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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019) in Movies
Aug 9, 2019
I was introduced to Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (the amazing book series written by Alvin Schwartz back in 1981) in my Junior High history class. An odd place for sure to listen to this amazing collection of stories, and yet it displayed how these stories are impactful even if you aren’t reading them around a campfire in the middle of the woods. Schwartz had written two additional sequels to his stories in 1984 and 1991 and the incredibly creepy illustrations (by Stephen Gammell) helped to complete a collection of books that are at home in anyone’s collection both young and old.
The 80’s was a decade obsessed with the occult and works of fiction that parents thought were written to corrupt the minds of the youth of the age. Before video games were blamed for all the evil in the world there was Heavy Metal music, the fantastical role-playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons and books such as these that parents rallied around and attempted to ban from schools and after school functions. Looking back now at the hysteria that this caused is almost laughable, but for those of us growing up in that time it was a very real threat to the imaginations of youth around the globe. Outside of this brief history lesson however, I wondered how the books would translate into a movie.
Our story begins on Halloween night, the year is 1968 and the Vietnam War and the upcoming presidential elections are on everyone’s mind. Stella (Zoe Colletti) and her nerd friends Chuck (Austin Zajur) and Auggie (Gabriel Rush) decide that this will be the year that they get revenge on the local bully Tommy (Austin Abrams) for all his years of stealing candy from them on Halloween. After things go predictably wrong, the young group of kids are pursued to a drive-in theater where they seek refuge in a car that is owned by another out-of-town youngster named Ramon (Michael Garza). As thanks for “saving” them from a certain beating, Stella and the group decide to take Ramon to a real-life haunted house. A place where a young Sarah Bellows would tell stories to frighten children only for them to end up dead days later. While exploring the house the young group discover the hidden room of young Sarah Bellows and come across her book of “Scary Stories”. Unable to contain her own curiosity, Stella takes the book home with her and watches as the words on the pages turn into living nightmares of their own darkest fears.
Produced by Guillermo del Toro, Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan, Scary Stories takes a handful of fan favorites and weaves them into a “scary” story of their very own. Instead of simply being a collection of haunting tales, each one serves a purpose, whether it’s the “Red Dot” or “Harold”, each one is used to drive the story even further along. While at first, I was hoping that it would be a collection of short stories featuring these timeless classics, the way in which each individual story progresses the plot leads to a far more interesting experience overall.
Those looking for a movie filled with frightening tales that will have you reaching for the closest shoulder (whether you know who it belongs to or not) will be in for a bit of disappointment. That’s not to take away from the incredible amount of vision needed to bring these classic stories to life, but it takes on a far more contemporary feel, then the dark stories and supernatural visions of the books that came before it. The film comes away feeling more like Goosebumps and less like Freakshow which makes sense given its PG-13 rating and its obvious pre-teen to teen demographic. The movie is still fun however, particularly for those who fondly remember the stories from their youth and is one that will proudly sit beside the likes of Hocus Pocus when it comes to network television down the road as part of its likely Halloween line-up.
4 out of 5 stars
http://sknr.net/2019/08/08/scary-stories-to-tell-in-the-dark/
The 80’s was a decade obsessed with the occult and works of fiction that parents thought were written to corrupt the minds of the youth of the age. Before video games were blamed for all the evil in the world there was Heavy Metal music, the fantastical role-playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons and books such as these that parents rallied around and attempted to ban from schools and after school functions. Looking back now at the hysteria that this caused is almost laughable, but for those of us growing up in that time it was a very real threat to the imaginations of youth around the globe. Outside of this brief history lesson however, I wondered how the books would translate into a movie.
Our story begins on Halloween night, the year is 1968 and the Vietnam War and the upcoming presidential elections are on everyone’s mind. Stella (Zoe Colletti) and her nerd friends Chuck (Austin Zajur) and Auggie (Gabriel Rush) decide that this will be the year that they get revenge on the local bully Tommy (Austin Abrams) for all his years of stealing candy from them on Halloween. After things go predictably wrong, the young group of kids are pursued to a drive-in theater where they seek refuge in a car that is owned by another out-of-town youngster named Ramon (Michael Garza). As thanks for “saving” them from a certain beating, Stella and the group decide to take Ramon to a real-life haunted house. A place where a young Sarah Bellows would tell stories to frighten children only for them to end up dead days later. While exploring the house the young group discover the hidden room of young Sarah Bellows and come across her book of “Scary Stories”. Unable to contain her own curiosity, Stella takes the book home with her and watches as the words on the pages turn into living nightmares of their own darkest fears.
