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Life Among the Savages by Shirley Jackson — book review
Life Among the Savages is a collection of comic essays by Shirley Jackson originally published in women’s magazines. Rather than a memoir Life Among the Savages reads as a series of episodes focusing on Jackson’s chaotic family life: children squabbling, disagreements with other parents, daily chores, and family dinners. Jackson renders the cacophony of her…
1950s, 1st pov, 20th century, 3.5 STARS, America, American, AMERICAN AUTHOR, american classics, AUTOBIOGRAPHY, BOOK REVIEW, books about writers, CLASSICS, family, favourite authors, female authors, HUMOR, Life Among the Savages, light reads, MARRIAGE, MEMOIR, modern classics, motherhood, New England, published in 1953, read in 2020, SHIRLEY JACKSON, SLICE OF LIFE -
The Sundial by Shirley Jackson — book review
“I mean, why should I figure I’m so special, the world is going to end while I’m around?” In The Sundial, perhaps Shirley Jackson’s most comical novel, twelve rather disagreeable individuals are cooped together in a mansion waiting for the end of the world. “The house would be guarded during the night of destruction and…
1950s, 20th century, 4 STARS, America, American, AMERICAN AUTHOR, american classics, apocalyptic, CLASSICS, creepy setting, dark humor, family, favourite authors, female authors, House As Character, Kafkaesque, madness, manor/big house, modern classics, modern gothic, paranoia, psychological, published in 1958, re-reads, READ IN 2019, read in 2020, SHIRLEY JACKSON, SMALL TOWN, SOCIAL COMMENTARY, surreal, SUSPENSE, The Sundial -
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson – book review
“Bow all your heads to our adored Mary Katherine.” In recent years Shirley Jackson has experienced a kind of renascence. Perhaps because of Netflix’s adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House or possibly thanks to contemporary authors (such as Donna Tartt, Neil Gaiman, and Stephen King) who have credited Jackson as their inspiration, enhancing her…
1950s, 1st pov, 20th century, 5 STARS, ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE, ALIENATION, America, American, AMERICAN AUTHOR, atmospheric, blackwood manor, BOOK REVIEW, Booklr, class, constance blackwood, creepy setting, fairytalesque prose, favourite authors, female authors, GOTHIC, House As Character, Kafkaesque, manor/big house, merricat blackwood, modern gothic, MYSTERY, occult, psychological, psychopaths, published in 1962, re-reads, read in 2016, read in 2017, read in 2018, READ IN 2019, read in 2020, read in 2021, SHIRLEY JACKSON, SISTERS, surreal, SUSPENSE, terrific prose, unreliable narrators, village, WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE, witchcraft -
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson — book review
“They can’t turn me out or shut me out or laugh at me or hide from me; I won’t go, and Hill House belongs to me.” The first time I read The Haunting of Hill House I felt confused and vaguely underwhelmed. Having loved We Have Always Lived in the Castle, I was expecting a…
1950s, 20th century, 3rd pov, 5 STARS, ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE, ALIENATION, America, American, AMERICAN AUTHOR, american classics, anxiety, atmospheric, Booklr, CLASSICS, creepy setting, distressing reads, favourite authors, female authors, female doubles, feverish, ghosts/spirits, GOTHIC, hallucinations, haunted house, hauntings, Hill House, HORROR, House As Character, loneliness, madness, manor/big house, modern classics, mothers & daughters, obsession, paranoia, psychological, published in 1959, queer undercurrents, re-reads, READ IN 2019, read in 2021, SHIRLEY JACKSON, suicide, SUPERNATURAL, SUSPENSE, terrific prose, the haunting of hill house, tragedy -
Hangsaman by Shirley Jackson — book review
“Dearest dearest darling most important dearest darling Natalie—this is me talking, your own priceless own Natalie.” Alice in Wonderland meets The Bell Jar in Shirley Jackson’s much overlooked Hangsaman.The first time I read this exceedingly perplexing novel I felt confused. Although Hangsaman shares many similarities with Jackson’s more well known novels (yet again we have…
1950s, 20th century, 3rd pov, 5 STARS, ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE, academia, Adult, ALIENATION, America, American, AMERICAN AUTHOR, atmospheric, campus, cheating, coming of age, dark academia, dark humor, DEPRESSION, female authors, female doubles, feverish, hallucinations, Hangsaman, HISTORICAL FICTION, MAGIC, MARRIAGE, mental health, Natalie Waite, psychological, published in 1951, re-reads, READ IN 2019, read in 2020, read in 2021, SHIRLEY JACKSON, SUSPENSE, tarots, terrific prose, toxic relationships, UNIVERSITY/COLLEGE, unreliable narrative, witchcraft -
LET ME TELL YOU: BOOK REVIEW
Let Me Tell You: New Stories, Essays, and Other Writings by Shirley Jackson ★★★★✰ 4 of 5 stars I thought I was insane, and would write about how the only sane people are the ones who are condemned as mad, and how the whole world is cruel and foolish and afraid of people who are…
1950s, 20th century, 4 STARS, Adult, ALIENATION, America, AMERICAN AUTHOR, CLASSICS, collection of short stories, ESSAYS, Essays on writing, female authors, HISTORICAL FICTION, HORROR, MEMOIR, modern classics, Nonfiction, paranoia, PARANORMAL, READ IN 2019, SHIRLEY JACKSON, short stories, SUSPENSE, the haunting of hill house, WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE, writing about writing
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