Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

12 reviews

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Shirley Jackson's take on the haunted house, not as a mere site of tragedy, but as a character that is itself evil on its own is beautifully executed.
Definitely a more psychological horror where the presence is more felt than seen that might not appeal to everyone but I enjoyed it.
The characters are interesting and Jackson's prose is fantastic.
Highly recommend this book for fans of Gothic and psychological ghost stories.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I read it for a book club. I did enjoy it, it just didn't blow me away, although I'm not really one for the horror genre. I think my expectations were high because of the Netflix TV show based on the book. I didn't realize the book was completely different with just the house and the names of the characters being the same as the TV show.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

and they were roommates???

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

i wanted to pick this up because i’m a huge fan of the netflix show and i’m so glad i did!

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark mysterious tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

It’s all about the dread in this classic horror story. All the gothic atmosphere, a brilliantly unsettling opening, bumps in the night, paranormal happenings, and a small cast of characters who prove to be quite captivating and elusive. The way Jackson crafts Eleanor and her unraveling is masterful. I love that you’re constantly unsettled throughout and left at the end with more questions than answers. I’m glad I finally read this one as well as We Have Always Lived in the Castle. I’d be hard pressed to choose a favourite between the two. The audiobooks narrated by Bernadette Dunne we’re very entertaining listening experiences. 

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