The language in The Haunting of Hill House gives the novel a surreal feel. The author uses a stream-of-consciousness writing style, which contributes to the dreamy quality of the narrative. This style is characterized by long, whimsical, run-on sentences that are frequently interrupted by the random thoughts of the various characters. The language is old-fashioned, which reinforces the setting of an old-fashioned, Victorian-era ghost story. Although the book is set in the late 1950's, Hill House itself is much older and the old-fashioned language structure helps give the book a timeless, classic feel.