I hope we have some admirers of her among us. Great short story writer. The Lottery is one of the best short stories i read. And her novels are real good too, Haunting of Hill Hause, The Sundial, We have always lived in the Castle. She is one of the great US writers about strange and horrible things and ought to be up there together with Poe, Lovecraft and King as the Great Four in US strange/horror fiction. But, i might be wrong, she is not as often referenced or even known about which is a shame. What do you think? Am i to appreciative of her? Is she more wellknown than i think?
Shirley Jackson
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I love Shirley Jackson. At first, I was only a fan of her more popular things. But, as I read more of her work, it really became apparent how simple and clever her work is. just brilliant, understated stories well written.
I am so glad to see some Shirley Jackson love on here! She reminds me a lot of a secular Flannery O'Connor (the two also look strangely similar). Everything Jackson wrote was brilliant, but We Have Always Lived in the Castle has a special place in my heart since that was my first introduction to the author. She's been criminally understudied in academia (save for the widely anthologized "The Lottery" which is read more to teach students about the form of short stories than anything else), and I haven't met that many people outside of university who have read her for fun (or even read her at all). Ruth Franklin released a biography of Jackson a few years ago that has a lot of fascinating information (she was working on a children's story when she died), and I've seen a number of CFPs for Jackson-based panels at major lit conferences, and Penguin re-released several of her out of print novels a few years ago, so, a step in the right direction for a Shirley Jackson literary revival, I guess. The Haunting of Hill House is getting yet another remake (this time for Netflix), so that may also lead to a bit of increased interest in Jackson. I am planning to have my students read one of her short stories in my Stephen King class since SK includes her work in his list of novels important to the genre of horror in Danse Macabre.
What Stephen King novel/short story and Shirley Jackson novel/short story do you think pair the best?
What Stephen King novel/short story and Shirley Jackson novel/short story do you think pair the best?
In 'Danse Macabre', Mr. King referenced and dissected her work quite a bit. I'll have to get some of her stuff from the library as I have been meaning to for quite some time now.
I have read and enjoyed most of her writings. She was a very talented woman that wrote in a field that was (and still is) dominated by men and she was able to make a name for herself despite many obstacles.
Yes, I like her writing alot. I have read The Haunting of Hill House but that's it. I think I read The Lottery in school for an assignment but it's vague in my memories. Jackson had an authoritative voice and literary sensibility. The novel was outstanding and dwarfs many horror novels of that day with shining achievement. King said aptly that Jackson never had to raise her voice. Readers sit up and take notice. The acceleraing tension and psychological horror of The Haunting of Hill House is remarkably well done and influenced many writers from that era.
I want to read We Have Always Lived in the Castle.
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I've noticed that there are book discussion threads throughout SKMB and that a few people here have mentioned wanted to check out a Shirley Jackson book or two. Would anyone be interested in a Shirley Jackson discussion/reading group [not sure of the proper terminology? We could read either a novel or short story collection.