“Do you know why certain houses make people feel uneasy?” Nisa rolled her eyes and cut in. “because they’re obviously ha4.5/5 stars, a worthy tribute
“Do you know why certain houses make people feel uneasy?” Nisa rolled her eyes and cut in. “because they’re obviously haunted!” “No. It’s because we can’t tell whether they’re actually a threat. I heard it on a podcast. If you were to open the door to Hill House and see a dead body or a collapsed ceiling, you’d refuse to enter. But nothing here is obviously wrong. It’s just all slightly wrong. Which makes it harder to know for us if its safe.”
Any modern author attempting a take on/tribute to a well-beloved classic is bound to kick up some dust, for better or worse. When I, a huge Shirley Jackson-fan, heard there was an officially licensed by the Jackson-trust-fund tribute novel to my all-time favourite classic Hill House on the way, I was equal parts excited and skeptical. Inviting any comparisons to a classic, for with my love has grown over years and multiple rereads, is a surefire way to set a book up for disappointment, so I tried to temper expectations. I’m so happy to say; this was a homage that does the original justice. Eerie, haunting, gothic, and enough of its own thing that it doesn’t completely sink away in the large tracks of its predecessor. Thematically and emotionally, it doesn’t have the same deep-rooted effect on me like The Haunting of Hill House had, but it still managed to bring out some of the same vibes and made for a completely immersive and unsettling read.
Years after the original events of Hill House, completely new cast of characters returns to the iconic mansion. This time, it’s not a scholarly interest in the paranormal that connects them, but a stage play about a witching trial they’re developing together. Playwright Holly Sherwin been a struggling for a breakthrough for years, but now, after receiving a grant to develop her play, The Witch of Edmonton, she may finally be close to her big break. All she needs is time and space to bring her vision to life. When she stumbles across Hill House on a weekend getaway upstate, she is immediately taken in by the ornate, if crumbling, gothic mansion. Joined by her girlfriend/leadsinger and composer Nisa, and a small cast of actors to play the leads, she takes up residence between the walls of Hill House. As tensions rise amongst these artists, getting immersed deeper and deeper into their roles, strange events unfold around the premises. As it turns out, Hill House reputation for madness and tragedy is more warranted than they anticipated…
As mentioned: I liked the choice of taking on different themes and a different flavour of madness, rather than rehashing the same ones the originally already did perfectly. Shirley Jacksons stay at Hill House was an introverted one, coloured by melancholy, obsession and isolation. Elizabeth Hand’s madness is more theatrical one, more extroverted and driven by ambition. It’s the mania to Jacksons depression, so to speak. That contrast sets it apart enough to stand on its own, whilst Hill House as the catalyst still justifies its connection. To me, this is the best way to do a tribute to a masterpiece: honoring its spirit, but respecting its territory. Elizabeth Hand feels to have recognized that the original didn’t need improving or adding to. The Haunting of Hill House is strong enough to walk the halls of its own universe alone. Yet for those who want to experience it, there’s now a new ghost to uncover in there too…
Note with regards to the formatting: I personally combined reading the physical copy with listening to the Hachette Audio and recommend both. The audiobook’s narration is superb and audio-effects and excellent voice work really bring the story to life. ...more
Why did goodreads decide to remove Jane Eyre from my shelves?!? For the record: this is still one of m”I would always rather be happy than dignified.”
Why did goodreads decide to remove Jane Eyre from my shelves?!? For the record: this is still one of my favourite classics of all time, and one of the few I genuinely enjoyed from my required reading in high school. ...more
"I know the bottom, she says. I know it with my great tap root: It is what you fear. I do not fear it: I have been there..."
5/5 stars
Sylvia Plath h "I know the bottom, she says. I know it with my great tap root: It is what you fear. I do not fear it: I have been there..."