Produced by Guillermo del Toro, Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan, Scary Stories takes a handful of fan favorites and weaves them into a “scary” story of their very own. Instead of simply being a collection of haunting tales, each one serves a purpose, whether it’s the “Red Dot” or “Harold”, each one is used to drive the story even further along. While at first, I was hoping that it would be a collection of short stories featuring these timeless classics, the way in which each individual story progresses the plot leads to a far more interesting experience overall.
Those looking for a movie filled with frightening tales that will have you reaching for the closest shoulder (whether you know who it belongs to or not) will be in for a bit of disappointment. That’s not to take away from the incredible amount of vision needed to bring these classic stories to life, but it takes on a far more contemporary feel, then the dark stories and supernatural visions of the books that came before it. The film comes away feeling more like Goosebumps and less like Freakshow which makes sense given its PG-13 rating and its obvious pre-teen to teen demographic. The movie is still fun however, particularly for those who fondly remember the stories from their youth and is one that will proudly sit beside the likes of Hocus Pocus when it comes to network television down the road as part of its likely Halloween line-up.
4 out of 5 stars
http://sknr.net/2019/08/08/scary-stories-to-tell-in-the-dark/
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Spine Chillers: Krampus in Books
Dec 31, 2018
Just an Okay Read
When I heard about Krampus by Nancy Gray, it sounded like something I would love to read especially since I loved her other novel, Empty Eyes, so much. Unfortunately, Krampus was just an alright read.
The plot for Krampus is based on the central European folklore about a horned half goat, half demon who punishes naughty children during the Christmas season. Nancy Gray does a great job at sticking with the folklore in her book. Although this is a middle grade book, I felt like this would be better for upper middle grade since the subject matter is a bit more scary than Nancy Gray's previous scary novels. There are a few decent plot twists throughout Krampus. The world building is done very well, and at times, I felt like I was right there with Nick, living every moment, both good and bad, with him. Krampus is a short read which is perfect for middle schoolers who may not have the attention span for a longer book.
I had a hard time caring about the characters in Krampus at first, but about halfway through, I found myself worried about what would happen to Nick and wanting everything to turn out alright for him. I especially loved the character of Gretel/Greta. I found her to be the most interesting in the book even if she wasn't in the novel very much. I just loved her no-nonsense, straightforward attitude. I would love to read a Spine Chiller's novel about Greta. That's how much I loved her! The character of the Krampus was done very well, and as I've said before, the Krampus in this novel is very much like the one in folklore.
The pacing is what lets this book down the most in my opinion. During the first half of Krampus, the pacing is a bit all over the place although mostly it's just a bit slow. I found myself growing bored with Krampus and wondering if I should just give up. The action takes a long time to make an appearance, and I kept wondering when something major would happen. Since this is a short novel, I decided to persevere. I'm glad that I kept on reading because the second half is where the pacing picks up, and I found myself immersed in the book. I couldn't wait to learn what Nick's fate would be and what would become of the Krampus. The second half of this book definitely held my attention to the point where I stayed up a little later just to finish it so I could get closure.
Trigger warnings for Krampus include demons, monsters, violence, scary themes, one profanity, bullying, and death. Basically, this is a very dark book.
Overall, Krampus was just an alright read. I felt like it was much darker than the previous Nancy Gray book I had read. The plot is interesting enough, but the pacing during the first half is what makes Krampus just an okay read. However, I would definitely recommend Krampus by Nancy Gray to those aged 13+. The second half of this book makes it worthwhile.
--
(A special thanks to Lola's Blog Tours for providing me with an eBook of Spine Chillers:Krampus by Nancy Gray in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
The plot for Krampus is based on the central European folklore about a horned half goat, half demon who punishes naughty children during the Christmas season. Nancy Gray does a great job at sticking with the folklore in her book. Although this is a middle grade book, I felt like this would be better for upper middle grade since the subject matter is a bit more scary than Nancy Gray's previous scary novels. There are a few decent plot twists throughout Krampus. The world building is done very well, and at times, I felt like I was right there with Nick, living every moment, both good and bad, with him. Krampus is a short read which is perfect for middle schoolers who may not have the attention span for a longer book.
