Day 19

“Eleanor has to go back the way she came,” Dr. Montague insists, as if by doing so she will undo a magic charm.

I’ve read this novel at least half a dozen times, but tears still come to my eyes at the ending. The novel concludes with the same lines it opened with, showing that Eleanor’s fantasies of unity go unfulfilled. Just as Jackson’s hope that marriage would bring an end to her own loneliness turned out to be in vain, there will be no communion for Eleanor among the ghosts of Hill House. Whatever walks there still walks alone.

For those of you who have seen the Mike Flanagan “adaptation” of the novel, I’m curious about your thoughts on the way he chose to end it, which is… quite a departure.

Journeys end in lovers meeting, and now we’ve reached the end of our journey. It’s been such a pleasure to be in dialogue with all of you over the last few weeks! I hope you’ll join Brigid Hughes and me on the live Zoom Monday evening.