Reviews

. Enjoyed the quirky perspective of Merricat. Narration was great. I can't tell if I love it or if I feel "meh" about it. I do like me an unreliable narrator. And the subtle exploration of conditions like — and all these are speculation — agoraphobia, OCD, and/or autism. Jackson is also exquisitely subtle when it comes to the, in retrospect, many hints of

Spoiler

past abuse, sexual and otherwise

. Cousin Charles is delectably slimy.

Throughout the book, I had hope that Merricat and Constance might have an ending I would consider happy, like finding real help for their problems. But that long denouement, wherein they

Spoiler

decide to live in their now-ruined and unliveable house

...OMG. This section shows the lengths we will go to, or retreat to, if we find ourselves on one path and can't imagine any other. I have seen that path before, and can attest that it is tempting — it can seem easier to put up with an increasingly burdensome level of inconvenience or discomfort rather than face things and move forward and through them. In the end, Merricat and Constance faced an upheaval followed by incredible and genuine attempts by the townspeople at offering support, but their ties to the world were now completely severed, and they couldn't see any upside to reconnecting them.

This story is a tragedy about lives lost, and not just of the dead.

a_love35's review against another edition

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dark sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

The book is as nonsensical as the movie. If you read a lot about the Author and her history and mental health it helps make sense of the book but overall not enjoyable for me without the at. Shirley Jackson’s other books are great so this one was extra disappointing for how much I didn’t enjoy it.

andreatufekcic's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional

5.0

She’s done it again, folks. Creepy and creeping and richly layered with subtext. The film version is reasonably faithful with a few interesting diversions, but they’re still different experiences.

caketin16's review against another edition

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5.0

The tone and vibes of this book were impeccable. I really enjoyed the writing style and the characters. It was just a great book, definitely recommend