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cel_red's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Definitivamente Shirley me gusta más como novelista que como cuentista.
En general los cuentos me parecieron terriblemente aburridos, pero seguí leyendo porque también estaban todos y cada uno de ellos bien pinchis incómodos y el cringe que provocaban era un tanto adictivo 😂
En general los cuentos me parecieron terriblemente aburridos, pero seguí leyendo porque también estaban todos y cada uno de ellos bien pinchis incómodos y el cringe que provocaban era un tanto adictivo 😂
neenthefiend's review against another edition
2.0
Not as enthralling but I love Shirley Jackson so much
bumble_abi's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
'Passing through the outskirts of the city, she thought, It's as though everything were traveling so fast that the solid stuff couldn't stand it and were going to pieces under the strain [...]. She knew she was afraid to say it truly, afraid to face the knowledge that it was a voluntary neck-breaking speed, a deliberate whirling faster and faster to end in destruction.'
I was struck by just how easy these stories were to fall into. The exposition in each feels nonexistent (although it must simply be hidden, because Jackson never leaves the reader confused) and there's a wonderful immediacy to the prose. Within a paragraph, you're right there in the room with the characters.
I liked how this collection was structured, in sections each with it's own epigraph, marking steps downward to a more intense weirdness, or more mundane evil, or more egregious disappointment. It marks the difference between an anthology made to gather stories, and a considered, complete work of art. It's a generous collection, containing twenty-six stories, almost all of which feel at home here (with a few duds hidden among the pack). The Lottery is last, the finale to this cacophony of everyday shudders. It's fabulous, totally deserves to be this collection's namesake, but I'll refrain from telling you more about it because you should read it yourself.
Whenever I read Jackson's work I notice how fine a balance she is able to strike between the splashy and the simply uncanny, how her writing carries this incredibly classy subtlety, to look at ordinary things sidelong and point out under her breath the terror hidden inside. Some themes that I was surprised to find in here: the hurtling destructiveness of city life; the facelessness of corporate employment; the mask of pity worn by casual racists. While many of her characters are anchored in space and time, the attitudes in here are remarkably contemporary - reading her work almost feels like reading historical fiction by the writers of today rather than reading works written more than seventy years ago. If you're a short story enjoyer, check this bad boy out.
I was struck by just how easy these stories were to fall into. The exposition in each feels nonexistent (although it must simply be hidden, because Jackson never leaves the reader confused) and there's a wonderful immediacy to the prose. Within a paragraph, you're right there in the room with the characters.
I liked how this collection was structured, in sections each with it's own epigraph, marking steps downward to a more intense weirdness, or more mundane evil, or more egregious disappointment. It marks the difference between an anthology made to gather stories, and a considered, complete work of art. It's a generous collection, containing twenty-six stories, almost all of which feel at home here (with a few duds hidden among the pack). The Lottery is last, the finale to this cacophony of everyday shudders. It's fabulous, totally deserves to be this collection's namesake, but I'll refrain from telling you more about it because you should read it yourself.
Whenever I read Jackson's work I notice how fine a balance she is able to strike between the splashy and the simply uncanny, how her writing carries this incredibly classy subtlety, to look at ordinary things sidelong and point out under her breath the terror hidden inside. Some themes that I was surprised to find in here: the hurtling destructiveness of city life; the facelessness of corporate employment; the mask of pity worn by casual racists. While many of her characters are anchored in space and time, the attitudes in here are remarkably contemporary - reading her work almost feels like reading historical fiction by the writers of today rather than reading works written more than seventy years ago. If you're a short story enjoyer, check this bad boy out.
adventurouspotato's review against another edition
dark
reflective
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
3.75
gaby_azzarini's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
ranforingus's review against another edition
3.0
What the hell was that?
This story started out so light-hearted, just a stroll through a small community where everyone is getting ready for what seems to be a fun village activity.
And then, as it is a VERY short story, everything gets flipped onto it's head and leaves the reader with chills and the feeling of disbelief of how things could go SO wrong in such a short time.
Gods, this was NOT what I was expecting at all! I am impressed, very much so.
