The Real take on Haunting in Hill House
I recently finished reading the Haunting of Hill House. In the age of the internet, I had already done my background research before embarking on this horror adventure, and hence, I knew that the Gothic novel set in the middle of the 20th Century bore little resemblance to the Netflix Horror success of the same name. The latter had derived many elements from the book itself. It was a fun exercise to uncover the little nougats of similarities. The names for instance — bar the caretaker couple — every other character had been changed. Another interesting connection was between Eleanor and Theodora — each a sister to another in the Netflix show — and also, supposed “twins” or “cousins” in the book. The Cup with Stars also makes a common appearance in prose and screen. Despite their varying storylines and characteristics, the eponymous Hill House retains its defining traits — an avaricious house that yearns to devour its inhabitants whole. The House is the villain. It is the very epitome of horror, and its ghosts are merely embodiments of every tragedy that has befallen its murky history. Its architect infused his eccentric personality and dark sentiments into the very structure of the behemoth that is Hill House.
What stands out for me in Hill House though is the female character — Eleanor or Nellie. She spent the best years of her life caring for her ailing mother, rendering her a social recluse. She lives at the mercy of her overbearing sister and brother-in-law, who wouldn’t let her borrow the car she helped pay for. For her, Hill House is a new beginning. She is apprehensive but she wants to go forward. Little did she know that she would become the centre of the House’s attention and fall prey to its machinations.
Eleanor, along with one other — Theodora- ends up at Hill House as the guest to Dr Montague who attempts to explain the inexplicable phenomenon that has taken place at Hill House over the years. The scientific experiment also adds a family member of the current owner of Hill House into the troupe. The Dudleys round up the unlikely cast of the novel.
The horror episodes are not detailed nor does any entity take shape fully to capture the imagination of the audience. The reader is left in the dark about the apparent horrifying incidents that take place throughout the novel and have to make do with their morbid imagination to decipher the true terror that materializes at Hill House. Little visual detail is offered up to support the auditory forces of malevolence that the unfortunate foursome experience. Most incidents are purely psychological in nature and prey on one’s sense of hearing rather than seeing. But the torture is meted out and experienced physically by the victims.
What stood out for me personally was Eleanor’s treatment. As the protagonist, she was the prime target for the attacks from the Hill House, and it's only she who is directly addressed by whatever lies within the walls. In the end, she ends up in the grasp of the House or the machinations of a hallucinating mind. But not before she asks her herself multiple times, “Why me?” — a phrase I oftentimes repeat at work, which is the true horror of modern times.
The preface by Guillermo Del Toro is deliciously written and acts as the perfect appetizer for the rest of the novel. The book is a must-read for psychological horror fans but may not tickle the bone for those who appreciate gore.
