i really don’t think i would’ve liked this as much as i did if i didn’t listen to it instead of reading it. i tried to read it but ugh sometimes classics break my brain. but audiobook format? ohhh this ate down. shirley jackson u never miss.

i think the characters 100% made this. if they bombed or i didn’t give a fuck i really think this would be a snoozefest. 

i love eleanor and theo’s dynamic. oh my god that was like half the reason i was putting on my audiobook. and mind you i only listen to audiobooks when im cleaning or sm so for a book to be so juicy it has me dusting my ceiling fan…. peak. i love the homoerotic weird thing these two have going on, plus their banter is so funny.

speaking of funny… oh my god theo. what a riot. girl had me laughing out loud many times because seriously some of her dialogue is so outlandish i couldn’t help myself. she’s so posh yet almost uncouth. i was living.

eleanor is such a freak. i adore her. shirley jackson knows how to write her women batshit fr‼️ because oh my godddd i loved her descent into madness. it felt somehow so outlandish yet so realistic. like her crashing out because she thinks the house is targeting her is something i would do honestly. plus the ending???? what else can i say but icon. the ending itself is made so incredible by the fact this bitch gives no more fucks and decided “Fuck It.” and yet again, i respect it and love it. thank you for the entertainment queen.

the men were fine i guess (wow shocker clover is unimpressed by men /j). the doctor did have some funny bits of dialogue here and there, but luke could’ve not even been there and my ass wouldn’t have noticed.

there kinda is no plot but guess what. jackson wrote my two lesbian ladies so well for once i didn’t care. ok im lying there IS a plot, its just less concrete… oooo spooky house what’s gonna happen???? and honestly because the writing overall was so good i kinda didn’t mind for a while the only tension was just “what’s gonna happen?” but then after a while there became some interpersonal conflict and at that point i was sold. 

i loved this. so what’s holding me back from 5-stars? such a good question. i don’t know. maybe that the haunting of hill house, the TITLE OF THE BOOK MIGHT I ADD, isn’t really explored…. ok like sure the house dances and shit but idk i needed some more horror elements. if the blurb was more explicit that this is more so a psychological horror than an environmental horror i dont think i would’ve minded it as much, i just dont like when synopsis’s are misleading. but i will concede and say shirley jackson is now officially my favourite classics author 🎉🎉🎉
edit: i’m a fat liar i’ve reflected and realised this book is genius. give a fuck about “oh it’s actually psychological horror 🤓🤓🤓🤓” FIVE STARS BABY!!!!