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Uncover the Classic Ghost Stories that Inspired Netflix’s ‘The Haunting’ Shows

By Elaine Selna

THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR (L to R) AMELIE BEA SMITH as FLORA, VICTORIA PEDRETTI as DANI, and AMELIA EVE as JAMIE in episode, 206 of THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR. Cr. EIKE SCHROTER/NETFLIX © 2020
THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR (L to R) AMELIE BEA SMITH as FLORA, VICTORIA PEDRETTI as DANI, and AMELIA EVE as JAMIE in episode, 206 of THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR. Cr. EIKE SCHROTER/NETFLIX © 2020 /
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As Halloween starts to inch closer, we begin to seek creepy films, shows, and books. One of the most popular series to premiere on Netflix this time in 2018 was Mike Flanagan’s The Haunting of Hill House. This year, he is back again with a new stand-alone series called The Haunting of Bly Manor, which has already gotten rave reviews as a modern gothic romance. These shows will send shivers down your spine, but what about the books that inspired these horror shows?

Uncover the Shirley Jackson book, 'The Haunting of Hill House' from Penguin Classics on Amazon
Uncover the Shirley Jackson book, ‘The Haunting of Hill House’ from Penguin Books on Amazon /

Hill House was inspired by Shirley Jackson’s book of the same name, which was released in 1959 to rave reviews for its ingenuity in horror fiction. She also wrote We Have Always Lived in the Castle, which was released in 1962 and adapted into a film in 2019. Guillermo del Toro, a famous Mexican director, known for his horror films like Pan’s Labyrinth and The Shape of Water, is the curator of Penguin’s Horror Series and included in this book series. For those who loved the original series from 2018, reading this book is a must. Not only will you get a new way to experience the story, but you’ll also see the differences, like how names changed. The book ($9) even features art from the show is available on Amazon.

Uncover the Henry James book, 'The Turning of the Screw' from Penguin Classics on Amazon
Uncover the Henry James book, ‘The Turning of the Screw’ from Penguin Classics on Amazon /

If you are a new convert to the show through Bly Manor, you are in for a treat. The show is based on the horror novella called The Turning of the Screw by Henry James. The work was published back in 1898 through a weekly magazine in the U.K. It has been adapted into a ballet, plays, shows, and multiple films, including one premiered in January 2020. Both the novella and show follow a governess who is taking care of two small children and begins to see ghosts that mean to harm the children and haunt the house. You’ll recognize characters’ names like the children Miles and Flora, but now you can discover the story in a whole new way with this Penguin Classics book ($10) available on Amazon.

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