds.

The other characters include Theodora, Luke, Dr. Montague, Mrs. Montague, Arthur, and Mrs. Dudley. Theodora is somewhat of a lone wolf. She’s very capable of handling herself and her feelings. Although she is Dr. Montague’s assistant, she is one of the skeptics and can explain each paranormal occurrence with scientific reasoning. Luke is the heir to Hill House, and it was hard for me to tell whether he was a believer or not. His character seemed to be rather unfocused on anything happening at all and I don’t believe he really cared. Dr. Montague is an occult scholar and the reason for each person’s appearance at the mansion. He truly believes that Hill House is haunted and has brought everyone to assist him with his research. Mrs. Montague, Dr. Montague’s wife, is also a firm believer in the afterlife, ghosts, and their reason for staying where they are. She communicates with the dead alongside her assistant, Arthur, to unravel the mysteries of Hill House. Mrs. Dudley is the caretaker of the mansion and leaves before sundown. Dudley is a particular lady, well aware of the occurrences at the estate.

There are definitely psychic happenings when it gets dark at the house which become one of four conflicts I’ve identified.

Man vs. Self

I think this conflict has more to do with Eleanor’s character than others. Her inner dialogue suggests she is ultimately an unhappy person who has trouble keeping friends. She feels oppressed by not only the characters at Hill House but also her sister and brother-in-law. She isn’t really her own person and struggles with that throughout the book.

Man vs. Paranormal

Somewhat self-explanatory. Each character witnesses their own paranormal occurrences at Hill House. Eleanor and Theodora experience it their first night in the mansion. Dr. Montague and Luke have a run-in with the supernatural the second day of being there. Mrs. Montague and Arthur are able to communicate with something that is haunting the estate. Mrs. Dudley never shares her experiences; however, it is made clear that she knows what goes on as she only shows up in the morning when the sun is out and quickly leaves before the sun goes down. The entire group has a final “battle” with the house in the last chapter.

Man vs. Man

Eleanor begins to experience sleepwalking which causes the others to assume she is the one doing the nightly hauntings. She feels isolated by the group and slowly goes back inside herself. Because most are skeptical of paranormal phenomena, they try to place blame on others and poke fun at the “pranksters”. Luke and Theodora team up against Eleanor towards the last half of the novel instead of keeping the group together.

Man vs. Fear

This is where I started to question whether the house was truly haunted or not. In the beginning of the book, Dr. Montague gives the group some background information on the house. He does a great job at invoking fear into their minds by telling them: “Suppose you heard the story of Hill House and decided not to stay. How would you leave, tonight? The gates are locked. Hill House has a reputation for insistent hospitality; it seemingly dislikes lettings its guests get away. The last person who tried to leave Hill House in darkness – it was eighteen years ago – was killed at the turn in the driveway, where his horse bolted and crushed him against the big tree. Suppose I tell you about Hill House, and one of you wants to leave? Tomorrow, at least, we could see that you got safely to the village” (Jackson 71-72). I personally believe this kicked everyone’s subconscious into overdrive upon hearing this. It brings forth curiosity as well as fear. Did it start out as some type of healthy fear? Possibly, but, I think it caused them to subconsciously assume the house, itself, was an entity. Dr. Montague gave the house control in others’ minds.

Personal Thoughts

I rated this book 3/5 stars. I was incredibly disappointed by the ending and thought there could’ve been more to the resolution. It seemed like there was so much going into the rising action and the climax didn’t really occur until chapter 9. There wasn’t much of a falling action or resolution. The story ends with Eleanor being forced to leave by the others, during the day, and she wants to stay, become one with Hill House. Unfortunately, she does just that… but you’ll have to read the tale to find out what happens to our main character. Shirley Jackson wrote this story from an interesting perspective. I could do a psychological thesis on Eleanor’s character and why I think it had to be her at the end of the book; but that’s for a later time.