I had a hard time caring about the characters in Krampus at first, but about halfway through, I found myself worried about what would happen to Nick and wanting everything to turn out alright for him. I especially loved the character of Gretel/Greta. I found her to be the most interesting in the book even if she wasn't in the novel very much. I just loved her no-nonsense, straightforward attitude. I would love to read a Spine Chiller's novel about Greta. That's how much I loved her! The character of the Krampus was done very well, and as I've said before, the Krampus in this novel is very much like the one in folklore.
The pacing is what lets this book down the most in my opinion. During the first half of Krampus, the pacing is a bit all over the place although mostly it's just a bit slow. I found myself growing bored with Krampus and wondering if I should just give up. The action takes a long time to make an appearance, and I kept wondering when something major would happen. Since this is a short novel, I decided to persevere. I'm glad that I kept on reading because the second half is where the pacing picks up, and I found myself immersed in the book. I couldn't wait to learn what Nick's fate would be and what would become of the Krampus. The second half of this book definitely held my attention to the point where I stayed up a little later just to finish it so I could get closure.
Trigger warnings for Krampus include demons, monsters, violence, scary themes, one profanity, bullying, and death. Basically, this is a very dark book.
Overall, Krampus was just an alright read. I felt like it was much darker than the previous Nancy Gray book I had read. The plot is interesting enough, but the pacing during the first half is what makes Krampus just an okay read. However, I would definitely recommend Krampus by Nancy Gray to those aged 13+. The second half of this book makes it worthwhile.
--
(A special thanks to Lola's Blog Tours for providing me with an eBook of Spine Chillers:Krampus by Nancy Gray in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
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Great, inspiring memoir
I'm not going to do my usual paragraph of description for Becoming, Michelle Obama's memoir, because, well, we all know who Michelle Obama is. This memoir is Mrs. Obama's reflection on her life to date, from her childhood in the South Side of Chicago, her time at Princeton, her work as a lawyer and executive, meeting Barack Obama and being introduced to politics through him, and their historic road to the White House.
"Your story is what you have, what you will always have. It is something to own."
I almost do not want to review this book, because I feel like I cannot do justice to the woman that is Michelle Obama. This is a really beautiful book, and it's also really informative. I learned so much about Mrs. Obama and her life, which I very much enjoyed.
First of all, she's a great storyteller. This is a big book, and it's a bit of an undertaking, but it's an easy read, and a really interesting one. I found myself completely immersed--I really loved learning about her childhood and her family. And, of course, it's fun to hear about how she met Barack (his marriage proposal is pretty amazing). Learning about both of their origins is fascinating, honestly. I mean, I knew that the Obamas weren't from the old-school political establishment, but it wasn't until I was reading about her life--and hearing more about the former President's--that it really hit home to me. It's amazing how much they have accomplished for our country.
Ms. Obama does a wonderful job of weaving her themes throughout her story--the power of education, of having an advocate, the importance of diversity and women's rights, and how vital children are in her life. She is honest about the realities of working motherhood: both for her life and for those of working Americans. It's also great to get little asides about her daughters (e.g., families at their schools sending in cupcakes for the Secret Service agents on birthdays); funny stories about meeting the Queen; and her mom sounds like a real trip.
"Kids made me feel like myself again. To them, I wasn't a spectacle. I was just a nice, kinda-tall lady."
She also talks about serious matters: race, education, and her reluctance about getting her family into politics. We see how importance her daughters are to her and how hard it was, knowing what they were sacrificing when her husband ran for President. We hear about her struggles being the first African American First Lady--the stings she felt from the racial insults aimed at both her and her husband, the fear she felt for her family's safety, and the attempts she made to find her place in Washington. I found myself copying quotes right and left, because she is so intelligent and profound and because, truly, as we all learned over eight years, she's such a relatable person.
"Kids wake up each day believing in the goodness of things, in the magic of what be. They're uncynical, believers at their core. We owe it to them to stay strong and keep working to create a more fair and humane world. For them, we need to remain both tough and hopeful, to acknowledge that there's more growing to be done."
Overall, this was a great memoir. It was informative, educational, and also inspiring and funny. It made me miss the Obama family all over again and appreciate so much their time in the Oval Office. It also gave me even more insight into Mrs. Obama, her life, and her feelings. I highly recommend it.
"Your story is what you have, what you will always have. It is something to own."
I almost do not want to review this book, because I feel like I cannot do justice to the woman that is Michelle Obama. This is a really beautiful book, and it's also really informative. I learned so much about Mrs. Obama and her life, which I very much enjoyed.
