13 Spine-Chilling Truths About Shirley Jackson’s ‘The Haunting of Hill House’

Is it possible for a house to be inherently evil? This is the central question posed by author Shirley Jackson in her Gothic masterpiece, The Haunting of Hill House. Published in 1959, the story revolves around four individuals who gather at a supposedly haunted mansion to investigate supernatural phenomena through a scientific lens. However, events quickly spiral out of control, and the characters—especially the isolated protagonist, Eleanor—soon discover they’ve bitten off more than they can chew.

The novel was an instant success upon its release, garnering Jackson a National Book Award nomination and glowing reviews from critics. The New York Times hailed it as “a delicacy for lovers of the mysterious,” praising Jackson as “the undisputed queen of eerie and unsettling tales.” Its popularity also attracted Hollywood, leading to a film adaptation by MGM just four years later, directed by Robert Wise. Over the decades, the story has been reimagined as a stage play, a poorly received 1999 movie, and a Netflix series. Below are 13 fascinating details about The Haunting of Hill House.

1. Real-life ghost hunters served as the inspiration for The Haunting of Hill House.

Jackson found inspiration for the novel after learning about a team of 19th-century ‘psychic researchers’ who leased a supposedly haunted house to investigate supernatural occurrences. These researchers meticulously documented their encounters, intending to compile their findings into a formal report for the Society for Psychic Research.

In her essay titled ‘Experience and Fiction,’ Jackson expressed her fascination with how the researchers inadvertently exposed their personal traits and histories during their study. She noted, ‘They believed they were conducting rigorous scientific experiments and validating various claims. However, beneath their clinical accounts, the narrative that emerged wasn’t about a haunted house—it was about a group of dedicated, albeit misguided, individuals, each driven by their unique motivations and backgrounds.’

2. Shirley Jackson referenced a book written by a paranormal investigator.

While working on Hill House in 1958, Jackson came across a newspaper article detailing poltergeist activity experienced by a Long Island family. The article referenced Haunted People, a book co-authored by parapsychologist Nandor Fodor. Jackson read the book and incorporated some of its events into her novel. Interestingly, Fodor later contributed as a consultant for the film adaptation of Hill House.

3. Jackson encountered a chilling sleepwalking incident while penning The Haunting of Hill House.

During the early stages of writing, Jackson woke up one morning to find a horrifying note on her desk. The words “DEAD DEAD” were scribbled on it, and she realized it was in her own handwriting. Although Jackson enjoyed ghost stories, she didn’t believe in ghosts and dismissed the incident as a result of sleepwalking. In her essay ‘Experience and Fiction,’ she mentioned using the eerie note as motivation, stating, ‘I decided it was best to write the book while fully awake, so I got to work and did just that.’

4. Jackson uncovered a disturbing fact while researching haunted houses.

Before starting The Haunting of Hill House, Jackson scoured magazines and newspapers for images of houses that exuded a haunted aura. During her search, she found a photograph of a California house that radiated an unsettling sense of ‘disease and decay.’ Intrigued, she asked her mother, who lived in California, to gather more information about the property. To Jackson’s astonishment, her mother revealed that she knew the house well—it had been built by Jackson’s great-grandfather. After years of abandonment, the house was allegedly burned down, possibly by local residents.

5. Eleanor from The Haunting of Hill House underwent multiple transformations during development.

In A Rather Haunted Life, Shirley Jackson’s biographer Ruth Franklin reveals that Jackson faced challenges in defining her protagonist, Eleanor. She crafted three distinct versions of the character. Franklin notes that one iteration portrayed Eleanor as ‘a bold, confident spinster,’ a stark contrast to the shy and reserved Eleanor in the final novel.

6. The Haunting of Hill House is a ghost story that doesn’t feature traditional ghosts.

Jackson frequently described the novel as a ‘good ghost story,’ even though it lacks any explicit apparitions. In her notes, she clarified, ‘The House itself is the haunting.’

While much of the novel remains open to interpretation, Jackson explicitly linked Hill House to her protagonist, Eleanor. Franklin elaborates in A Rather Haunted Life, ‘Jackson intended the supernatural occurrences to reflect Eleanor’s inner turmoil.’ Franklin also observes, ‘The novel suggests that the house amplifies the instability within Eleanor.’