Questions I Have

1.     Do our subconscious thoughts create our reality?

2.     How does fear cause us to act?

3.     Was the house really haunted?

4.     Was Eleanor’s fear of being alone manifest physically so that she would be?

5.     Was it truly supernatural?

6.     Was Eleanor possessed by the house (or the spirits within) or did she go insane?

7.     Why didn’t the others wind up like Eleanor, if the house really was haunted?

8.     When Montague gave the others a history of Hill House, its inhabitability, and rumors, did that skew their perspectives?

9.     Had the characters known nothing, and had zero expectations, would that have changed their experiences?

10.  How different would the story be if the main character perspective were different? If the other characters had stronger qualities?

Favorite Quotes/Scenes

            “There are popular theories, however, which discount the eerie, the mysterious; there are people who will tell you that the disturbances I am calling ‘psychic’ are actually the result of subterranean waters… atmospheric pressure, sunspots, earth tremors all have their advocates among the skeptical.” – Dr. Montague (Jackson 75).

            “People are always so anxious to get things out into the open where they can put a name to them… so long as it has something of a scientific ring.” – Dr. Montague (Jackson 75-76).

            “Then everything is a little bit off center? That’s why it feels so disjointed?” Theodora. “What happens when you go back to a real house?” Eleanor. “It must be like coming off shipboard.” Luke. “It must affect people in some way. We have grown to trust blindly in our senses of balance and reason, and I can see where the mind might fight wildly to preserve its own familiar stable patterns against all evidence that it was leading sideways” Dr. Montague (Jackson 116-117).

            “Nothing in the house moves, until you look away, and then you just catch something from the corner of your eye” – Eleanor (Jackson 120).

            “I think we are only afraid of ourselves.” – Dr. Montague

            “No, of seeing ourselves clearly and without disguise” – Luke (Jackson 175).

            “Afraid to stop, they moved on slowly, close together, and ahead of them the path widened and blacked and curved… on either side of them the trees, silent, relinquished the dark color they had held, paled, grew transparent and stood white and ghastly against the black sky” (Jackson 193).

            “I must say, John, I never expected to find you all so nervous. I deplore fear in these matters.” – Mrs. Montague (Jackson 201).

            “The spirits dwelling in this house may be actually suffering because they are aware that you are afraid of them.” – Mrs. Montague (Jackson 201).

WORKS CITED

 Jackson, Shirley. The Haunting of Hill House. Penguin Books, 2019.  

The Running Man | Stephen King (1982) Review

It’s 2025 in America. The government is always watching and has full control over the populus. Television, or Free-Vee, is mandated for every household. There is no middle class, only the elitist rich and the poor. Distrusting and questioning authority will put you in jail. You have an incredibly sick child and can’t afford medical care… what’s your next move? If your answer was to join a game show to save your child, you might be Ben Richards… unless you place full confidence in your government. Welcome to The Running Man.

Written by Stephen King a mere 50 years ago, The Running Man doesn’t seem so dystopian anymore. In 1982, a majority of things were still analog. People wrote with typewriters or by hand (personal computers were beginning to gain popularity), books were physical and real, the 24-hour news cycle had only been around for about two years, and face to face interaction was much more meaningful. Futuristic movies like Tron, and Bladerunner had pinpointed ideas about life in the 21st century. Now, we have “smart” phones, watches, and glasses (have you seen John Carpenter’s They Live?), constant communication through social media, email is almost irrelevant in younger generations, streaming services are available at any time, and people don’t necessarily consume any literature or media that is thought-provoking. When was the last time you realized that not everything you see or hear is true?

I could go on a rant about all of the things I just mentioned in hopes that maybe one person could wake up from this technological nightmare we’ve all been sucked into; however, that is not my purpose. I found The Running Man to be eerily similar to current events and times. If it has not clicked yet, the Free-Vee is all around us (phones, television, social media). I think the easiest way for anyone to gain control of another person(s) is to put a screen in front of them with no limits to how much they watch, as long as it provides a biased perspective and a threat for them not to question what is really going on. This is what a life in The Running Man looks like. Freethinkers are to be feared, while full trust in the government and media is how people stay “safe.” Sound familiar?

