I know this isn't a new book, but I never read it before. Shirley Jackson's "The Haunting Of Hill House" took me to places that no movie ever could. The story is quite familiar. There is a house that is experiencing some paranormal activity. It is the characters that take this story to another level. I believe Stephen King even thought so!
Dr. Montague invites three other people to spend some time in this summer home. Theodora is the good doctor's assistant who arrives around the same time that Eleanor does. These two women end up creating a bond between them that becomes almost scary. Luke was the next person to arrive and he seems to be the only one that should be there. It seems that he is going to be inheriting this piece of real estate sometime in the future. Dudley is the caretaker of the property, who no one really has any interaction with except when they first arrive and he attempts to block their entry. Then there is Mrs. Dudley, who follows a very strict schedule and feels compelled to make sure everything stays in its place. She also has to leave before dark to get to her own safe haven.
Needless to say, strange noises and movements happen during the evening while they all try to sleep, which is a chore in itself. The sounds strangely enough aren't always heard by everyone. During the day, however, open doors tend to shut themselves with the main consensus being that this was an act by Mrs. Dudley.
Mrs. Montague eventually arrives with Arthur, who was her driver and assistant when it comes to studying the paranormal. While the doctor is documenting their time at the house he wasn't too pleased that his wife brought along a planchette to assist her with communicating with the spirits. The Montagues seem to be very much at odds when it comes to their theory on how to deal with the house. This becomes even more evident when his wife wants them to attempt to dig in the house. The doctor promised the owners that he wouldn't wreck the house for his own educational purposes.
Eleanor, who lied to the group about her living conditions, appears to have a connection to the house which leads to catastrophic results. The last few chapters didn't allow me to put this book down. While the story had you waiting for something big to happen, Jackson's style of the slow buildup worked out perfectly. The book was also an easy read, even for someone who isn't an avid reader.