7. Jackson’s husband was too terrified to read The Haunting of Hill House.

Stanley Edgar Hyman, Jackson’s husband and a renowned literary critic and professor, eagerly read all of his wife’s works—except for The Haunting of Hill House. Franklin notes, ‘For the first time, he declined to read her manuscript, admitting that the idea of ghosts was too unsettling for him.’

8. The Haunting of Hill House has often been compared to The Turn of the Screw.

Since its publication, critics and readers alike have likened The Haunting of Hill House to works by everyone from Edgar Allan Poe to Hilary Mantel. However, the most frequent comparison is to Henry James’s iconic novella The Turn of the Screw. In her introduction to The Haunting of Hill House, Laura Miller highlights shared themes such as ‘a solitary, creative young woman’ and ‘a vast, secluded house.’ Stephen King, in his 1981 book Danse Macabre, asserts, ‘In my view, [The Haunting of Hill House] and James’s The Turn of the Screw stand as the only two exceptional supernatural novels of the past century.’ (Interestingly, The Turn of the Screw was adapted into The Haunting of Bly Manor, the second installment in the anthology series by the creators of Netflix’s Hill House adaptation.)

9. Roald Dahl wrote Jackson a letter after finishing The Haunting of Hill House.

Renowned children’s author Roald Dahl was deeply impressed by The Haunting of Hill House and reached out to Jackson, encouraging her to explore writing for television. According to Jackson’s biographer Lenemaja Friedman, Dahl proposed that she ‘consider crafting a script for a British television program hosted by Ellyn Williams.’ While it’s uncertain whether Dahl was directly involved with the show (his series Way Out debuted in 1961, two years after Hill House was published), Jackson ultimately declined the offer.

10. The Haunting of Hill House marked Jackson’s first commercially successful novel.

The Haunting of Hill House wasn’t merely Jackson’s most acclaimed work—it was also her first novel to turn a profit. Franklin notes, ‘Hill House was both a financial and critical success. For the first time, one of her novels not only recouped its advance but also generated significant earnings.’

11. Jackson secured $67,500 for the film rights to The Haunting of Hill House.

The sale of Hill House’s movie rights for $67,500 (a ‘remarkable sum for that era,’ as Franklin observes) brought Jackson’s family unprecedented financial security. They invested the earnings in household upgrades, including living room drapes, a player piano, and a washer and dryer.

12. The Haunting of Hill House has seen multiple adaptations over the years.

The initial film adaptation, The Haunting, was directed by Robert Wise (West Side Story) and featured Julie Harris as Eleanor, Claire Bloom as Theodora, and Russ Tamblyn as Luke. Released in 1963, it received critical acclaim. Franklin notes that while Jackson publicly praised the film, claiming it left her ‘terrified,’ she privately lamented the plot alterations, though she admired the portrayal of the house, which she considered the true highlight.

A 2009 adaptation sharing the same title starred Catherine Zeta-Jones, Lili Taylor, and Liam Neeson. Unlike Jackson’s novel and the earlier film, this version leaned heavily into supernatural elements. (As ScreenRant points out, ‘the house is animated and actively attacks its occupants, leaving no room for ambiguity.’) The film holds a 17 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Critic Roger Ebert remarked, ‘Surprisingly, I recommend The Haunting for its stunning locations, sets, art direction, sound design, and overall visual grandeur. While the story falters, the film’s breathtaking aesthetics make it worth watching.’

In 2018, a Netflix series loosely inspired by Jackson’s novel—bearing its full title and thematic essence but largely deviating from the original plot—premiered. Additionally, the book has been reimagined for stage productions and radio dramas.

13. The Haunting of Hill House boasts a roster of notable admirers.

Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Guillermo del Toro, and Carmen Maria Machado are among its most ardent supporters. Del Toro featured Hill House in a collection of six iconic horror novels he selected for Penguin. Machado hailed it as ‘the most terrifying novel I’ve ever encountered,’ while Gaiman declared that, despite many books frightening him, Hill House ‘surpasses them all.’ King, in particular, praised its opening as one of the finest he’s ever read, describing it as ‘the kind of subtle revelation every author aspires to achieve.’