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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
fast-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
A story of impending doom in the most mundane of situations written in typical Shirley Jackson fashion: subtle and only hits climax on its last page. Is this a dig? It almost is, until I started going through the pages again trying to read between the lines and finally saw how she couldn’t have laid out the city people’s lead to demise better. Amazing how she managed to depict so much through so little.
Would’ve given this four stars, but the cryptic ending bothers me a little too much to go on with it. It’s comprehensible that the point of the horror is the realization of the coming of their doom and in that regard, she ended the story perfectly, but I just can’t help needing to know the extent of that doom and wanting to see what everything had been leading up to exactly.
What I love most about it, though, is how it didn’t exactly go from eden to inferno in the Allisons’ summer lake house road to horror. Everything they lost in the end was everything they never really had. The only difference is it’s heightened, and they finally realize it.
Would’ve given this four stars, but the cryptic ending bothers me a little too much to go on with it. It’s comprehensible that the point of the horror is the realization of the coming of their doom and in that regard, she ended the story perfectly, but I just can’t help needing to know the extent of that doom and wanting to see what everything had been leading up to exactly.
What I love most about it, though, is how it didn’t exactly go from eden to inferno in the Allisons’ summer lake house road to horror. Everything they lost in the end was everything they never really had. The only difference is it’s heightened, and they finally realize it.
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This story made me feel very tense and uneasy. While I was reading this, I felt a creeping sensation of dread that was almost oppressive. I even had to look over my shoulder a few times whilst reading this, which is a testament to Shirley Jackson's talent.
At the start, this summer cottage feels like an idyllic location to visit in the summer. However, as the story progresses, the couple realises that they're not welcome in the area once summer ends, and this is reflected in how Jackson's description of the cottage becomes less welcoming near the end of the story. All of the things that made the cottage appealingly rustic in the first place - the isolation, lack of electricity or neighbours - soon become unpleasant when the summer ends.
Jackson creates dread by creating plausible deniability about the things that happen to the couple in the story. Is there really something sinister afoot, or is it just that they're isolated and don't have the infrastructure to maintain their standard of living? This, coupled with the disquieting warnings given to the Allisons by the locals, creates an unsettling atmosphere as we aren't sure if there are ulterior motives at play.
This is as much as I can say without spoiling the story. I would highly recommend reading this. It's brief, yet packed full of atmosphere and the fear stays with you once you finish reading it.
At the start, this summer cottage feels like an idyllic location to visit in the summer. However, as the story progresses, the couple realises that they're not welcome in the area once summer ends, and this is reflected in how Jackson's description of the cottage becomes less welcoming near the end of the story. All of the things that made the cottage appealingly rustic in the first place - the isolation, lack of electricity or neighbours - soon become unpleasant when the summer ends.
Jackson creates dread by creating plausible deniability about the things that happen to the couple in the story. Is there really something sinister afoot, or is it just that they're isolated and don't have the infrastructure to maintain their standard of living? This, coupled with the disquieting warnings given to the Allisons by the locals, creates an unsettling atmosphere as we aren't sure if there are ulterior motives at play.
This is as much as I can say without spoiling the story. I would highly recommend reading this. It's brief, yet packed full of atmosphere and the fear stays with you once you finish reading it.
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
mysterious
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No