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sheriffrockyraccoon's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Since I have read We Have Always Lived in the Castle and The Haunting of Hill House, I thought it was appropriate to return to how I knew Shirley Jackson- for scaring the shit out of me in 7th grade.
This collection was, as always, a fantastic read. I love Jackson’s dark humor and was genuinely surprised at how well some of her stories have aged. Many of the ideologies and circumstances the characters find themselves in felt very relatable to my own experience as a young woman. Some of the stories did feel a little confusing and abrupt, hence why I only rated it 4 stars, but to sit down and read The Lottery again made it so worth it.
I would recommend this collection to anyone interested in Shirley Jackson’s writing as it provides a much wider berth of her genius that her books may have not captured. It’s also just a great spooky, feminist read, ironically written before the second wave.
This collection was, as always, a fantastic read. I love Jackson’s dark humor and was genuinely surprised at how well some of her stories have aged. Many of the ideologies and circumstances the characters find themselves in felt very relatable to my own experience as a young woman. Some of the stories did feel a little confusing and abrupt, hence why I only rated it 4 stars, but to sit down and read The Lottery again made it so worth it.
I would recommend this collection to anyone interested in Shirley Jackson’s writing as it provides a much wider berth of her genius that her books may have not captured. It’s also just a great spooky, feminist read, ironically written before the second wave.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
46jjsg's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I have ranked and bolded must reads of each section. Shirley Jackson your mind!!!
Section 1 Ranking
Section 1 Ranking
1. "The Daemon Lover"
2. "Like Mother Used to Make"
3. "The Intoxicated"
4. "Trail by Combat"
5. "The Villager"
6. "My Life with R.H.Macy"
Section 2 Ranking
1. "The Renegade"
2. "The Witch"
3. "Charles"
4. "After you, my dear alphonse"
5. "Flower Garden"
6. "Afternoon in Linen"
7. "Dorthy and My Grandmother and the Sailors"
Section 3 Ranking
1. "The Dummy"
2. "Come Dance with Me in Ireland"
3. "Colloquy"
4. "Seven Types of Ambiguity"
5. "Elizabeth"
6. "A Fine Old Firm"
Section 4 Ranking
1. "The Lottery"
2. "Got a Letter from Jimmy"
3. "The Tooth"
4. "Pillar of Salt"
5. "Men with Their Big Shoes"
6. "Of Course"
3. "The Intoxicated"
4. "Trail by Combat"
5. "The Villager"
6. "My Life with R.H.Macy"
Section 2 Ranking
1. "The Renegade"
2. "The Witch"
3. "Charles"
4. "After you, my dear alphonse"
5. "Flower Garden"
6. "Afternoon in Linen"
7. "Dorthy and My Grandmother and the Sailors"
Section 3 Ranking
1. "The Dummy"
2. "Come Dance with Me in Ireland"
3. "Colloquy"
4. "Seven Types of Ambiguity"
5. "Elizabeth"
6. "A Fine Old Firm"
Section 4 Ranking
1. "The Lottery"
2. "Got a Letter from Jimmy"
3. "The Tooth"
4. "Pillar of Salt"
5. "Men with Their Big Shoes"
6. "Of Course"
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism
jinmichae's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Horror in the mundane:
Reading this in digital was useful to check on whether names had been used in earlier stories, because there's a feeling of interconnectedness throughout the whole book. Still unsure what all the connections are though: maybe I need to think on it. Or Google it haha. (My searching points out that the song at the end is important on understanding who J Harris is, and helped me realize that his appearances throughout the books are part of the strange "horror behind your shoulder" feeling while reading. Very nicely done.)
This is what anxiety feels like. The actual horror in so many of these stories is being different, being judged by everyone around you as if you're always doing things wrong. The antagonists are traffic, crowds, aging, moving, etc: basically the existing in society we all have to do. And that's what makes it scary, because it's real.
Not every story worked for me, but reading several in a row always gave me that awkward anxious feeling of being judged and found wanting.
But I'm a bum and gave it four stars because it's hard to enjoy a book that's so bent on driving you a bit insane. It's better taken in bits, but don't wait too long in between or you might not pick it up again.
Reading this in digital was useful to check on whether names had been used in earlier stories, because there's a feeling of interconnectedness throughout the whole book. Still unsure what all the connections are though: maybe I need to think on it. Or Google it haha. (My searching points out that the song at the end is important on understanding who J Harris is, and helped me realize that his appearances throughout the books are part of the strange "horror behind your shoulder" feeling while reading. Very nicely done.)
This is what anxiety feels like. The actual horror in so many of these stories is being different, being judged by everyone around you as if you're always doing things wrong. The antagonists are traffic, crowds, aging, moving, etc: basically the existing in society we all have to do. And that's what makes it scary, because it's real.
Not every story worked for me, but reading several in a row always gave me that awkward anxious feeling of being judged and found wanting.
But I'm a bum and gave it four stars because it's hard to enjoy a book that's so bent on driving you a bit insane. It's better taken in bits, but don't wait too long in between or you might not pick it up again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Murder
Moderate: Racism, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Misogyny, Gaslighting, Dysphoria, and Classism
There's lots of anxiety and themes that might cause an obsessive flare.