pickI'm beginning to realise that this is exactly the kind of book I love/crave. Pitch-perfect existential horror. A masterpiece, really. The utter terror of the unknown in every human psyche. That, combined with who knows what exactly is *out there*. I was riveted from start to finish & knew I was in the hands of a master. Family, individuality, guilt, love, burdens. Her writing itself feels haunted, layered with meaning. #spinsterlit #femalegothic
batsy I just learned on twitter that it was published 60 years ago today. Happy birthday to this brilliant mindfuck of a book. 5y
Billypar After 'We Have Always Lived in the Castle' I'm ready for more Jackson - this sounds excellent. And speaking of existential horror - I'm in the middle of Oyeyemi's 'White is for Witching' and loving it. Scarier to me in many ways than straight horror. 5y
Tanisha_A Gosh! Just so tempted to buy it right now. Brilliant review! 5y
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Aimeesue Shirley Jackson! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ 5y
emilyhaldi 🖤 5y
Cathythoughts Excellent review! I loved this too ♥️👍🏻 5y
Lcsmcat Great review! 5y
ephemeralwaltz Yes! Such a fan 5y
batsy @Billypar I loved Castle! These are two masterpieces by Jackson 💜 And that Oyeyemi book sounds like my kind of jam so I'll definitely add it to the list, thank you! 5y
batsy @Aimeesue @emilyhaldi @ephemeralwaltz Love her 💕 5y
batsy @Tanisha_A @Cathythoughts @Lcsmcat Thank you 😘 5y
LeahBergen Wonderful review of a wonderful book!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 I‘ve always remembered the sentence fragment, “Hill House, not sane...” 🖤🖤🖤 5y
andrew61 Great review - i read it last year and thoroughly enjoyed it. Reminds me to try and pick up another by her soon in library. Interesting life as well. 5y
Centique I‘m going to have to read this despite being a terrible sook (is that term known everywhere?) I love creepy and I can do dark - but only if there are some breaks in the atmosphere to allow me to breathe! 🤞🤞 5y
saresmoore Ooh, such a good review! Must read ASAP! 5y
batsy @LeahBergen Thank you! And yes, great phrase! The way the house itself is characterised is unforgettable. 5y
batsy @andrew61 Thank you! I loved We Have Always Lived in the Castle as well, if you haven't read that. And I'm looking forward to reading more of her work. You're right about her life being interesting—the Ruth Franklin bio seems good! 5y
batsy @Centique No, that's the first time I'm hearing it! That's a cool word! I'm going to use it 😆 It's more psychological terror than anything but Jackson is a writer who keeps things weird and strange at all times. There are moments of respite, I think, that makes it all the more compelling/sad/scary. 5y
batsy @saresmoore Thank you, Sara! 5y
LeahBergen @Centique Sook is a word I only hear from east coast Canadians, mostly Newfoundlanders. I love it! 😄 5y
Centique @LeahBergen @batsy and if you want to add some syllables you can say “what a sooky lala” which is more or less the same, probably extra soft and nervous 😂😂 5y
LeahBergen @Centique I‘m going to use that! 😆 5y
batsy @Centique @LeahBergen That's perfect! I'm tickled because it's a Malaysian slang thing to end sentences with a "la" for emphasis ? 5y
Centique @batsy oh yes! I learnt two phrases from my friends mum and they both end in la. I think they‘re both super rude though 😂😂 5y
readordierachel Love this review! You've inspired me to pick this up next. Tis the season, after all 🙃 5y
batsy @readordierachel Thank you! And it absolutely is 👻 5y
Graywacke She really was a master, and she shows it so well here, fully in control. Brilliant book. It's especially good on audio, too. 5y
batsy @Graywacke Yup, agreed ❤️ I'm not very good with audiobooks because I really struggle to pay attention, but I can imagine it must have been intensely creepy as a listening experience too! 4y
Graywacke @batsy I was more entertained than creeped out. 🙂 Well, I was a little concerned who would do what. But mainly my inner skeptic demanded rational explanations and, to her credit, it still works that way. 4y
RohitSawant 'brilliant mindfuck of a book' should be the official blurb 😄 So glad you enjoyed this! 4y
batsy @rohit-sawant Haha, thanks Rohit! I'm a Shirley girl for life now just on the strength of the two books I've read; she's amazing! 4y