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paulilie's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I think I would have enjoyed it far more if we would have more and longer chapters in Elizabeth/Bess/Beth/Betsy‘s view bc what Shirley Jackson is good at is writing characters that are going mad. I just didn‘t like Doctor Wright :(
crowyhead's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
matildazq's review
4.0
I'm not sure that this is quite four-star for me, but I did like it better than Hangsaman.
The phenomenon of DID is just not all that interesting to me, and although I certainly get the sense that Jackson was enjoying herself in creating the pompous psychologist, things erred a bit too much on the side of the ridiculous for my tastes. The character of Elizabeth's disturbed and controlling Aunt was the closest to injecting the usual sinister note into things, but the three personalities were just too broadly drawn to really capture my interest.
Thinking more fully about this in comparison to Hangsaman, I think I was frustrated by the fact that there were inklings of real brilliance in that novel, early on, but I then found the overt psychological condition to be somewhat heavy-handed and less interesting than when Jackson allows mental disturbances and emotional darkness to play out in the everyday happenings of her well-crafted social settings. This novel is more doggedly middle-of-the-road than Hangsaman, and I may be talking myself out of the higher rating for this one!
The phenomenon of DID is just not all that interesting to me, and although I certainly get the sense that Jackson was enjoying herself in creating the pompous psychologist, things erred a bit too much on the side of the ridiculous for my tastes. The character of Elizabeth's disturbed and controlling Aunt was the closest to injecting the usual sinister note into things, but the three personalities were just too broadly drawn to really capture my interest.
Thinking more fully about this in comparison to Hangsaman, I think I was frustrated by the fact that there were inklings of real brilliance in that novel, early on, but I then found the overt psychological condition to be somewhat heavy-handed and less interesting than when Jackson allows mental disturbances and emotional darkness to play out in the everyday happenings of her well-crafted social settings. This novel is more doggedly middle-of-the-road than Hangsaman, and I may be talking myself out of the higher rating for this one!
demilouiseblackburn's review against another edition
5.0
Whenever I get a unmotivated to read and create myself, I pick up something from Shirley, and without fail I'm always reminded how much I love writing.
Admittedly, The Bird's Nest feels a smidge rough in some ways. It meanders and I don't feel the transitions helped smooth the pacing by any stretch. It feels a little too indulgent in it's more mundane, introductory moments, and I think reviews reflect this--it's slow through the middle and at times frustrating. But Jackson's writing makes me so forgiving.
There's all these lovely veils of subtle, unnerving undercurrents that keep on piling up and that you continually rush to peel away, and even when she appears to mull over an innocuous point, for the most part the writing remains incredibly sharp and meaning grows around it. As the story unfolds and Elizabeth's many-selves begin to drag each other back into the dark more urgently, and her Aunt and Doctor witness more of her identities, I was so impressed at how easy it was to digest despite how erratic and panic-inducing and agitating these moments were.
The story is unnerving in just how helpless and conflicted it makes you feel, on top of that usual sense of the uncanny. I felt as much at a loss as her caregivers at times, begging for aspects of herself to come forth for a moment of reason, willing for her to either come together or be obliterated if only for peace, and then impossibly sad when faced with the idea that it may come down to the 'death' of four to reach that place.
I sympathized as much as loathed her selves at times, grew to love the less agreeable parts, and worried, right until the end, of which I found somber and precious. What would become of her, when those around her, our 'dear' Doctor especially, appeared to relish in having felt they had a lump of clay to shape and mold as they saw fit?
“I reveal myself, then, at last: I am a villain, for I created wantonly, and a blackguard, for I destroyed without compassion; I have no excuse.”
Admittedly, The Bird's Nest feels a smidge rough in some ways. It meanders and I don't feel the transitions helped smooth the pacing by any stretch. It feels a little too indulgent in it's more mundane, introductory moments, and I think reviews reflect this--it's slow through the middle and at times frustrating. But Jackson's writing makes me so forgiving.
There's all these lovely veils of subtle, unnerving undercurrents that keep on piling up and that you continually rush to peel away, and even when she appears to mull over an innocuous point, for the most part the writing remains incredibly sharp and meaning grows around it. As the story unfolds and Elizabeth's many-selves begin to drag each other back into the dark more urgently, and her Aunt and Doctor witness more of her identities, I was so impressed at how easy it was to digest despite how erratic and panic-inducing and agitating these moments were.
The story is unnerving in just how helpless and conflicted it makes you feel, on top of that usual sense of the uncanny. I felt as much at a loss as her caregivers at times, begging for aspects of herself to come forth for a moment of reason, willing for her to either come together or be obliterated if only for peace, and then impossibly sad when faced with the idea that it may come down to the 'death' of four to reach that place.
I sympathized as much as loathed her selves at times, grew to love the less agreeable parts, and worried, right until the end, of which I found somber and precious. What would become of her, when those around her, our 'dear' Doctor especially, appeared to relish in having felt they had a lump of clay to shape and mold as they saw fit?
“I reveal myself, then, at last: I am a villain, for I created wantonly, and a blackguard, for I destroyed without compassion; I have no excuse.”
baeyle's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
zenabbb12's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
lostcupofstars's review against another edition
4.5
I may well come back and adjust this rating, I’m fluctuating between a 4 and a 5 atm.
I really enjoyed the character study here. We were given multiple POVs and it was clear which personality we were dealing with which means the descriptions were on point.
It did drag a little at times, but not enough to affect my enjoyment of this because there was always something happening.
What happened with the whole Robin thing??? I’ll certainly be thinking about it for months to come.
I wasn’t sure I’d enjoy another one of hers as much as I loved HHH and WHALITC but actually this one was compelling in its own right.
I really enjoyed the character study here. We were given multiple POVs and it was clear which personality we were dealing with which means the descriptions were on point.
It did drag a little at times, but not enough to affect my enjoyment of this because there was always something happening.
What happened with the whole Robin thing??? I’ll certainly be thinking about it for months to come.
I wasn’t sure I’d enjoy another one of hers as much as I loved HHH and WHALITC but actually this one was compelling in its own right.
aepperhart's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
sjw_creates's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I really want to know what happened with Robin.