The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

 Classic horror and thriller novel!

This is one of those ghost stories that will chill you to the bone, well, not totally.  There are several indications of suspenseful moments, but the overall novel is benign when it comes to actual horrific events.  The whole of the goriness that is Hill House lies in the mind of the inhabitants.  

Do you believe in ghosts?  I do and know that others have psychic experiences that cannot be explained without invoking a medium - that's what I think was happening at Hill House.  A medium did show up, but she was less than helpful.

There were no "dead bodies" until the end ...

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FREE CODE:  HOUSE

Discussion Questions

1. Dr. Montague is looking to analyze a haunting.  Knowing more about his character and his relationship with his wife, a medium, why do you think he is so interested in getting scientific evidence of a haunting?
2. Dr. Montague has sent several inquiries to various people with various past experiences in hauntings and poltergeists, only 2 respond, two females Eleanor and Theodora.  Why do you think it is significant that only 2 people (females) responded?
3. Eleanor and Theodora are very different, yet Theo insists they are very similar and are practically cousins.  Who do you think needs this connection more, Eleanor or Theodora?
4. Why do you think Theodora never reveals her last name?
5. Luke Sanderson stands to inherit Hill House and is sent to stay with Dr. Montague and the ladies by his family, for insurance reasons.  Do you think he is happy to be a guest at the Hill House?
6. What are your general impressions of Hill House?  It was built by Hugh Crain as a gift to his wife, who died on the property before she could set foot into it.  Does that add to the eerie impressions?  The architecture of the home is unique.  Could these unique elements be attributing to the overall negative aesthetic of the property?
7. The line "Journeys end in lovers meeting" is from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night and is constantly repeated throughout (especially by Eleanor).  What does it mean in context to the story of Hill House?
8. It becomes increasingly clearer that Eleanor is being targeted by the house.  Why do you think the team chooses to ignore the signs and not protect her right away?
9. Dr. Montague's wife joins the crew at the end of a long week.  She brings along a protégé, Arthur.  What do these characters add, if anything, to the story?
10. In the end, Eleanor takes her own life as she was forced to leave the property by everyone else.  Why do you think she did this?

Thicker Than Water by Brigid Kemmerer

 This one took a turn.  I was completely into the teenage angst and romance and rooting for the main characters, then, well ... what just happened?

The story dives into the possibility of empathic powers and mind control.  Where empathy and apathy are real constructs and part of some human experiences, can an individual truly use the ability to feel someone else's feelings to truly control them?  No.  There are no recorded cases, but hey, this is fiction, right?

Well, I to have to say that there is mastery in this author's writing.  She has a literary way of placing a person in the character's feelings - did she just give us empathic powers?  There were two points of view in this book, and I felt like I related to each of them.  

I hope you enjoy it, too.

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FREE CODE:  EMPATH

Discussion Questions:

1. Why do you think the title of the book is Thicker than Water?  How does it relate to the story?
2. The story is written in two points of view, Thomas and Charlotte, in a linear way.  Why were only these two perspectives chosen for the narrative?
3. How are Thomas and Charlotte different?  How are they the same?
4. Thomas is accused of killing his mother.  What are the clues that lead to that conclusion?  Why is he not arrested for the crime?  Are there other suspects?  Who?
5. We find out Thomas is a great artist.  What is the significance of his talent?
6. Charlotte's best friends Nicole does not seem to fit in with most of the town's personalities.  What does her character bring to the story?
7. There was another murder, Charlotte's friend/acquaintance, in town a few years before.  Who did it? 
8. Why do you believe Thomas' mother left his father and brother?  Do you think his father is still alive/around?
9. Who is Thomas' brother and what is his "gift"?
10. What did you think of the ending/outcome?  Would you change it?