"Around them the house steadied and located them, above them the hills slept watchfully, small eddies of air and sound and movement stirred and waited and whispered, and the center of consciousness was somehow the small space where they stood, four separated people, and looked trustingly at one another."
Prepare yourself for a creepy read. This is the kind of book designed for October 31st, or to be read around a campfire. There is a constant state of fear, suspense and impending doom.
Dr Montague is seeking scientific evidence of a haunting and is joined by Theodora, Eleanor and Luke. Will they survive living in the spooky expanse? Queue banging doors, changing temperatures, and unusual experiences all around.
Clearly I'm not the only one who liked this supernatural tome. It appears in the Guardian 1000 novels you must read list, along with a number of other recommendations I've noticed online. Published in 1959, it was also a finalist in the National Book Awards for 1960 and, according to wikipedia, formed the inspiration for two feature films and a play.
I have to agree with Joe Nazare who said "Jackson is unparalleled when it comes to crafting scenes in which things go bump in the night (or bang on a bedroom door)."
I had to leave the book alone in the bedroom and head out for some company before starting on this review.
5 out of 5 creaking doors and temperature changes
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