Tag Archives: Shirley Jackson

Come Along With Me by Shirley Jackson

American Literature December 2, 2007 Superfast Reader 7 Comments

Synopsis: Short stories, essays, and an unfinished novel by Shirley Jackson, queen of American Gothic and author of “The Lottery.” Review: My love for Shirley Jackson has been well documented in this blog, so I was delighted when my husband got me Come Along With Me for my birthday. The collection opens with “Come Along With Me,” the novel that Jackson was working on when she died at the untimely age of 44. At about 33 pages, there isn’t much of a narrative, just a…

Superfast Birthday = Best Husband Ever

On Reading November 6, 2007 Superfast Reader 18 Comments

My birthday was on Sunday, but it extended through today with a box of books that Superfast Husband bought for me! Check out this tantalizing list of books–I don’t know what to read first (after I finish The Fionavar Tapestry)! The Axe, Volume 1 of The Master of Hestviken and Gunnar’s Daughter by Sigrid Undset Empire of Ivory by Naomi Novik Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder Dreamsongs by George RR Martin Come Along with Me and Just An Ordinary Day by Shirley Jackson And…

Answers–13 Opening Lines–How Many Can You Guess?

On Reading October 29, 2007 Superfast Reader 21 Comments

I mentioned that I had to go on maternity leave for my reading jobs, so my On Reading posts will no longer mean that I read a book for work. I could be a stickler for consistency and just stop doing them, but they’re just too much fun–especially when I catch the fever for a really great meme like the one accidentally started by the Accidental Novelist, and picked up by Poodlerat. Here are 13 opening lines (or two) to books that are beloved by…

Private Demons: The Life of Shirley Jackson by Judy Oppenheimer

American Literature September 14, 2007 Superfast Reader 5 Comments

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.

Shirley Jackson: So Much More than One Story

American Literature, On Reading August 23, 2007 Superfast Reader 12 Comments

I got a lovely email from Chauceriangirl telling me she loved my blog & expressing her shared admiration for my dear beloved Shirley Jackson. (The link takes you to a great post she wrote about Shirley Jackson inspired by our email exchange.) In her email, she wrote (printed with her permission):

A Little Bit About Meme

On Reading August 22, 2007 Superfast Reader 12 Comments

I had a work read today that was an oddity of a historical novel. I suspect some of what I read will stay with me for quite some time. So, in honor of that read, here’s a meme I found at So Many Books

The Bird’s Nest by Shirley Jackson

American Literature, On Reading March 16, 2007 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: One girl with four personalities at war for dominance, and her only hope is the doctor who is growing to loathe her. Review: I swear this has never happened to me–I could have sworn I read The Bird’s Nest when I went through my Shirley Jackson phase back in 1998. I found this awesome woman in Canada who found me most of her out-of-print books–except this one–in a used bookstore in Toronto. I knew I didn’t own The Bird’s Nest, but I thought that…

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