Let’s dive into what Stephen King pictured 2025 to look like and follow Ben Richards on his journey to save his sick baby girl…

The Richards family is part of the lower class, in need of money for medical care for their child. Ben realizes his only option is to join one of many game shows to grow his finances. Because he shows no health concerns and is fit, the elites decide he will be the next Running Man. The whole concept of The Running Man show is one man running from government appointed contract killers, military, and the American citizens. If he is found, seen in public, caught in disguise, etc., he will either be phoned in, or video recorded and will be shot dead. If he survives 30 days, he’ll win one billion New dollars (better currency than old dollars). For those that sight him: a reward of $100 New dollars, for those who sight him and get him killed: a reward of $1000. Let the game begin.

As Ben gains several new personas and disguises, he makes some friends along the way. The first two being brothers Stacey and Bradley. The brothers hide and smuggle Ben across state lines where he meets Elton Parrakis. The three boys are what we call freethinkers, inventors, and entirely too smart for everyone else. Unfortunately, Elton’s mother, Virginia, is one of the sheep. After finding out the infamous Benajmin Richards is seeking haven in her house, she calls the officials, and he barely scrapes by. After that adventure, he runs into Amelia Williams. He decides to hold her hostage as he makes some final attempts to be free of those greedily wishing for his death. Ending up in Maine, Ben and Amelia gain access to an airplane… unfortunately, the number one contract killer in the country, Evan McCone joins them. Ben is offered a job to join the directors of the show, in which he naturally declines. I don’t wish to ruin the ending, so I’ll finish with this brief synopsis in saying there is a spectacular fight of the lower and upper classes on the plane.

Needless to say, this is my favorite Stephen King book so far. I am in a book club on Fable that is reading every King book in publication order, so there will absolutely be more Stephen King book reviews. If you like dystopian (or not so dystopian anymore) literature, please be sure to read Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, 1984 by George Orwell, and Farenheit-451 by Ray Bradbury.

The Sun Also Rises | Hemingway (1926) Review

This Canterbury Classics compilation of Hemingway stories includes: “The Sun Also Rises”, “The Torrents of Spring”, and three stories and ten poems by a beloved author. While the other stories and poems were enjoyable, this review specifically covers The Sun Also Rises – what I enjoyed about it, disliked, and some favorite quotes.

I found The Sun Also Rises to be most relatable in aspects of friendship, love, and heartbreak; however, I think it’s most important to discuss the historical background that impacted Hemingway’s writing first. This novel was published in 1926 shortly after the end of World War I. It can be considered semi-autobiographical as the characters resemble Hemingway and his friends. There is a quote on the first page of the book that says “you all are a lost generation” which came from Gertrude Stein, an author friend of Hemingway. The group dubbed themselves “the lost generation” as they traversed through Paris and other parts of Europe, trying to figure out what they were going to do with their lives. The reason they felt so lost was because they were essentially forced to grow up during the first World War. According to Britannica, “the generation was ‘lost’ in the sense that its inherited values were no longer relevant… spiritual alienation from a United States that, basking under Pres. Warren G. Harding’s ‘back to normalcy’ policy, seemed… hopelessly provincial, materialistic, and emotionally barren” (Lost Generation). The Sun Also Rises captures the essence of the post-WWI generation.

With some historical context in perspective, let’s get into the story. The reader follows five main characters as they discuss “what-ifs” in clubs and cafes, travel around Paris and Spain, argue drunkenly, and witness bullfighting at its finest. Our main character, Jake, also the narrator shares a first-person point of view of his friend group’s interactions with one another and their adventures. The other characters are Robert, Brett, Bill, and Mike. Each of the characters was unique, to say the very least, and the only one I truly ended up not disliking was Robert. You’ll have to read the story to understand why, though, and I’d be willing to bet that there would be a majority in agreement.

The general setting of Hemingway’s novel is Europe; however, if we zoom in on the map a bit more, we’ll find the group of friends in various Parisian cafes as well as their sojourn in Pamplona, Spain. The story starts out with an important conversation between Jake and Robert. During this conversation, Robert tells Jake “I can’t stand it to think my life is going so fast and I’m not really living it”. Jake responds with, “nobody ever lives their life all the way up except bullfighters”. This initial conversation sets the tone and context for what happens throughout the rest of the book.

