The Haunting of Hill House

What a scary little book! Other reviewers have said it better, but Hill House could keep you awake at night like it did me. A subtle psychological thriller, you won't find a lot of gore (there's just a little bit of blood), and you'll probably dislike the characters. Actually, I thought Dr. Montague seemed like an alright fellow, just doing some research into the paranormal like any good scientist. But Eleanor, Luke, Theodora, and Mrs. Montague seem to rub most readers unsatisfactorily. These are some strange folks.

But one reviewer touched on the Unreliable Narrator, and that really explains this book. After all, the entire story is straight from Eleanor's perspective, there is nothing omniscient or all-knowing, so the perspective IS skewed. Keep that in mind while reading. I think it's clear that Eleanor doesn't have the maturity or life lessons that many thirty-two year olds have since she spent the last 11 years of her life taking care of her invalid mother. She's almost a child, then, maybe a teenager. And so her impressions of Luke, Theodora, and Dr. Montague may not be the same as another narrator would see.

Excellent book, dark, scary, and a very worthwhile read.