A story that unsettles you, where you’re never quite sure what is behind events and then come to suspect something quite different. As I drew near to the end of the book I was convinced of certain details, only to be surprised by hints that things were quite different.
Hare House is an atmospheric tale, relying on superstition to fully develop the sense of unease. It focuses on a narrator that is definitely unreliable, someone who we are never certain of.
Our unnamed narrator was, as we eventually learn, a teacher in a relatively prestigious girls’ school in London. After an unfortunate incident (which it seems she was more involved in than she wanted to admit) she leaves her post and escapes to a rural home in Scotland. Away from prying eyes she has only her landlord and his younger sister, and the mysterious older neighbour, for company.
As the story progresses we notice odd events taking place. There’s talk of clay models, witchcraft and mysterious things. We’re never entirely sure what is taking place and what’s imagined, or who is responsible. Tensions run high, and not everyone survives the events narrated.
There was a clear sense of the supernatural at play, but it was hard to tell exactly what was happening or who/what was responsible. Many of the issues that caused problems were put down to the behaviour of older single women, and some elements of the story felt too easily linked to existing prejudices.
I’m grateful to NetGalley for giving me the chance to review this in exchange for my honest thoughts.