Dr. Montague persuades the owners of the very haunted “Hill House”, a strange gothic building, to allow him to stay there an study paranormal phenomena. He invites several people who have displayed psychic or paranormal inclinations in their past, but just two show up. Eleanor is a shy, single lady who had, until recently, been caring for her demanding and overbearing ailing mother. She is now caught in her sister’s shadow, and dreams of an independent life far away from her family’s influence. Theodora is a bohemian artist, and Luke is the heir of the house itself.
As Dr. Montague, Luke, Theodora and Eleanor explore the house, they find that it is a veritable maze, and built with walls not exactly vertical, causing doors to repeatedly slam shut. All four start experiencing strange events, including inexplicable noises, ghosts, writing on the wall, and other similar events. Eleanor seems to be more tuned in to these events, but she seems to be having difficulty separating reality from her imagination.
As they are joined by Dr. Montague’s wife and her assistant, they attempt to commune with the supernatural forces. But the messaging from these forces seem to indicate that they are specifically interested in Eleanor. Dr. Montague advises Eleanor to leave, and she reluctantly does so, only to crash her car into the great oak tree outside the house… as the book ends.
Reading this book gives one a distinct feeling of uneasiness and disquiet. It is not because of what is said, but more because of what is not. The quiet part is left to the reader’s interpretation and imagination. Is there an actual paranormal force at work? Or is it just one of Eleanor’s alternate personalities at work? Or even Eleanor herself?
The story contains just enough detail that it cannot be called incomplete. There is an introduction of the characters, the setting, the build up of suspense, and an ambiguous ending. But in each of the sections, there seem to be bits left out. Even the phenomena observed is only described, vaguely, if at all. There is a sense that Eleanor herself is causing these events, as her childhood experiences with a poltergeist also seem to indicate that she was the perpetrator.
Without actually presenting a frightening entity, the book gives the reader deep chills, and a sense of foreboding thanks to the masterful writing. A good read.