Very complicated feelings about this one. Spoilers ahead.

Obviously, reviewers are right to point out that a fair chunk of the horror lies in the sexual abuse of two women, not to mention the implication that the "reason" someone is a lesbian is either they are being possessed by a pervert ghost or they were molested as a kid. No matter when the book was written, that's still deeply uncomfortable in a way that goes far beyond the limits of a horror author trying to freak you out. If someone put down Hell House for that reason, that is completely fair enough.

However, I still though the book was a great example of haunted house horror, and I really enjoyed it. Is that hypocritical, or insensitive? Maybe. But the fact is that part of when makes horror so fascinating is its ability to evoke visceral reactions from people even when they know it's all made up. The horror in Hell House feels real. It's not upside-down crosses and some dopey Satan lookalike. It's a house utterly besmirched by debauchery, by elites with no desires beyond their own hedonism. It's the hateful, vile echoes of those elites reaching down through the years to torture others for no reason beyond the simple fact they can. It's unpleasant. And, more impressively, it's a good read. You'd be amazed how hard it is to find an author who can manage both.

Is it problematic, in a way that can't be excused just by pointing out that a pervert murder ghost from the 1920s probably isn't very PC? Absolutely. And again, I firmly believe that if these topics are something you don't want to read about, then you shouldn't have to apologise for that. But, if you are comfortable looking past that, you will find an excellent haunted house novel that rivals even Haunting of Hill House - if not in writing quality, than at least in sheer skin-crawling unease.