Synopsis:
A biography of Shirley Jackson, author of the short story “The Lottery,” and one of my favorite authors.
Review:
I was inspired to read this thanks to an email I got from Chaucerian Girl. She expressed an appreciation for Private Demons, Judy Oppenheimer’s biography of the woman I believe to be one of the greatest American writers of the mid-20th century.
I am not a big biography reader–real people rarely interest me as much as fictional ones–but I devoured this story of a woman as complex as she was fierce. Jackson was born to a social climbing mother who wished for a much prettier daughter than homely, overweight Shirley, married to a philandering intellectual, wrote extensively, and raised four children (as chronicled in Life Among the Savages and Raising Demons) before dying of heart failure at the age of 48.
Jackson was a rebel, a homemaker, a depressive, a comedian, a leader, an agoraphobic, brave, fearful–sometimes all at the same time. Oppenheimer stresses a connection between Jackson’s penchant for fractured protagonists and the contradictions in her personality. Without stretching things too much, Oppenheimer draws parallels between Jackson’s life and fiction that provide a compelling portrait of a fascinating woman.
Popularity: 21% [?]
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5 responses so far ↓
1 Faith // Sep 14, 2007 at 4:44 pm
Yay! I inspired someone to read a book I love! Seriously, it sounds like you enjoyed it as much as I did. I’m glad.
2 Superfast Reader // Sep 14, 2007 at 4:47 pm
Thank you so much–it was great!!!
3 Bybee // Sep 15, 2007 at 4:53 am
I am SO GLAD you read this book! It’s my favorite biography that I’ve read many times since I first bought it in 89…I’ve got it over here with me!
4 Superfast Reader // Sep 15, 2007 at 8:41 am
I will definitely be reading it again.
5 September Round Up–Top 5 Most Popular Posts // Oct 1, 2007 at 9:03 am
[...] It appears I didn’t read very much in September, at least not for pleasure. I read a ton for work, and that didn’t leave me much time for relaxing with a book in hand. My favorite reads this month were Auralia’s Colors (in case you haven’t guessed) and the biography of Shirley Jackson. [...]
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