A Haunting on the Hill Commentary
A Haunting on the Hill is a 2023 sequel to Shirley Jackson’s 1959 classic The Haunting of Hill House, but it is not written by Jackson. Both a disturbing and humorous voice, author Elizabeth Hand introduces us to a totally new cast of characters: a group of friends taking a residency at Hill House to rehearse a play called “Witching Night.” (Unlike the original, Hand’s book includes witches. A very fun addition.) Director Holly, our protagonist, brings her girlfriend, Nisa, who is an up-and-coming singer-songwriter, Stevie, a profound sound designer, and Amanda, an old theater star recovering from a mysterious accident that killed a man. Together, they encounter the eeriness of Hill House, returning to old ghosts from the original and meeting new ghosts from Hand’s imagination.
“Hill House watches. Hill House waits.”
Upon realizing that this was a sequel to my favorite horror story of all time, I had mixed reactions. On the one hand, I jumped for joy— more Hill House! The original book always leaves me wanting more, not of want for quality, rather out of a fascination with the world Jackson created— the world of Hill House. The TV show satiates some of my hunger for more (which is I believe briefly alluded to in Hand’s sequel.) But, after Shirley Jackson’s passing, I figured there would never be a sequel.
While I went in with as few expectations as possible, I certainly wasn’t expecting to find someone in Elizabeth Hand who could raise the same kind of dread that Shirley Jackson is known for. Before reading, I decided that no one can hold a candle to Jackson’s writing style, so I should read Hand’s style for what it is, not what it could be. But Hand, at times, comes very close and frequently evokes a Jacksonian lyricism, one that lures you deeper and deeper into the story, filling you with dread. I feel a familiarity to the terror. One I just can’t get enough of.
Though I found the beginning a little boring, the set up taking just a bit too long, the author incorporates her own scares that slowly build tension— scares that I found delightful. Immediately once we are at Hill House, it gets weird and only more so with each page.
This book is about our expectations, the lies we tell ourselves and others, and how we covet. Early in the book, Hand tells us that Hill House plays with people’s expectations. As readers, we always go in with at least some expectations for what’s to come, and often times we are let down, or even manipulated. Perhaps both. Hill House manipulates, too. It takes our characters’ insecurities, fears, and anxieties, then twists them into reality. Likewise, the book so manipulates our assumptions as readers, dredging up a sense of unease that deepens into captivation.
Throughout the story, our characters lie to one another. Chapter-to-chapter, we skip around to each one’s perspective, revealing all that they are hiding. Holly worries about Nisa claiming the play as her own, using her powerful voice to dominate audiences and steal the spotlight. Nisa is hiding a secret affair from Holly, as is Stevie. Amanda anxiously believes that the younger three cast members are making fun of her or gossiping about her— every interaction studied afterward for signs of scorn. The lying comes center stage as the group discusses the strange occurrences in Hill House. They share stories of unexplainable encounters, yet profess explanations confidently to assure the others. Their deceit underscores a survivalist instinct to calm the nerves, to settle uncertainty, and to know what’s real.
Like the original, the characters in Hand’s A Haunting on the Hill fall prey to the house’s manipulation of their insecurities. Distrust blooms everywhere. And, in the vacuum of trust, the house inserts itself, lulling characters into an embrace that feels like home, like a place they crave to be. A familiar place. The house’s seduction distracts the characters from the tightening grip around their throats.
As a winter storm bears down on the house, the characters choose to stay to rehearse and must face their demise. How will Hill House devour them? How will the characters survive? What does it mean to come home? Who can you trust?