First of all, she's a great storyteller. This is a big book, and it's a bit of an undertaking, but it's an easy read, and a really interesting one. I found myself completely immersed--I really loved learning about her childhood and her family. And, of course, it's fun to hear about how she met Barack (his marriage proposal is pretty amazing). Learning about both of their origins is fascinating, honestly. I mean, I knew that the Obamas weren't from the old-school political establishment, but it wasn't until I was reading about her life--and hearing more about the former President's--that it really hit home to me. It's amazing how much they have accomplished for our country.
Ms. Obama does a wonderful job of weaving her themes throughout her story--the power of education, of having an advocate, the importance of diversity and women's rights, and how vital children are in her life. She is honest about the realities of working motherhood: both for her life and for those of working Americans. It's also great to get little asides about her daughters (e.g., families at their schools sending in cupcakes for the Secret Service agents on birthdays); funny stories about meeting the Queen; and her mom sounds like a real trip.
"Kids made me feel like myself again. To them, I wasn't a spectacle. I was just a nice, kinda-tall lady."
She also talks about serious matters: race, education, and her reluctance about getting her family into politics. We see how importance her daughters are to her and how hard it was, knowing what they were sacrificing when her husband ran for President. We hear about her struggles being the first African American First Lady--the stings she felt from the racial insults aimed at both her and her husband, the fear she felt for her family's safety, and the attempts she made to find her place in Washington. I found myself copying quotes right and left, because she is so intelligent and profound and because, truly, as we all learned over eight years, she's such a relatable person.
"Kids wake up each day believing in the goodness of things, in the magic of what be. They're uncynical, believers at their core. We owe it to them to stay strong and keep working to create a more fair and humane world. For them, we need to remain both tough and hopeful, to acknowledge that there's more growing to be done."
Overall, this was a great memoir. It was informative, educational, and also inspiring and funny. It made me miss the Obama family all over again and appreciate so much their time in the Oval Office. It also gave me even more insight into Mrs. Obama, her life, and her feelings. I highly recommend it.
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Hadley (567 KP) rated The Haunting of Hill House in Books
Apr 19, 2019
Strong writing (1 more)
Good characters
Run-on sentences (1 more)
No explanations for paranormal activity
Contains spoilers, click to show
If you're looking for a scary story, 'The Haunting of Hill House' just doesn't add up.
The story is still worth reading because Jackson's story telling is something that is missing in literature today. The reader is introduced to characters that are different enough to be interesting; their development is just right that it leaves the reader satisfied. The story moves along well enough that the pace keeps us from getting bored. And each turn of the page keeps the reader guessing what is going to happen next- a must for any ghost story.
In 'The Haunting of Hill House,' Jackson mostly focuses on the character Eleanor - a woman who recently lost the sickly mother she had taken care of for years, to receiving an invitation for a paranormal experiment at the infamous Hill House. Eleanor also seems to be the main character affected by the house, not only having her name written on a wall, but also having her named called out by spirits during an automatic writing session with them.
Our first introduction to the Hill House happens as Eleanor arrives: "No Human eye can isolate the unhappy coincidence of line and place which suggests evil in the face of a house, and yet somehow a maniac juxtaposition, a badly turned angle, some chance meeting of roof and sky, turned Hill House into a place of despair, more frightening because the face of Hill House seemed awake, with a watchfulness from the blank windows and a touch of glee in the eyebrow of a cornice. Almost any house, caught unexpectedly or at an odd angle, can turn a deeply humorous look on a watching person; even a mischievous little chimney, or a dormer like a dimple, can catch up a beholder with a sense of fellowship; but a house arrogant and hating, never off guard, can only be evil. This house, which seemed somehow to have formed itself, flying together into its own powerful pattern under the hands of its builders, fitting itself into its own construction of lines and angles, reared its great head back against the sky without concession to humanity. It was a house without kindness, never meant to be lived in , not a fit place for people or for love or for hope. Exorcism cannot alter the countenance of a house; Hill House would stay as it was until it was destroyed."
We never see Hill House through any other character's eyes, and the viewpoints mostly come from Eleanor (a missed opportunity,I think). Everyone who arrives at the house feels uneasy about it: doors and curtains close on their own, unexplained banging noises down the hallways(only at night), the chattering and laughter of children, and with an oddly placed cold spot. Yet,to the reader's dismay, nothing is fully explained by the end of the story - no apparitions show up, no one seems harmed by anything unseen (although, the character, Luke, suddenly shows up with a bruised face that is never discussed), and the reader ends up wondering if this really is a product of mass psychosis. It almost seems like Jackson ended the story abruptly just to finish it(the book is only a little under 200 pages). She set up wonderful scenarios, but without explanations, we're left with a very empty feeling.
