Staff Pick
Shirley Jackson is the Queen of Creepy. It's no wonder she penned what's widely regarded as one of the scariest books with one of the most chilling opening paragraphs of all time (just ask Stephen King). Part ghost story, part psychological thriller, The Haunting of Hill House is a witch's brew of terror and hysteria. A perfect execution of the American Gothic. This isn't just one of my favorite horror stories; it's one of my favorite books of all time. Recommended By Ronnie C., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
Past the rusted gates
and untrimmed hedges,
Hill House broods and waits...
Four seekers have come to the ugly, abandoned old mansion: Dr. Montague, an occult scholar looking for solid evidence of the psychic phenomenon called haunting; Theodora, his lovely and lighthearted assistant; Eleanor, a lonely, homeless girl well acquainted with poltergeists; and Luke, the adventurous future heir of Hill House. At first, their stay seems destined to be merely a spooky encounter with inexplicable noises and self-closing doors, but Hill House is gathering its powers and will soon choose one of them to make its own...
Review
"Makes your blood chill and your scalp prickle....Shirley Jackson is the master of the haunted tale." New York Times Book Review
Review
"Shirley Jackson is unparalleled as a leader in the field of beautifully written, quiet, cumulative shudders." Dorothy Parker, Esquire
Synopsis
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.
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust theseries to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-datetranslations by award-winning translators."
About the Author
Shirley Jackson (19191965) was the author of two short story collections and six novels. A collection of her previously unpublished fiction, Just An Ordinary Day, was published in 1996.