‘A Haunting on the Hill’: Theatrical haunted house story

“A Haunting on the Hill” by Elizabeth Hand walks a tightrope of expectations.

As the only novel authorized to return to the world of Shirley Jackson’s Hill House, Hand’s 2023 release needed to satisfy fans of the modern classic while being a new story in and of itself.

Hand, author of 20 published works, won a Shirley Jackson award in 2015 for her novella “Wylding Hall.”

But, can she live up to the hype of a Hill House revisit?

Character Analysis

Main Characters

Holly Sherwin
Nisa Macari
Stevie Liddell
Amanda Greer
Ainsley Rowan
Melissa Libby
Evadne Morris

Holly Sherwin, 40, is a private school English teacher returning to her playwright passions after a long absence. She spent years looking for inspiration and found it in updating the 1621 Jacobean play “The Witch of Edmonton.”

With artistic support from her girlfriend, best friend, and a past-prime actress, the updated play “Witching Night” secured a small grant and is moving toward production.

Nisa Macari is Holly’s twentysomething girlfriend who dreams of becoming a famous singer. She’s updated murder ballads to accompany “Witching Night” and is attempting to take credit from Holly for the play’s success.

As the youngest, she’s had the least attention for her talents. Her goal is to ride Holly’s play to fame. She’s known for her beauty, strong voice and temper.

Stevie Liddel is Holly’s best friend. He’s a former child actor who suffered sexual abuse and has bounced around working intermittently as a bit-part actor and a sound engineer. Playing Tomasin, the black devil dog, in“Witching Night” would be a comeback for him.

He’s also keeping a secret from Holly that could destroy their 20-year friendship.

Amanda Greer is a sixty-something past-time actress whose career was ruined after an accident on the set of a production of Greek tragedy “Medea.” She’s vain and judgmental about Holly, Nisa and Stevie as professionals and people.

Cast as the lead, Elizabeth Sawyer, in “Witching Night,” Amanda wants a career revival.

Ainsely Rowan owns Hill House and rents it to families and groups as a vacation home. She assumed ownership after her husband Jez, the son of Hill House heir Luke Sanderson. She’s stylish, money-driven and well-aware of the house’s dangerous behavior.

Melissa Libby works for Ainsley as a housekeeper at Hill House. Neither she nor her husband Tru, a trained chef, will ever stay the night.

Evadne Morris is a witchy older woman who lives in a trailer on the property near Hill House. A former social worker, she’s longtime friends with Ainsley and repeatedly warns Holly and her friends to leave Hill House.

Plot Summary

With $10,000 in grant funding and fall semester away from school to prepare, Holly Sherwin is looking for the perfect place to rehearse “Witching Night.”

She stumbles upon Hill House while driving around one morning. It immediately intrigues her, so she and Nisa meet with the real estate agent about renting the 140-year-old 11,000-square-foot mansion for two weeks immediately.

Ainsley Rowan owns the property and gives them a tour while warning them against projecting ideas onto the house. She nervously taps a large amber ring on her finger throughout the walkthrough.

Amanda arrives early and moves her luggage into the nicest room–the pink one Nisa claimed for her and Holly. They take Stevie’s yellow room while he moves into the recently renovated violet one.

Once everyone is settled, they encounter strange sites and sounds like whispers they cannot understand and fluctuating air temperatures. The house also uses their respective insecurities and past traumas against them that are revealed in alternating chapters.

None shares their weird experiences or the uncomfortable thoughts being front to the fore. During their first read through, a large black hare falls down the chimney and scampers away while its fur smolders.

Strangeness continues to the point where Holly and Amanda visit Evandne separately seeking her advice. She tells both of them to leave Hill House, and even encourages Amanda to fake an illness to do so.

Despite the numerous warnings, the quartet stays. Nisa and Stevie explore Hill House with his sound equipment and catch echoes of previous occupants. Meanwhile, Holly and Amanda explore the grounds and find themselves haunted by career regrets and guilt.

Further attempts at a read through are stymied by incoming bad weather and continued strange behavior from the house. Melissa briefly stops by to ask them to leave and go to a nearby hotel because heavy snow is expected.

Holly ignores her and the group continues its efforts to practice. Now Hill House has them trapped and the hauntings continue to escalate.

As with “Witching Night,” the updated novel about Hill House concludes with older woman fighting against malevolent forces.

Final Thoughts

“A Haunting on the Hill” isn’t a sequel to “The Haunting of Hill House” and makes a point of distancing itself from the 1959 modern classic.

Hand makes several passing references to Eleanor Vance and other Hill House occupants but keeps the focus on the post-pandemic inhabitants. Holly’s group is ego-driven and often unlikeable. They often quote“MacBeth” in a call-and-response manner.

Despite the use of cell phones and vape pens, Hill House torments its guests in ways familiar to readers. There are thunderous claps, knocking too fast and insistent to be human, a cold spot in the nursery and changing architecture.

Readers who savor the theatrical allusions and sumptuous descriptions will enjoy this return to Hill House. For those seeking a fast-paced experience, “A Haunting on the Hill” will leave them wanting more.