#shirley jackson

[butchraskolnikov]

ok i'm really falling in love with the way Shirley Jackson writes, specially about how she writes about her female characters seeing themselves almost from a third person POV, always thinking about how others see them. I'm enjoying Eleanor's inner thoughts a lot in The Haunting of Hill House. I've only just finished chapter 4 but godd i'm already in love w this novel

[strangedarkage]

If I ever won the Lottery, I won't tell anyone but there will be signs...

[autisticdoodlebug]

I can’t stand negative book reviews when you can tell they so clearly were just confused by the writing and instead of using it as a learning opportunity or a way to develop reading skills they have to go on a tirade about why everyone else who loved the book is actually stupid and pretentious or faking liking to read. Like. It’s actually okay you didn’t understand. I bet if you read some of the other reviews they could help you to understand. Or read it again. Or work on reading other challenging books and come back to it when you feel you’re better at it. You don’t have to say the book is bad. Or when someone completely misses the point of a book and equates that to bad writing. Liek for example assuming bc a character does something morally bankrupt the author is condoning that. Give me a break.

Obviously if you simply didn’t like it you can say whatever you want you don’t have to like the book but. Don’t act like your confusion is equivalent to bad writing. It’s okay to read above your skill level. That is how you get better.

Brought to you by the 1 star reviews for Hangsaman by Shirley Jackson

[waterlilyvioletfog]

Behold, my beautiful We Have Always Lived In the Castle grading rubric. Is your thing kind of like WHALITC? Find out with this nifty lil scoring sheet ft. terrible mobile app formatting

Note: WHALITC does not receive the maximum # points, which would be 25 points including bonus points. They get points off on both witchcraft and the s-i scale. (S-I scale is the Siblinghood-Incest scale, as you can probably guess.)

[ID: a screenshot of a google docs page with a large chart titled “WHALITC Grading Rubric.” In the left-most column, there are the following factors: persecution, transgression, obsession, misanthropy, s-i scale, Constance index, and witchcraft. Across the top, columns are assigned 0 to 4 points, though most rows only offer 2 or 3 possible points. In each box is a description of the points criterion for a given factor. Under the chart there are bonus points available if something is: set in new england, kind of gay, or written by a woman. There are places below to calculate the total score. /end ID]

[thefugitivesaint]

Virgil Finlay (1914-1971), ''Fantastic'', Vol. 2, #2, 1953 Illustration for the story 'Root of Evil' by Shirley Jackson. I think Virgil captures what it feels like to live in late-stage capitalism with its constant and ubiquitous rent seeking.

[azarovas]

Hey hey did you know that no live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality? Even larks and katydids are supposed, by some, to dream

[2189114reads]

june reads

3 four star books this month. Vidal I have my gripes with but it's so simple and clear cut and millions of Americans must read in order for them to understand their military-industrial economy without straining their brains too hard. The Jackson collection was pretty faultless & a fun read on middle class anxieties and dread. I have never read a book like the Pepsi-Cola Addict in my life. It had been on my radar for years but I finally located and read a copy that was corrected by the author and published without unwanted editorial 'corrections' around diction. The language is just on the verge of mundanity but so obviously not there it gives the book a completely uncanny, dreamlike feeling. A unique & sad, upsetting book.

[honeyandpumpkins]

it’s a very “no live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality” tuesday….