Curtis’s Reviews > The Haunting of Hill House > Status Update

Ending missed mark for me--Dr's wife arrival shifts tone of the book into borderline parody territory. Other sections lightly lampooned tropes while maintaining overall dark tone, but it shifts into more humour. Makes tragic ending feel bit out of place/lopsided. Satirical elements still strong, good genuine creepy moments & characterization, especially Nell. Still bit unsatisfied by conclusion, but solid book.

Ch 5, big shift. Raises reliable narrator question; seems things occurred between chapters. Nell increasingly paranoid/violent thoughts, good scary set pieces. Nell/Theo seem to be playing out dynamic of sisters. Start loving house but hating each other, suspicious of each other, when someone mentioned house trying to separate the 4 people. Don't understand why nobody asks Dudleys anything! They seem to know a lot.

Super understated slow burn; Montague has no instructions/vague goal; just wants them to kill time in the house & take notes. Interest lies in character subtleties. All lie when introducing selves; later speculate odd rooms to 'hide from one another.' El questions own identity; social anxiety, paranoia. Theo her solid foundation. Lots of funny banter between them. First scare halfway through book, pretty creepy!