5/5 stars
Sylvia Plath has been, and probably always will be, a poet whom words hits me harder than many others’ ever will. Many of the poems in this collection are very familiar to me: I’ve shed tears over them, adored them, resented them, analyzed them to death and absorbed their every message in my heart over the course of years now. However, this was my first time reading this collection as a whole, as opposed to fragmented pieces over time. My experience with the entire collection was simultaneously very familiar and yet a little different. I got to revisit some of my old favorites, which still haven’t lost their magic over me. I’d love to explain why I love each and every one of them, and what they mean to me, however, I’m choosing to only mention some of them briefly. Most poetry is best experienced “blind” yourself, and if you are interested in reading some analyses, there are many out there that do a way better job than I ever could. If you want me to, I’d much rather direct any of you who are interested there, than do a butch-job
Some of my favorites included in this collection are:
- Lady Lazarus (possibly Plath’s most famous poem, and one of my all-time favorites) - The Moon and the Yew-tree (again: one of my all-time favorite poems) - Elm - Daddy - Paralytic - Edge (most likely the last poem Plath ever wrote before her death)
All of these are amazing poems by themselves, but reading the collection as a whole did in a way help me understand a bit more about Sylvia Plath as a person, which helps you understand her work better. Although the collection isn’t organized chronologically, I couldn’t help but paint a picture of some of her major life events whilst reading, which added an extra layer to her work.
Would I recommend it? Absolutely and whole heartedly… Not just to anyone interested in poetry, but to anyone interested in these topics as well.
I’m fairly sure I don’t have to explain what these topics are, but just in case you aren’t familiar with Plaths work: (view spoiler)[ depression, suicide, family/motherhood, grief and loss of loved ones, miscarriage and more (hide spoiler)] Please, decide for yourself if you’re comfortable reading about these topics at the current place you may be in....more
“On the moon we wore feathers in our hair, and rubies on our hands. On the moon we had gold spoons.”
We have always lived in Actual rating: 3.5 stars
“On the moon we wore feathers in our hair, and rubies on our hands. On the moon we had gold spoons.”
We have always lived in the Castle has Shirley Jacksons signature style all over it. A small cast of unusual and mentally unstable characters, who’ve experience a disturbing event, set against the background of an isolated home, with a possible hint of the supernatural. The story focusses on what remain of the Blackwood family, after the mysterious poisoning of the sugar bowl at dinner ends the lives of 4 of the 7 family members, several years ago. Ever since the remaining three family members have been living in elective isolation from the rest of the village, who mistrust, accuse, ridicule but also fear them. Constance, the eldest sister, is basically an emotional wreck after being accused, but later acquitted of the murders. She suffers from agoraphobia and doesn’t leave the house anymore. She now desperately tries to create her own little paradise in the same house that has witnessed all this tragedy. Uncle Julian, who survived the ordeal because he only takes very little sugar, is left both mentally and physically damaged by the poisoning. Wheelchair bound, often forgetful and disorganized, he spends his time obsessively recounting and documenting the affair, leaving no room for anything else in his life. Lastly, eighteen year old sister Merricat seems frozen in her emotional development from the moment of the tragedy. As our narrator, she often reads like a twelve-year-old, with her ways of childlike silliness, magical thinking and a quite limited and self-centered view of the world. The characters, as in any Shirley Jackson work, are the biggest strength of the novel. All of them are wonderfully quirky, without being so out there that they become too unrelatable. All of them have a unique type of insanity, and the way Jackson portrays this is both harrowing, upsetting, interesting and funny at the same time. I also (again) loved Shirley Jacksons writing style, combining darker themes with quirkiness and black humor. However, this wasn’t my favorite book by her. I couldn’t help but draw parallels between We have always lived in the Castle and The Haunting of Hill House, and felt the former fell a little short on some of these comparisons. For example: the atmosphere and feeling of isolation in Haunting of Hill House was spot on in my opinion. We have Always lived in the Castle started off strong in this regard, but lost that feeling towards the end. Also, purely based on personal taste, I didn’t connect to the characters as much as I did in Haunting of Hill House. This is however, a book that I can see myself thinking about a few months from now. These weird characters, their messed up coping mechanisms and even the almost delusional happiness they create for themselves in the end are something that may occupy my mind for a long time....more
“No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality.”
The Haunting of Hill House is a great exampl 4.5 stars
“No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality.”
The Haunting of Hill House is a great example of what I love in classic horror. It’s subtle, atmospheric and more unsettling in a psychological sense than a supernatural one.
