Reviews

Shirley Jackson has always been one of those authors that many people have either heard of or read their most famous novels/stories ("The Haunting of Hill House", "The Lottery", etc.), but know very little about. Considering the author herself was a recluse and agoraphobe for much of her life, it is not surprising that recordings, documentaries, and interviews with her are quite rare. Ruth Franklin, the wonderful author of this biography, has had access to a Jackson that we (or at least I) have always wanted to know and, in turn, gives us access to her through the documents, letters, interviews, and books she finds and compiles on the famous and under documented author.
Never have I read a biography on an author where I have wanted to read or reread the entirety of their bibliography after reading until this book. As Neil Gaimen said, "Franklin tells the story of the author in a way that made me want to reread every word Jackson had ever written". She paints a picture of a woman whose own fears, anxieties, and pain influenced the lives and worlds of her characters and novels in varying ways. If you want an awesome look at one of the most mysterious authors and biggest influences of horror fiction, read this book.
I also must say that I read this book with a degree of jealousy as I wished I was able to have access to Jackson's diaries, letters, and notes! But yes! PLEASE READ IT.

willbrill's review against another edition

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informative medium-paced

2.5

abby315's review against another edition

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4.5

One of the best biographies I’ve read in a long time!

marinarm's review against another edition

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informative reflective medium-paced

4.75

alexisrt's review against another edition

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5.0

My first encounter with Shirley Jackson was in the fourth grade, when we read "Charles," and it made an impression I did not forget. It was a few years later that I discovered her fiction, and I've been a fan ever since. I've been waiting for this book since I read the excerpts in the New Yorker. It is the best kind of literary biography--an analysis of her life, her complicated marriage to Stanley Hyman (an accomplished writer and critic in his own right), and her work. Whether in a lighthearted domestic memoir or an apparent horror tale, Jackson focused on the lives of women--their relationships, their ties to domesticity, their place in their communities.

teddy_jenkins_14's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

erboe501's review against another edition

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5.0

I have read two novels by Jackson and many of her short stories, so I was eager to learn more about the woman who created these creepy, piercing tales. Jackson did indeed have a life haunted by insecurities, doubts, and mistreatment at the hands of her mother and husband. But she managed to write such riveting narratives. I really appreciated how Franklin tied in the published works with Jackson's journals, letters, and life events. She does a great job of interpreting inconclusive events and offering all the various interpretations historians and critics have come up with. What was also very striking was the way Jackson had to balance her role as a 50s housewife with her authorial persona. She faced so much sexism, and internalized some of it. Or, at least didn't know what place there could be for her outside of her familial role.

Now I'm desperate to read the rest of Jackson's oeuvre! This is a writer who deserves more attention in the canon and public memory.

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