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graciecat_mom's review against another edition
4.0
Shirley Jackson is one of my favorite writers. While these stories may not be her absolute best, I adore the restraint with which she writes and the undeniable feeling of dread one gets when reading her stories. I read her short story that was turned into the movie "The Birds" and have to say that, for me, the story was far creepier than the movie as it was told with remarkable quietness and, yes, restraint. Of course, don't miss "The Lottery"!
daniellemarie's review against another edition
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
teresavh's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
Shirley is a bit WASPy but she has amazing pace and amazing at tense situations. Woman oriented as well, but her characters are so easy to hate.
_lul_'s review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
alialicece's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
jenmcmaynes's review against another edition
2.0
Compared to her more famous works, this collection is pretty sub-par. The stories often feel unfocused and under-developed. The collection was put together after her death by her children; many were not published in her life (and you can see why). The ones that were are nothing special. A reader looking for a true Shirley Jackson experience would be better served reading The Haunting of Hill House (excellent!).
clare_tan_wenhui's review against another edition
3.0
Cute, quirky, queer, creepy. The variety of short stories in this collection are rather random and disparate. Some I enjoyed greatly, others I felt largely ambivalent. Even then, you have got to give it to Shirley Jackson for her incredible range.
mariesreads's review against another edition
4.0
My favorites were the earlier pieces, but it was also fun to see the rarely anthologized magazine pieces.
tasharobinson's review against another edition
5.0
I've really fallen for Shirley Jackson's short stories. It fascinates me how they're set in such a specific ’40/50s era, often either among young women in a city setting that's newly friendly to women on their own, or among small-town folks in a particular kind of idealized 1950s setting marked by funny provincialism and a deeply nasty streak of malice and gossip. This collection has both types, and mixes published and unpublished work, and it's a real gem. An absolute favorite is "Dinner For A Gentleman," which has a clumsy young woman who can't cook backing herself into a corner to impress a food snob, and a sort of magical grandmother figure saving the day. And "Nightmare" is a particularly surreal story that does feel like a nightmare, with a bizarre out-there ending. "The Very Strange House Next Door" feels like a Neil Gaiman short story — not the first time I've thought that about Jackson's writing—and "All She Said Was Yes" is a very subtle horror story to rival "The Lottery." I love how Jackson draws characters, especially children, with their weird brand of intense sincerity and simplicity, and judgmental older folks with their "Everyone should know what I know, but I wouldn't be rude by telling them" attitudes. She's a master of simple characterization, entirely in terms of dialogue and a few bare descriptors. I'd recommend this book just for entertainment reading, but it could also double as a writing class, in how to cut to the heart of a story quickly, and establish who characters are efficiently and thoroughly, without wasted detail.