***SPOILERS AHEAD***

So, how did they wind up in Spain? Bill and Jake went on a curiosity voyage to watch the Fiesta de San Fermin, or the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain. The rest of the group decided to meet the two later on. Robert stayed behind to meet Brett and her new boyfriend, Mike in San Sebastian and they traveled to Pamplona after that. The group drinks and parties in Spain, watches the bullfights and the running of the bulls. It was a week-long fiesta that practically ends in the group parting ways. At the height of the fiesta, which is also the climax of the novel, the friends are so belligerently drunk and decide to air out some harsh truths about how they act and treat each other. Brett decides to leave Mike for a bullfighter (just for that week), which he is somehow okay with. Jake has been in love with Brett for quite some time and can’t seem to get her where he wants her. The entire group turns on Robert, who essentially minds his business a majority of the time.

The fight almost breaks up the friend group and Jake goes back to Paris where he claims everything is easier, still pining for a woman that couldn’t care less about him. I thought the opening to part III of the book, “in the morning it was all over”, was a breath of fresh air after all the unnecessary drama. It seems as if this was stating that the novel was ending, the friends might not be friends anymore, and the Fiesta was over.

Back in Paris, Jake and Brett catch up. Yes, I was disappointed, too. Their final words to each other are:

“Oh, Jake, we could have had such a damned good time together.”

“Yes, isn’t it pretty to think so?”

I did feel sorry for Jake because he had spent so much time going after the girl that chose to flirt around with several other men. She had proved time and time again that she was unsure of what she wanted; but, couldn’t quite let go of her idea of him.

            All in all, I loved this classic from Ernest Hemingway. I found it to be relatable of friend groups I’ve had. It was bittersweet and timeless. I think anyone could learn something from reading this tale.

Source: Editors, Britannica. “Lost Generation.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., www.britannica.com/topic/Lost-Generation. Accessed 21 Sept. 2025. 

A Life of Bright Ideas - Sandra Kring (2012) - Book Review

            In order to get through the books on my bookshelf, I chose to start the ‘Physical TBR Challenge’ on social media. A Life of Bright Ideas was part of this challenge and I can say now that I am so thankful that it was. I was greatly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book.

            Evelyn, or Evy, is our main character throughout this book. She is incredibly analytical, organized, and an absolute rule-follower. At a young age, her mother passes away which requires her to grow up sooner than expected. In the book, she is 18 years old and is beginning to experience what I like to call the growing pains of life. What I mean by that is her peers are getting married, having kids, finding careers, and figuring out who they are; so, in turn, Evy is figuring out who she is and what she wants. Her best friend, Winnalee, comes back to Dauber (our setting) after 9 years with some different life experience and perspective. The two are able to grow up together and bring Evy’s family back together in the process.

            I believe one of the main themes of this book to be: growing up sucks, but growing up without a mom sucks even more. The small town of Dauber, Wisconsin has all sorts of characters in it. Some that mind their own business and some that don’t. Evy, Winnalee, and Evy’s family have to deal with the town gossip, boys that have zero intentions of being good, and people with lots of assumptions about who these girls should be and how they should act. Eventually, all things come together and the girls are able to stand up to their antagonists. This is a typical bittersweet, coming-of-age story, that I think every girl should read at least once in their life.

            My favorite part of the book takes place at a baby shower. The baby shower is held for a woman that was engaged to a sleazy man that had an affair with Winnalee. Winnalee, of course, felt horrible about the situation after it happened but I think deep down, she just wanted to feel loved even if it was just for a second. At this baby shower, Winnalee decides to reenact something she thought was funny and, forgetting she had a dress on, gains some unwanted attention from the male party at the shower. After noticing their comments and jokes about her, she punches the guy she had an affair with and essentially tells him off. I loved this scene because she finally gained enough courage and confidence to stand up for herself and the love she deserved.

