Episode 6.3: ‘The Haunting of Hill House’ by Shirley Jackson
Our dark academia adjacent book for Season 6 is a classic horror novel from the Queen of the Southern Gothic, Ms Shirley Jackson, and one of Sophie’s favourite authors.
It’s officially spooky season so we’re looking at ‘The Haunting of Hill House’.
The best-known of Shirley Jackson's novels and a major inspiration for writers like Neil Gaiman and Stephen King as well as the hit Netflix series, The Haunting of Hill House is a chilling story of the power of fear
Alone in the world, Eleanor is delighted to take up Dr Montague's invitation to spend a summer in the mysterious Hill House. Joining them are Theodora, an artistic 'sensitive', and Luke, heir to the house. But what begins as a light-hearted experiment is swiftly proven to be a trip into their darkest nightmares, and an investigation that one of their number may not survive. Twice filmed as The Haunting, and the inspiration for a 10-part Netflix series, The Haunting of Hill House is a powerful work of slow-burning psychological horror.
How does the Gothic and horror play into dark academia?
In this episode we discuss:
The way that Shirley Jackson pokes fun at horror, while also writing a genuinely terrifying horror novel
The academic approach to studying the occult and supernatural
Eleanor and unreliable narrators
You can listen to it here:
TEXTS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
‘The Haunting of Hill House’ by Shirley Jackson
‘The Secret History’ by Donna Tartt
‘Pride and Prejudice’ by Jane Austen
‘She is a Haunting’ by Trang Thanh Tran
OTHER MEDIA AND POP CULTURE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
‘The Haunting of Hill House’ (2018)
‘Most Haunted’ (2002-19)
‘Gilmore Girls’ (2000-07)
If you fancy taking stepping into the world of Shirley Jackson and reading ‘The Haunting of Hill House’, we’d love it if you considered using our bookshop.org link below to purchase your copy of the book which helps us fund ‘The Dark Academicals’ and gives back to independent bookshops at no extra cost to you.
You can also sign up to The Dark Academicals Book Club mailer for exclusive book club content, extra episodes and giveaways!