Nearing the end of the book, the doctor, John Montague, who has ran the entire experiment, has his wife,Mrs. Montague,arrive a few days later, who seems to know more about contacting spirits than he does: "The library? I think it might do; books are frequently very good carriers, you know. Materializations are often best produced in rooms where there are books. I cannot think of any time when materialization was in any way hampered by the presence of books." And with the arrival of Dr. Montague's wife, we get one of the major experiences in the entire book. Although her character is quite annoying- even seen through the eyes of other characters- she brings some of the most ghost story elements, one of which is her automatic writing sessions: "Planchette felt very strongly about a nun, John. Perhaps something of the sort- a dark, vague figure, even- has been seen in the neighborhood? Villagers terrified when staggering home late at night?" None of the characters, besides Mrs. Montague's companion, Arthur, believe her automatic writing sessions are real, even after Eleanor's name is brought up during one. As I stated before, without any explanations, the reader is even led to believe that nothing was meant to come of these sessions whatsoever.
The ghost story elements may not have been strong in the story, but the characters make up for them. They constantly question what they are experiencing and/or seeing, they question their surroundings, and they question each other -Jackson does an amazing job weaving paranoia into the story line.
One of the more shocking and unbelievable scenes is when Eleanor is suddenly not fearful of the house anymore: "And here I am, she thought. Here I am inside. It was not cold at all, but deliciously, fondly warm. It was light enough for her to see the iron stairway curving around and around up to the tower, and the little door at the top. Under her feet the stone floor moved caressingly, rubbing itself against the soles of her feet, and all around the soft air touched her, stirring her hair, drifting against her fingers, coming in a light breath across her mouth, and she danced in circles. No stone lions for me, she thought, no oleanders; I have broken the spell of Hill House and somehow come inside. I am home, she thought, and stopped in wonder at the thought. I am home, I am home, she thought; now to climb." It was as if Eleanor was a completely different person in just a few pages.
I do have a couple of problems with 'The Haunting of Hill House,' mostly centering around the use of run-on sentences and extra long paragraphs. The run-on sentences are a waste of time because Jackson seems to merely elaborate on something that could be easily explained or experienced with fewer words. The paragraphs, however, need to be broken up for scene transitioning purposes -when she transitions from one scene to the next, she can confuse the reader with them: one paragraph will have all the characters in the dining area, but in that same paragraph, just a few sentences down, Jackson has the characters suddenly in the parlor,drinking Brandy. Maybe the intention was to make the reader feel paranoid and uneasy like the characters in the book, but it was certainly not needed with the way of Jackson's style of writing.
With all that said, it's easy to see why this book is a popular classic. The writing is strong, using enough descriptions to put the reader in Hill House with all of its paranormal beings. And no matter who you are, you are able to find at least one of the lead characters as a favorite. I feel the book is a must-read for anyone interested in the paranormal, because Jackson brings out the occult interest that was going on around 1959 - when she published 'The Haunting of Hill House;' everything from cold spots to the use of a planchette for automatic writing.
I recommend this book, but if you're looking for scares, you must look elsewhere.
The story is still worth reading because Jackson's story telling is something that is missing in literature today. The reader is introduced to characters that are different enough to be interesting; their development is just right that it leaves the reader satisfied. The story moves along well enough that the pace keeps us from getting bored. And each turn of the page keeps the reader guessing what is going to happen next- a must for any ghost story.
In 'The Haunting of Hill House,' Jackson mostly focuses on the character Eleanor - a woman who recently lost the sickly mother she had taken care of for years, to receiving an invitation for a paranormal experiment at the infamous Hill House. Eleanor also seems to be the main character affected by the house, not only having her name written on a wall, but also having her named called out by spirits during an automatic writing session with them.
