History Literature / TheHauntingOfHillHouse

In the tradition of Jackson's classic short story "Literature/TheLottery," most of the novel's horror derives from MindScrew instead of graphic terrors. ''The Haunting of Hill House'' was [[TheFilmOfTheBook adapted to the screen]] in two films named ''The Haunting'' (in [[Film/TheHaunting1963 1963]] and [[Film/TheHaunting1999 1999]]), of which the former is considered a classic in its own right. The latter... not so much. Netflix adapted the story into [[Series/TheHauntingOfHillHouse a series]], which was released on October 2018.

* {{Manchild:}} Eleanor is the female version. Her childishness and naivety are painfully justified; she has spent her entire youth as a carer to her abusive mother, and consequently has no life experience.

* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: Is the house actually haunted, or do people just have weird experiences because all the angles are wrong and it ''looks'' creepy?

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Dr. Montague isn't just smart and scientifically curious -- he's a pleasant, understanding fellow who jokes with the three younger people in the house and never addresses them with any kind of scorn or condescension.

* ThroughTheEyesOfMadness: The other characters see and hear strange things too, so ''something'' weird is certainly going on, [[spoiler: but Eleanor experiences and sees things the others do not.]] Which leads us to...

* RomanticRunnerUp: Eleanor for both Theodora and Luke.

** Theodora has a masculine nickname; came to Hill House after a terrible "falling-out" with a female "friend" that included sentimental gifts being destroyed and yelling; and becomes quite attached to Nell.

One of the most acclaimed horror novels of all time, Creator/ShirleyJackson's ''The Haunting of Hill House'' (1959) follows the adventures of a group of people recruited by Dr. John Montague -- a would-be specialist in the "analysis of supernatural manifestations" -- as they attempt to document the goings-on at Hill House, a desolate country mansion.

[[quoteright:310:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_haunting_of_hill_house.jpeg]]

One of the most acclaimed horror novels of all time, Creator/ShirleyJackson's ''The Haunting of Hill House'' (1959) follows the misadventures of a group of people recruited by Dr. John Montague, a would-be specialist in the "analysis of supernatural manifestations," as they attempt to document the goings-on at Hill House.

Hill House ("not sane"), erected in the late nineteenth century, was commissioned by one Hugh Crain--whose first wife died before she even managed to enter the house. His second wife also died. And the third. If this run of suspiciously bad luck wasn't enough, the house has since seen a run of mysterious events, suicides, and strange accidents, all of which have left it with a very unfortunate reputation indeed.

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/241316.jpg]]

One of the most acclaimed horror novels of all time, ''The Haunting of Hill House'' (1959) by Creator/ShirleyJackson follows the misadventures of a group of people recruited by Dr. John Montague, a would-be specialist in the "analysis of supernatural manifestations," as they attempt to document the goings-on at Hill House. Hill House ("not sane"), erected in the late nineteenth century, was commissioned by one Hugh Crain--whose first wife died before she even managed to enter the house. His second wife also died. And the third. If this run of suspiciously bad luck wasn't enough, the house has since seen a run of mysterious events, suicides, and strange accidents, all of which have left it with a very unfortunate reputation indeed.


!!!The main characters:

!!!And, last but not least...

* {{Cuckold}}: Though nothing is ever explicitly said about Mrs. Montague's relationship with Arthur, it is certainly questionable how close the two are, especially given Mrs. Montague only shows disdain for her husband compared to fondness for Arthur throughout the novel.

* AndThenJohnWasAZombie: [[spoiler:Near the end of the novel, a much less mentally stable Eleanor runs up and down the bedroom hallway and bangs on everyone's doors, just like whatever had been banging on their doors in the previous nights.]]

%% ** Possibly Luke.

* HenpeckedHusband: Dr. Montague. When Mrs. Montague arrives she pretty much takes over the investigation of the house completely.

** Theodora has a masculine nickname; came to Hill House after a terrible "falling-out" with a female "friend" that included sentimental gifts being destroyed and yelling; and becomes quite attached to Nell)