A review by gorecki
Let Me Tell You by Laurence Jackson Hyman, Shirley Jackson
4.0
This collection of early, previously unpublished and non-fiction pieces is a must-read for every Shirley Jackson fan. If not exactly for its brilliance and mastery, then for the sheer joy of having a peek into Shirley Jackson's growth and the many other sides of her which do not neccessarily make it into her novels.
Reading collections of previously unpublished or early works can be a knife with two blades - on the one hand, there might be a reason they were not published in the first place. Maybe they're not that great? On the other hand, you get to see a favourite author's progress and growth, which is a reward in itself. And might also find an unpolished diamond? Both of these are true about Let Me Tell You: while there were some stories that left me a bit underwhelmed, there were others that brought me great delight. I enjoyed seeing the way Jackson plays with a certain motif or idea in several ways through more than one story and noticing how, while her style and approach doesn't really change or vary, you could still feel some maturing and growth from her early stories to her later ones. I also really appreciated her non-fictional pieces on writing - while I've always considered that a work of fiction should stand for itself and not have to be explained by its author, I loved Jackson's pieces about her own writing process and how she approaches it as it doesn't explain any spcific piece she's written, but her process as a whole. And naturally her humour pieces - probably my favourite part of this collection - I do believe Jackson's humour writing is very much undeservedly underrated and deserves much more attentionand praise.
Starting from a place where I didn't really understand what the fuss about Shirley Jackson is when I read my first story by her, I've slowly taken a spot among her biggest fans. Both because the more I read her, the more I appreciate her writing, but also because I'm starting to get a better understanding of Shirley as a person, not only as a storyteller.
Reading collections of previously unpublished or early works can be a knife with two blades - on the one hand, there might be a reason they were not published in the first place. Maybe they're not that great? On the other hand, you get to see a favourite author's progress and growth, which is a reward in itself. And might also find an unpolished diamond? Both of these are true about Let Me Tell You: while there were some stories that left me a bit underwhelmed, there were others that brought me great delight. I enjoyed seeing the way Jackson plays with a certain motif or idea in several ways through more than one story and noticing how, while her style and approach doesn't really change or vary, you could still feel some maturing and growth from her early stories to her later ones. I also really appreciated her non-fictional pieces on writing - while I've always considered that a work of fiction should stand for itself and not have to be explained by its author, I loved Jackson's pieces about her own writing process and how she approaches it as it doesn't explain any spcific piece she's written, but her process as a whole. And naturally her humour pieces - probably my favourite part of this collection - I do believe Jackson's humour writing is very much undeservedly underrated and deserves much more attentionand praise.
Starting from a place where I didn't really understand what the fuss about Shirley Jackson is when I read my first story by her, I've slowly taken a spot among her biggest fans. Both because the more I read her, the more I appreciate her writing, but also because I'm starting to get a better understanding of Shirley as a person, not only as a storyteller.