I really admire the author for being able to shift story tones in an instant, my entire perception of genuinely light-hearted books is probably completely skewed from now on...
This story started out so light-hearted, just a stroll through a small community where everyone is getting ready for what seems to be a fun village activity.
And then, as it is a VERY short story, everything gets flipped onto it's head and leaves the reader with chills and the feeling of disbelief of how things could go SO wrong in such a short time.
Gods, this was NOT what I was expecting at all! I am impressed, very much so.
I really admire the author for being able to shift story tones in an instant, my entire perception of genuinely light-hearted books is probably completely skewed from now on...
bookishbrighton's review against another edition
4.0
I’ve never read a book of short stories before and I’m not convinced they’re entirely my thing, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book and if there was any book of short stories to try, this is it! Shirley really is the queen of creepy. I noticed a few reoccurring themes - apartments, identity loss/theft, kids laughing about awful things they don’t understand - the overall feeling for me was ‘unsettling’. Some of the particularly short ones with a lot of dialogue (eg the first story, ‘The Intoxicated’) felt like they could be a scene in a Tarantino film, and some of the others had a Hitchcock vibe; I would love to see some of these turned into sketches or written into films. The only reasons I didn’t give it 5 stars are because 1) some of the stories in the middle created a bit of a lull for me - it was like they’d stuck the not-so-great ones all together in the middle to create a sh*t sandwich; and 2) because some of them were very clearly unfinished as opposed to short, and they felt that way. However, the stories themselves are so good and well written.
If you like creepy, unsettling and/or odd, this is an absolute must read.
If you like creepy, unsettling and/or odd, this is an absolute must read.
raxorrr's review against another edition
3.0
3.25 stars
finally got around to finishing this. the collection had some gems that stood out, however, reading stories back to back made it feel a bit repetitive with the common themes, characters and motifs. perhaps the stories were meant to be enjoyed individually over time. Shirley Jackson is often lauded for her brilliant subtlety of conveying horror and discomfort, and many fans use this trait to defend her when one labels her work as mundane. ironically, her most renowned and beloved stories are those that deviate from said style, veering more towards the grotesque or supernatural i.e. The Lottery and The Demon Lover. it's a shame she didn't write more short stories of similar nature since she clearly excelled at it. some of her stories are so subtle that they conclude before any significant event transpires. those stories just end up feeling eventless and dull. her works primarily delve into the psychology and psychosis of female protagonists. this topic is present in both her long and short stories which affects the stories' developments. the shorter tales suffer from underdevelopment, while the longer ones usually linger too long on certain aspects, often to the point where I wish for them to conclude sooner. this extension of the narrative sometimes dilutes the room for interpretation or renders the story tedious and less engaging.
some of my personal favorites were:
• The Daemon Lover
• The Witch
• Seven Types of Ambiguity
• Men With Their Big Shoes
• The Lottery
finally got around to finishing this. the collection had some gems that stood out, however, reading stories back to back made it feel a bit repetitive with the common themes, characters and motifs. perhaps the stories were meant to be enjoyed individually over time. Shirley Jackson is often lauded for her brilliant subtlety of conveying horror and discomfort, and many fans use this trait to defend her when one labels her work as mundane. ironically, her most renowned and beloved stories are those that deviate from said style, veering more towards the grotesque or supernatural i.e. The Lottery and The Demon Lover. it's a shame she didn't write more short stories of similar nature since she clearly excelled at it. some of her stories are so subtle that they conclude before any significant event transpires. those stories just end up feeling eventless and dull. her works primarily delve into the psychology and psychosis of female protagonists. this topic is present in both her long and short stories which affects the stories' developments. the shorter tales suffer from underdevelopment, while the longer ones usually linger too long on certain aspects, often to the point where I wish for them to conclude sooner. this extension of the narrative sometimes dilutes the room for interpretation or renders the story tedious and less engaging.
some of my personal favorites were:
• The Daemon Lover
• The Witch
• Seven Types of Ambiguity
• Men With Their Big Shoes
• The Lottery