Tag Archives: Shirley Jackson

Shirley: A Novel by Susan Scarf Merrell

American Literature

Synopsis: A young couple spends a year at Bennington College living with gothic writer Shirley Jackson and her philandering husband. Review: George and Martha from Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? have nothing on Shirley and Stanley, in real life (as chronicled in the wonderful biography Private Demons), and Shirley: A Novel delivers every ounce of juice you would hope for. Even better–the plot and characters are nothing short of excellent. Author Susan Scarf Merrell uses a thriller structure, and the plot is filled with allusions,…

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Just An Ordinary Day by Shirley Jackson

American Literature

Synopsis: A collection of unpublished and previously uncollected short stories by the reigning queen of gothic Americana. Review: Short stories are not usually my cup of tea, because they’re over far too quickly. But I’ll read anything that Shirley Jackson writes, and I really enjoyed the stories found in Just An Ordinary Day, which I’ve been reading in fits and starts for several months. Oddly enough, my favorites were among the unpublished pieces. In particular, I greatly enjoyed “My Recollections of S.B. Fairchild,” about a…

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Button, Button by Richard Matheson

American Literature 6 Comments

Synopsis: A collection of short stories by a preeminent contributor to “The Twilight Zone.” Review: Button, Button is an uneven bit of business, purporting to highlight the very best of Richard Matheson’s “Uncanny Stories.” Some are good, one is spectacular, but others have not aged well. First, the good: “Button, Button” exhibits a flawless “Twilight Zone” concept and execution. Apparently a Cameron Diaz movie based on it is coming soon. Seems like a bad idea to me. The genius of the story demands a smallness…

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Favorite Author Meme

On Reading 1 Comment

Heather at Errant Dreams came up with a wonderful meme–enjoy & consider yourself tagged! * Answer the questions as you see fit. Although they’re all phrased to ask about a singular author, feel free to respond with multiples, or even a list. * Where possible & convenient (you don’t have to go as crazy as I did!), include a link here or there to an author’s website, your review of one of their books, or a review that inspired you to try the author(s), so…

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The Alphabet Meme

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Picked this meme up from Melanie, in honor of two YA books I read for work this weekend. The goal of this is to list favourite authors according to last name (with a representative fave book as well). Atwood, Margaret — Cat’s Eye Bronte, Charlotte — Jane Eyre Card, Orson Scott — Ender’s Game Dragonwagon, Crescent — The Year It Rained (with Paul Zindel) Eager, Edward — Half Magic Forster, EM — Howard’s End Gibson, William — Neuromancer Hobb, Robin — Ship of Magic Ishiguro,…

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Top 20 Meme

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Picked this up from Becky: The rules: Top twenty favourite books in no particular order. Don’t think about it for too long. Take twenty minutes only to compile your list. Bold the ones you’ve read, or reread, since you’ve started blogging. Include novels, non fiction and plays. 1. The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri 2. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte 3. Peyton Place by Grace Metalious 4. Wolves of the Calla by Stephen King 5. Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb 6. Till We Have Faces…

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Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

American Literature 7 Comments

Synopsis: A collection of short stories set mostly among Indian immigrants in the US. Review: Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake was one of my favorite reads of last year, so I decided I needed to check out her much-buzzed about collection of short stories, Interpreter of Maladies. It will surprise no one who has read these tales that I found them both simple and spectacular. I am not usually a fan of short stories, though now that I am short on time for reading I’m finding…

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May I Introduce… (Booking Through Thursday)

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How did you come across your favorite author(s)? Recommended by a friend? Stumbled across at a bookstore? A book given to you as a gift? Was it love at first sight? Or did the love affair evolve over a long acquaintance? You can find my favorite authors listed in the first sidebar column. Here’s a rundown of how I met them all: CS Lewis–My father read the Chronicles of Narnia to me when was a little girl. For my 6th birthday, I had a cake…

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Highlights (Booking Through Thursday)

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From Booking Through Thursday: It’s an old question, but a good one . . . What were your favorite books this year? List as many as you like … fiction, non-fiction, mystery, romance, science-fiction, business, travel, cookbooks … whatever the category. But, really, we’re all dying to know. What books were the highlight of your reading year in 2007? It was a good year, reading-wise. Here are my highlights, with links to my reviews. The Ghost Writer by John Harwood East of Eden by John…

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100 Most Influential Books by Women

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Via BookGal–I’ve bolded the ones I’ve read. 1. Margaret Mitchell, Gone With the Wind 2. Anne Rice, Interview With the Vampire 3. Virginia Woolf, To the Lighthouse 4. Virginia Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway 5. Virginia Woolf, The Waves 6. Virginia Woolf, Orlando 7. Djuna Barnes, Nightwood 8. Edith Wharton, The House of Mirth 9. Edith Wharton, The Age of Innocence 10. Edith Wharton, Ethan Frome 11. Radclyffe Hall, The Well of Loneliness 12. Nadine Gordimer, Burger’s Daughter 13. Harriette Simpson Arnow, The Dollmaker 14. Margaret Atwood,…

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