Part of a new six-volume series of the best in classic horror, selected by Academy Award-winning director of The Shape of Water Guillermo del Toro Filmmaker and longtime horror literature fan Guillermo del Toro serves as the curator for the Penguin Horror series, a new collection of classic tales and poems by masters of the genre. Included here are some of del Toro's favorites, from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Ray Russell's short story "Sardonicus," considered by Stephen King to be "perhaps the finest example of ...
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Part of a new six-volume series of the best in classic horror, selected by Academy Award-winning director of The Shape of Water Guillermo del Toro Filmmaker and longtime horror literature fan Guillermo del Toro serves as the curator for the Penguin Horror series, a new collection of classic tales and poems by masters of the genre. Included here are some of del Toro's favorites, from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Ray Russell's short story "Sardonicus," considered by Stephen King to be "perhaps the finest example of the modern Gothic ever written," to Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House and stories by Ray Bradbury, Joyce Carol Oates, Ted Klein, and Robert E. Howard. Featuring original cover art by Penguin Art Director Paul Buckley, these stunningly creepy deluxe hardcovers will be perfect additions to the shelves of horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and paranormal aficionados everywhere. The Haunting of Hill House The classic supernatural thriller by an author who helped define the genre. First published in 1959, Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House has been hailed as a perfect work of unnerving terror. It is the story of four seekers who arrive at a notoriously unfriendly pile called Hill House: Dr. Montague, an occult scholar looking for solid evidence of a "haunting;' Theodora, his lighthearted assistant; Eleanor, a friendless, fragile young woman well acquainted with poltergeists; and Luke, the future heir of Hill House. At first, their stay seems destined to be merely a spooky encounter with inexplicable phenomena. But Hill House is gathering its powers--and soon it will choose one of them to make its own.
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This is my all-time favorite haunted house book. I went to a book club meeting featuring this book and half the group found it "not scary" and the other half seemed somewhat mystified by the story. If "scary" to you means crazed psychopaths leaping out of the dark with meat cleavers then no, it is not scary. A house that is itself psychopathic provides maximum creep for me. Author Jackson builds this creep factor through the personal world of the central character with all the required things that go bump in the night. My copy is now so tattered I had to keep it in a plastic bag and am now buying a new copy.
quasar
Aug 6, 2013
not scary!
This is a tedious story about unlikable people, not scary at all. Read 'The Lottery' instead.
Ralphie78
Feb 23, 2012
TO much hype
The book is a good read but not as scary as people say it was.
INDINGIRL
Nov 7, 2008
Great Book
I liked the book much better than any of the movie versions !! Small book, goes too quickly though.
TinaP
Apr 18, 2007
Still a great read
The story is told from Eleanor's perspective and is very true to human nature. She alternately has very warm and cold feelings for the other guests. Added to this wonderful character study is the effect of Hill House on the company. A creepy place to start with it becomes more and more a seductive and dangerous member of the cast. A sprinkling of humor adds another facet of realism and helps to keep the mounting tension flowing, rather than being a distraction. This is a brilliantly written novel. I have seen the 1999 movie which as OK and plan to see the 1963 version soon. But, for me this story is better experienced by reading the novel. It is rich, complex, tense, thrilling and spooky. This doesn't read like a book from 1959, it is fresh and real and one of the best scary stories I have ever read.