            In conclusion, I was happily surprised by this book. I found it to be relatable in many ways: growing up as a woman, finally gaining the confidence to be who you are and to stand up for yourself, and dealing with the growing pains of becoming not only an adult but a woman. I highly recommend this book to those that maybe need a reminder of how great life, love, family, and true friendship can be with the right people.

Stealing Lincoln’s Body Review

                  This book was surprising in the best way possible. As a major fan of true crime – whether it be documentaries, docuseries, or books – I loved this story! You’re probably thinking, “wait… this is a true story?” and the only answer is yes, my friend. It really did happen!

                  Imagine being a part of a major counterfeiting operation and one of your top guys gets arrested. What do you do? Benjamin Boyd’s friends had an astonishing idea and plan to get him out of jail… steal Lincoln’s body. Not only that, but they were also going to hold it for a ransom of $200,000 in hopes that Boyd would be released. They were almost successful, too.

                  This short and exciting nonfiction tale also shares the beginning of the United States Secret Service, history of counterfeiters and US currency, the collaboration of pirates and criminals, and how the Lincoln family dealt with the death of their beloved Abraham.

                  If you’re looking for a quick and enticing true crime read that doesn’t involve a serial killer, this historical whirlwind is for you. If I can read it in a weekend, so can you!

                  Look for Stealing Lincoln’s Body at your local library, bookstore, Barnes & Noble, or online.

Joyland, Stephen King (2013) Book Review

“When you’re twenty-one, life is a roadmap. It’s only when you get to be twenty-five or so that you begin to suspect that you’ve been looking at the map upside down, and not until you’re forty are you entirely sure. By the time you’re sixty, take it from me, you’re fucking lost.”

“Life isn’t always a butcher’s game. Sometimes the prizes are real. Sometimes they’re precious.”

            If you’re looking for a quick and exciting summer themed read, I highly recommend Joyland. This book will have you so wrapped up in the plot, you’ll forget what day and time it is. With a mix of horror, thrilling adventure, love, heartbreak, and learning about who you are in your 20s, Stephen King tells the perfect tale from start to finish. If only a movie production were in the works!

            Set in the summer of 1973 at an amusement park in North Carolina, our protagonist Devin Jones begins his summer job as a “greenie” at Joyland. Dealing with a broken heart, he has high hopes that the new job will keep him distracted enough from his first true love. Upon his arrival, he is told about the legend of the girl that was murdered in the infamous Horror House. Why was she murdered? Who would do such a thing to an innocent girl? Was there more than just one murder?

            A typical Stephen King story, there are characters that have what is called “the sight”, an intuitive ability that normal people do not inherit. With this psychic influence, the mystery is solved by not only Devin and his pals but a new friend, Mike, and Mike’s mother Annie.

            I do believe that this book is full of irony. The title alone is misleading – Joyland – the amusement park that is filled with laughing children, excited families, fun first dates - the smell of popcorn, hotdogs, and cotton candy all throughout the park. Joyland also holds secrets of murder, mystery, and horror. I also think that on a deeper level, Joyland (and everything that happens inside its overbearing doors) also symbolizes ideologies of life for young adults in their 20s. It is a confusing time for most at that age as many life experiences and changes happen. Questions of how and where your life will go, questions of who you are, and the acceptance that you won’t have everything figured out… and that’s okay. The irony of Devin working a fun summer job in a place full of darkness while also trying to escape his current feelings of heartbreak and grief is written so perfectly and is read with ease.

            I also found the character development was greater than expected. While there are some two-dimensional characters, Devin is one of the few three-dimensional characters. Throughout his storytelling, it feels as if the reader is his best friend, a child, or a grandchild. The book “technically” takes place over a span of about 6 months. During that time frame, Devin grows out of his naivety about people, love, and how the world works. He matures out of a heartbreak and becomes his own person as the book continues. In all sense of the word, Devin truly becomes a man.