Our first introduction to the Hill House happens as Eleanor arrives: "No Human eye can isolate the unhappy coincidence of line and place which suggests evil in the face of a house, and yet somehow a maniac juxtaposition, a badly turned angle, some chance meeting of roof and sky, turned Hill House into a place of despair, more frightening because the face of Hill House seemed awake, with a watchfulness from the blank windows and a touch of glee in the eyebrow of a cornice. Almost any house, caught unexpectedly or at an odd angle, can turn a deeply humorous look on a watching person; even a mischievous little chimney, or a dormer like a dimple, can catch up a beholder with a sense of fellowship; but a house arrogant and hating, never off guard, can only be evil. This house, which seemed somehow to have formed itself, flying together into its own powerful pattern under the hands of its builders, fitting itself into its own construction of lines and angles, reared its great head back against the sky without concession to humanity. It was a house without kindness, never meant to be lived in , not a fit place for people or for love or for hope. Exorcism cannot alter the countenance of a house; Hill House would stay as it was until it was destroyed."
We never see Hill House through any other character's eyes, and the viewpoints mostly come from Eleanor (a missed opportunity,I think). Everyone who arrives at the house feels uneasy about it: doors and curtains close on their own, unexplained banging noises down the hallways(only at night), the chattering and laughter of children, and with an oddly placed cold spot. Yet,to the reader's dismay, nothing is fully explained by the end of the story - no apparitions show up, no one seems harmed by anything unseen (although, the character, Luke, suddenly shows up with a bruised face that is never discussed), and the reader ends up wondering if this really is a product of mass psychosis. It almost seems like Jackson ended the story abruptly just to finish it(the book is only a little under 200 pages). She set up wonderful scenarios, but without explanations, we're left with a very empty feeling.
Nearing the end of the book, the doctor, John Montague, who has ran the entire experiment, has his wife,Mrs. Montague,arrive a few days later, who seems to know more about contacting spirits than he does: "The library? I think it might do; books are frequently very good carriers, you know. Materializations are often best produced in rooms where there are books. I cannot think of any time when materialization was in any way hampered by the presence of books." And with the arrival of Dr. Montague's wife, we get one of the major experiences in the entire book. Although her character is quite annoying- even seen through the eyes of other characters- she brings some of the most ghost story elements, one of which is her automatic writing sessions: "Planchette felt very strongly about a nun, John. Perhaps something of the sort- a dark, vague figure, even- has been seen in the neighborhood? Villagers terrified when staggering home late at night?" None of the characters, besides Mrs. Montague's companion, Arthur, believe her automatic writing sessions are real, even after Eleanor's name is brought up during one. As I stated before, without any explanations, the reader is even led to believe that nothing was meant to come of these sessions whatsoever.
The ghost story elements may not have been strong in the story, but the characters make up for them. They constantly question what they are experiencing and/or seeing, they question their surroundings, and they question each other -Jackson does an amazing job weaving paranoia into the story line.
One of the more shocking and unbelievable scenes is when Eleanor is suddenly not fearful of the house anymore: "And here I am, she thought. Here I am inside. It was not cold at all, but deliciously, fondly warm. It was light enough for her to see the iron stairway curving around and around up to the tower, and the little door at the top. Under her feet the stone floor moved caressingly, rubbing itself against the soles of her feet, and all around the soft air touched her, stirring her hair, drifting against her fingers, coming in a light breath across her mouth, and she danced in circles. No stone lions for me, she thought, no oleanders; I have broken the spell of Hill House and somehow come inside. I am home, she thought, and stopped in wonder at the thought. I am home, I am home, she thought; now to climb." It was as if Eleanor was a completely different person in just a few pages.
I do have a couple of problems with 'The Haunting of Hill House,' mostly centering around the use of run-on sentences and extra long paragraphs. The run-on sentences are a waste of time because Jackson seems to merely elaborate on something that could be easily explained or experienced with fewer words. The paragraphs, however, need to be broken up for scene transitioning purposes -when she transitions from one scene to the next, she can confuse the reader with them: one paragraph will have all the characters in the dining area, but in that same paragraph, just a few sentences down, Jackson has the characters suddenly in the parlor,drinking Brandy. Maybe the intention was to make the reader feel paranoid and uneasy like the characters in the book, but it was certainly not needed with the way of Jackson's style of writing.
With all that said, it's easy to see why this book is a popular classic. The writing is strong, using enough descriptions to put the reader in Hill House with all of its paranormal beings. And no matter who you are, you are able to find at least one of the lead characters as a favorite. I feel the book is a must-read for anyone interested in the paranormal, because Jackson brings out the occult interest that was going on around 1959 - when she published 'The Haunting of Hill House;' everything from cold spots to the use of a planchette for automatic writing.
I recommend this book, but if you're looking for scares, you must look elsewhere.
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