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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
probably my least fav shirley jackson so far…..but still interesting! just not as strong in the EEK for me. i would’ve preferred less doctor and more elizabeth, beth, betsy, or even that annoying little bess
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"When she looked at me directly, however, there was in her eyes the mute appeal of an animal, hurt beyond its understanding and longing for help."
Elizabeth, a lonely museum worker who seems to others invisibly bland, is torn away from her dull life by the development of multiple personalities: the sweet, pure Beth; the wild, self-centred Betsy; and the haughty, money-hungry Bess.
Naturally, a novel written at this time is not going to be entirely...medicinally accurate, but considering it as a work of fiction, 'The Bird's Nest' is incredible. The ominous opening of Elizabeth receiving threatening letters and just being happy to be noticed by the writer made my heart ache, and the turn the story then took was a fascinating bait and switch.
How easily this novel flits between being truly, timelessly funny and serious in its depiction of mental illness is impressive, and is one of the traits I most admire of Jackson's writing. As is similarly the case with a lot of Jackson's earlier novels, interesting images which seem like clues will pop up and never recur, and there are maybe more questions than answers (if anyone could tell me what was going on with Elizabeth's mother, I would hug them), yet 'The Bird's Nest' still trumps its predecessors in terms of reader satisfaction.
Elizabeth's internal system was very interesting, and I liked that even the more confrontational personalities aren't villanised. Betsy's development is especially nice, since her dialogue was my favourite from the start. As for the other two major characters, Aunt Morgen and Doctor Wright, I liked them a lot as foils to one another. The doctor's narration was full of both character and psychology, and his balance of ego and good, paternalistic intentions made him rather lovely. Aunt Morgen is entertaining and ultimately a pleasant, complicated person of her own.
Having now read all of Jackson's novels, I can say with certainty that 'The Bird's Nest' is my third favourite, after 'Castle' and 'Hill House'; though those later novels are more obviously composed with genius, there's so much charm in 'The Bird's Nest' <3
Elizabeth, a lonely museum worker who seems to others invisibly bland, is torn away from her dull life by the development of multiple personalities: the sweet, pure Beth; the wild, self-centred Betsy; and the haughty, money-hungry Bess.
Naturally, a novel written at this time is not going to be entirely...medicinally accurate, but considering it as a work of fiction, 'The Bird's Nest' is incredible. The ominous opening of Elizabeth receiving threatening letters and just being happy to be noticed by the writer made my heart ache, and the turn the story then took was a fascinating bait and switch.
How easily this novel flits between being truly, timelessly funny and serious in its depiction of mental illness is impressive, and is one of the traits I most admire of Jackson's writing. As is similarly the case with a lot of Jackson's earlier novels, interesting images which seem like clues will pop up and never recur, and there are maybe more questions than answers (if anyone could tell me what was going on with Elizabeth's mother, I would hug them), yet 'The Bird's Nest' still trumps its predecessors in terms of reader satisfaction.
Elizabeth's internal system was very interesting, and I liked that even the more confrontational personalities aren't villanised. Betsy's development is especially nice, since her dialogue was my favourite from the start. As for the other two major characters, Aunt Morgen and Doctor Wright, I liked them a lot as foils to one another. The doctor's narration was full of both character and psychology, and his balance of ego and good, paternalistic intentions made him rather lovely. Aunt Morgen is entertaining and ultimately a pleasant, complicated person of her own.
Having now read all of Jackson's novels, I can say with certainty that 'The Bird's Nest' is my third favourite, after 'Castle' and 'Hill House'; though those later novels are more obviously composed with genius, there's so much charm in 'The Bird's Nest' <3
emotional
tense
medium-paced
“She could remember the outlines of emotions, and the looks of places, and the gestures of yearning, and the patterns of movements. She could lift her head, still, and hear sweetly the far faint sound of music (I was in a hotel, she would notify herself, that was when I was in a hotel)”
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I like the way Jackson used the idea of multiple personalities in this book. I don’t know how someone who actually had DID would feel about it but it doesn’t feel like it’s really meant to be a book ABOUT DID, more about a young woman figuring out who she is and the way that others - particularly older women and men - will react to her during this time. Not my favorite Jackson book but I had a pretty good time.
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes