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laceyhsamuel's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
cc9897's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
phil629's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
“Hangsaman” is a haunting and thought-provoking novel that dives deep into the mind of 17-year-old Natalie Waite. The story follows Natalie as she transitions from her stifling home life to a college, grappling with her identity and mental health along the way.
Jackson’s portrayal of Natalie’s inner world is both vivid and unsettling. The novel begins with her life at home, where her relationships with her controlling father and indifferent mother leave her feeling isolated. This sense of isolation only intensifies when she goes to college, struggling to connect with others and finding solace in her vivid imagination.
One of the most intriguing aspects of “Hangsaman” is the way Jackson blurs the lines between reality and Natalie’s hallucinations. The novel’s climax is surreal and ambiguous which is something I personally do struggle with. “Hangsaman” is not a straightforward read, but its complexity and psychological depth make it a compelling story. Jackson’s skilful storytelling and rich prose create an immersive experience that stays with you and I did enjoy it.
Jackson’s portrayal of Natalie’s inner world is both vivid and unsettling. The novel begins with her life at home, where her relationships with her controlling father and indifferent mother leave her feeling isolated. This sense of isolation only intensifies when she goes to college, struggling to connect with others and finding solace in her vivid imagination.
One of the most intriguing aspects of “Hangsaman” is the way Jackson blurs the lines between reality and Natalie’s hallucinations. The novel’s climax is surreal and ambiguous which is something I personally do struggle with. “Hangsaman” is not a straightforward read, but its complexity and psychological depth make it a compelling story. Jackson’s skilful storytelling and rich prose create an immersive experience that stays with you and I did enjoy it.
mloc's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
lucyblack's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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
4.0
Hangsaman is a bad dream book about being unsure of what and who are real. Natalie is a teenager with a messy head, constant internal monologue and she lives in a plastic academic world. This novel is about disassociating over cocktails with your professor and depersonalisation - is Natalie a victim? Is she the dormitory thief? Her college is preppy and intense, Is she talking to herself? Is she even real?
The untrustworthy, slippery nature of Hangsaman causes frustration and endless questions. There’s numbing sentences about how disconnected she feels from her domestic life and entrancing chapters about her friend Tony who lives in a pack of tarot cards. Read this alone on still nights in your own room and don’t go into the woods.
The untrustworthy, slippery nature of Hangsaman causes frustration and endless questions. There’s numbing sentences about how disconnected she feels from her domestic life and entrancing chapters about her friend Tony who lives in a pack of tarot cards. Read this alone on still nights in your own room and don’t go into the woods.
shirkey123's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
reflective
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
5.0
hehkhatea's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
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? Yes
3.0
So glad my frontal lobe is fully formed or else this would’ve ruined my life.
johenderson's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
mianb's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
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
2.0
What the heck happened in this book? Not much I fear
kimberlyf's review against another edition
5.0
A quite peculiar novel and rather experimental on Jackson’s part.
Hangsaman follows 17-year-old Natalie Waite as she prepares to go off to college. At home, readers witness Natalie’s interactions with her parents: her prideful, domineering father and her self-pitying, lonely mother who drinks too much. At school, Natalie becomes enthralled with the life of her English professor, Arthur Langdon, and his wife, Elizabeth. At first, she is taken by them but soon realizes that they resemble her own parents far too much. Through Natalie's eyes, readers are exposed to the pompous nature of both men, contrasted with the underlying sadness and regret felt by their wives. “I keep telling you to watch out who you marry. Don’t ever go near a man like your father.”
When Natalie gets to school she is initially filled with optimism; she sees an escape from a life of domesticity and from the weighted expectations of her father but she is soon confronted with the harsh reality that even the seemingly liberated women around her are trapped in similar roles as her mother. On the day she arrives, she sits in the house—dormitory—living room observing the other girls and feels “smothered by the room and by her companions”, asking herself questions: “Is this meaningful? Is this important? Is this part of what I am to go home knowing?”. Right from the start, we see Natalie begin to spiral. In addition to her own expectations of the college experience falling short, Natalie is coping with her own recent trauma and this combination of events results in her descent into isolation and mania, as witnessed by the fact that she spends half of her time in a fantasy world that her own mind has created.
I dare say that it is slightly reminiscent of The Bell Jar in that it follows a young woman coming of age and explores the roles of women in society, painting a poignant portrait of the suffocating expectations placed upon women and the subsequent madness that it can lead to. However, the similarities end there as Hangsaman is a novel uniquely its own. It invites readers to ponder the complexities of freedom and fulfillment in a world dictated by tradition and expectation and it is truly brilliant. The more I think about the book, the more I want to go back and read it again because it feels so dense with hidden clues that require a bit of deciphering and imagination on the readers part.
Fun fact: when Hangsaman sold in 1950, Jackson received a $3,000 advance (she was hoping for $5,000) which is equivalent to around $38,000 today.
Hangsaman follows 17-year-old Natalie Waite as she prepares to go off to college. At home, readers witness Natalie’s interactions with her parents: her prideful, domineering father and her self-pitying, lonely mother who drinks too much. At school, Natalie becomes enthralled with the life of her English professor, Arthur Langdon, and his wife, Elizabeth. At first, she is taken by them but soon realizes that they resemble her own parents far too much. Through Natalie's eyes, readers are exposed to the pompous nature of both men, contrasted with the underlying sadness and regret felt by their wives. “I keep telling you to watch out who you marry. Don’t ever go near a man like your father.”
When Natalie gets to school she is initially filled with optimism; she sees an escape from a life of domesticity and from the weighted expectations of her father but she is soon confronted with the harsh reality that even the seemingly liberated women around her are trapped in similar roles as her mother. On the day she arrives, she sits in the house—dormitory—living room observing the other girls and feels “smothered by the room and by her companions”, asking herself questions: “Is this meaningful? Is this important? Is this part of what I am to go home knowing?”. Right from the start, we see Natalie begin to spiral. In addition to her own expectations of the college experience falling short, Natalie is coping with her own recent trauma and this combination of events results in her descent into isolation and mania, as witnessed by the fact that she spends half of her time in a fantasy world that her own mind has created.
I dare say that it is slightly reminiscent of The Bell Jar in that it follows a young woman coming of age and explores the roles of women in society, painting a poignant portrait of the suffocating expectations placed upon women and the subsequent madness that it can lead to. However, the similarities end there as Hangsaman is a novel uniquely its own. It invites readers to ponder the complexities of freedom and fulfillment in a world dictated by tradition and expectation and it is truly brilliant. The more I think about the book, the more I want to go back and read it again because it feels so dense with hidden clues that require a bit of deciphering and imagination on the readers part.
Fun fact: when Hangsaman sold in 1950, Jackson received a $3,000 advance (she was hoping for $5,000) which is equivalent to around $38,000 today.