At the beginning of the book, you our introduced to a character that has a major impact on all of its "guests". Hill House. "Hill House, not sane, stood by itself against the hills, holding darkness within." This is just one of the chilling sentences from the opening paragraph. The fear begins to set in.

Shortly after, you are introduced to the strong yet cautious Dr. John Montague. He is a doctor of philosophy and has a new study up his sleeve. He is going to rent the "haunted" Hill House and document all that goes on. To accompany him and further the study, are three assistants.

After considerable research, three patients are chosen. Eleanor Vance, Luke Sanderson, and Theodora (Theo) are the chosen few. You are first brought into the life of Eleanor Vance. Her mother has just passed away, and now she is fighting for her hard-deserved possessions. Eleanor has never been accepted. She has always been on her own

Towards the end of the book, Mrs. Montague arrives at Hill House. With her, she brings planchette. Planchette is a form of the ouija board. With planchette, Mrs. Montague can contact the spirits of the house. In her planchette sessions, the names Nellie, Nell, and Eleanor are brought up many times. This feeds the obsession of Eleanor and Hill House.

Later on in the evening, Dr. Montague tells the long history of Hill House. It was owned by Hugh Crain. He had two children, but their mother was killed in a carriage accident just before she arrived at the house. His second wife died from a fall, possible suicide. Crain's third wife died of tuberculosis. Shortly after, Crain passed away in Europe. His two daughters were left with the house, but many fights occur over who should get it. The older sister dies, and the young sister ends up owning it. She commits suicide, and Hill House is left to the Sandersons.

Over time, Eleanor becomes attached to the house. She feels like the house is talking to her. On one occasion, "WELCOME HOME ELEANOR" was written over Theo's room and clothing. It was written in blood. Eleanor becomes furious, thinking her fellow spouses wrote the frightening message. Then again, she feels like the house is speaking to her. She feels like Hill House is part of her. Later on, this "obsession" goes one step too far.

After an ending like this, you begin to think. Was Hill House really haunted? Or was it the psyche o

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Approximate Word count = 976
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)