            Without spoiling the rest of the book, I will conclude that if you’ve never read a Stephen King novel, this is a great introduction into his marvelous and horrifying world. King is one of my favorite authors and I highly recommend this book if you’re craving a summer adventure with a bit of horror, thriller, and mystery entwined.

If you’re interested in uncovering this murder mystery with Devin Jones and company, you can find it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Joyland-Hard-Case-Crime-Stephen/dp/1781162646

1. Sources Cited: King, Stephen. Joyland. Hard Case Crime, 2013.

Jaws, Peter Benchley (1974) Book Review

Jaws, written by Peter Benchley in 1974, has to be one of the best books I’ve read this year. I chose to read Jaws because I’ve seen the movie so many times and wanted a quick, summer-based novel. After reading this masterpiece, I think I’m starting to prefer books over movie adaptations.

Throughout the story, we follow Martin Brody, our main character from the first shark attack investigation to the final destruction of the beast. Brody faces several conflicts, the first (and most important) one being the shark. Other major conflicts he resolves include his unhappy and unsatisfactory marriage with Ellen Brody, constant disagreements with his colleague Matt Hooper, as well as a battle between the mayor of Amity (Larry Vaughn) and Brody about keeping the beaches open for the Fourth of July weekend.

Obviously, Jaws is about a shark that terrorizes the town of Amity Island during the summer of 1974, but that’s not the only theme of the book. There are other moods and themes throughout the story. I personally think another major mood (after Man-vs-Predator) is this overbearing fear factor. There’s a constant feeling of “who’s going to actually win? Is the shark going to eat and terrorize everyone, wiping out the entire town and East Coast?”. This isn’t necessarily a ‘happy’ book… The happy and hopeful feelings that Peter Benchley only gives us a glimpse of are quickly overshadowed by the fact that something is going to go extremely wrong.

If you’ve read the book, this next section will not come as a surprise for you and you might even agree with me about this being one of the best scenes in the entire book. If you haven’t read the book, THIS NEXT SECTION CONTAINS SPOILERS. Don’t say I didn’t warn you… read at your own discretion.

Okay, okay, okay. Now for my absolute FAVORITE part of the book, and no, it has absolutely nothing to do with the shark. Let me give you some background leading up to this. Matt Hooper, Martin Brody’s colleague and shark/fish expert, runs into Brody’s wife at a store in town. Mrs. Ellen Brody discovers that Matt is the younger brother of her ‘long lost love’, the man she was with before she married Martin. Naturally, this encounter brings up concealed feelings and memories and Ellen finds herself quite enamored with Mr. Hooper. Shortly after this, she has this not-so-bright idea that her and her husband should host a dinner party with the upper echelons of Amity Island. She grapples with wanting to belong in high society again and honestly resents Martin for “taking her away” from that class.

The dinner scene takes place just right before the middle of the book in chapter 7. This entire chapter had me chuckling at the behavior and confrontation between Ellen and Martin. First off, she has Matt Hooper show up half an hour earlier than the rest of the guests. Does she have a good excuse for this? Absolutely not. Brody notices some type of connection between the two and proceeds to get wasted even before the other guests show up. Things are said, an argument occurs after the guests leave, and Martin realizes how unhappy him and his wife are in their marriage. Like I said, this was one of the funniest parts of the book because, again, the book isn’t exactly sunshine and rainbows.

In conclusion, I definitely enjoyed the book more than the movie. How Steven Spielberg was okay with leaving out the dinner scene and Ellen’s affair with Hooper is beyond me. I think the movie might’ve been less boring in the middle had he included the extra drama. I also want to add that this book was totally experimental for Peter Benchley. His idea was to write a story about a man-eating shark because it was so far out of the ordinary. Benchley was fascinated with sharks. He reads hundreds of books about the creatures and he learned that sharks “don’t even like the taste of us, and great whites often spit humans out because they’re too bony and fat-free (compared to seals that is)” (Benchley 4). The author was quite surprised at the success of the book and was able to build awareness for protecting sharks and other marine life.

You can find Jaws on Amazon: https://a.co/d/h5irvv3

Source: Benchley, Peter. Jaws. Doubleday, 1974.