The story opens with dr. Montague, a scholar interested in the truth behind the paranormal activities that have been reported in a remote house. In order to facilitate his research of the place, he invites three strangers to stay with him at Hill House over the summer: spontaneous and lighthearted Theodora, young heir to the house Luke and protagonist Eleanor, a woman with a haunted past and previous experience with poltergeist activity. Hill House is bathed in a mysterious and unfriendly atmosphere. Architecture that doesn’t seem to make sense, strange noises at night and a neurotic housekeeper who refuses to sway from her patterns or stay in the house past dusk…
None of this however, is the source of the real horror in Hill House. The real secrets and the real fears might not be hidden in the dark rooms and labyrinthian corridors of Hill House, but in the corners of the mind of its inhabitants. As mentioned, Eleanor is a troubled and mentally fragile woman, haunted by the drawn out death of her mother and the subsequent impact that had on her life. She is also an unreliable narrator which forms the bases of much of the sense of insecurity in the novel. It’s the ghosts of her past, her character and the unfurling dynamics with the other characters (in particular with Theodora) that bring the story to life and really kept me at the edge of my seat. Jacksons writing style is perfectly suited to bringing across the isolated and unsettling atmosphere of Hill House, but also adds some much needed sass and subtly dry humor into the mix. The entire experience was perfectly brought to life in the audiobook narrated by David Warner.
The only critique I have as far as the writing’s concerned is the repetitious nature of some of the chapters, as well as many sentences, which was at times a little too much for me. You could also argue that the beginning is fairly slow; although the atmosphere had me captivated from the start, it took until about the halfway mark for the story to do the same. On the other hand, this slow and atmospheric build up is something I’m used to in many classics, and it didn’t stop me from immersing myself in the story, like sinking in a warm bath of words.
The Haunting of Hill House may be a slow burn, but it’s a staple in classic horror for good reasons. I can wholeheartedly recommend it, especially in audiobook form....more
“If only there could be an invention that bottled up a memory, like scent. And it never faded, and it never got stale. And tActual Rating: 4.5/5 stars
“If only there could be an invention that bottled up a memory, like scent. And it never faded, and it never got stale. And then, when one wanted it, the bottle could be uncorked, and it would be like living the moment all over again.”
Dear reader, I have a shameful confession to make: I somehow made it to 2019, without ever touching Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier. Now was the time to rectify that grave mistake.
Everybody, by now, is familiar with the story of Rebecca. A timid young woman falls in love with a wealthy widower, but upon moving into his manor finds herself haunted in many ways by the spirit of his first deceased wife Rebecca.
For some reason, I long thought this to be a romance novel, which is why I never picked it up before. It’s not a romance novel, nor would I call it a full on gothic-horror story. It’s a beautifully constructed story of character development, with a hint of suspense and mystery mixed in. I’ve heard many people say that the first half takes some time to get into, but in all honesty, I think I enjoyed that part the most. We see our protagonist struggling to find her place in her new life, having to literally fill the place of her predecessor. I deeply felt for her and her insecurities about her place in Maxims life. Seeing my own father getting into a new relationship after my mother passed away, has made me realize how large the presence of a dead spouse can be in a relationship, and Daphne DuMaurier captures that perfectly in this novel. There is an impossible pressure on the shoulders of the new partner: an expectation that no human can ever fulfill, and our protagonist knows this. Rebecca is incorruptible, untouchable, seemingly forever elevated and preserved in a state of perfection with her death. How can any new partner compete with the memory of the old…?
As the novel progresses, we learn that not everything is as it seemed in Maxims previous marriage. The twist near the end did manage to surprise me, although I do have to say that some of the circumstances were a little too convenient and the solution a little too quickly. That being said: I was pleasantly surprised and then some by this book. I sometimes feel like some popular classics don’t age well (I know, unpopular opinion), but Rebecca is a novel that truly stands the test of time. Highly recommend it for anyone who, like me, has been living under a rock or just hasn’t gotten to this yet....more
I have not read every passage of it, but I did read most for english class at Some point. I really enjoyed the language for what it was, but it obviouI have not read every passage of it, but I did read most for english class at Some point. I really enjoyed the language for what it was, but it obviously is a very dated read that can be hard to get through. ...more
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