Shirley Jackson and the Eerie Omniscient Narrator

This October, like many Octobers, I reread Shirley Jackson’s haunted house masterpiece The Haunting of Hill House. That it isn’t my absolute favorite Shirley Jackson novel1 is just a testament to how many brilliant works she wrote. If you aren’t familiar with Hill House—or are only familiar with the not-a-real-adaptation Netflix adaptation2—then you should probably close this article and go read it. Hill House is a classic of the horror genre for a reason, and in many ways it set the template for haunted house novels. Jackson’s characters, from the creepy caretakers to the “scientific” investigator, have become archetypes of the genre. Stephen King is a great admirer, and there are more than a few elements of Hill House in The Shining, such as an evil building feeding off the psychic powers of a guest.3 Anyway, go read it. Or, be warned of spoilers ahead.