Forget jump scares; this book is a masterclass in making you feel uncomfortable just by describing wallpaper. Shirley Jackson wrote a house that literally hates you, and it does so with such polite, Gothic cruelty that you almost respect it. The novel is so influential that every modern haunted house story owes it a grateful, terrified nod. Fun fact: Jackson wrote this while also raising four kids, which is probably why she understood psychological torture so intimately.
The 50 Best Horror Books of All Time Will Scare You Sh*tless
Surprising fact: The book is based on a real, very creepy house.
Jackson was fascinated by a Victorian mansion in California that was rumored to be haunted. She never visited it. She didn’t have to. Her imagination was scarier than any actual ghost.
