“He had not even bothered to fill the hole. I could imagine him walking here and noticing the spot where the ground was disturbed, stopping t4.9 stars
“He had not even bothered to fill the hole. I could imagine him walking here and noticing the spot where the ground was disturbed, stopping to poke in it and then, digging wildly with both his hands, scowling and finally greedy and shocked and gasping . . .�
Meet the Blackwoods!
Shirley Jackson, as a writer, consistently ensures that she, (and her narratives), are “ahead� of the reader, (with regard to expectation). Since I read We Have Always Lived in the Castle last, (within the LOA anthology), I was able to anticipate two plot events. Yet, one of the joys of reading this wonderful narrative became those plot events not anticipated. And so, once again, Jackson garnered my admiration.
Additionally, one of the events anticipated, used previously in another story, became, upon continued reading, the impetus for unanticipated and unexpected consequences which ultimately brought about the wonderful and “unexpected-expected� conclusion.
Given the novel’s progression, the various “turns,� and deepening explanations of character, my commenting even a bit about particular characters or events seems to spoil the wonderful mystery. So here, I “pare away� and write only a brief review.
With We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Jackson draws her characters more fully than in previous works; yet, the “read between the lines� quality of her writing still is very much here.
And, she has one developing character thread, through two to three chapters, which lead the reader, (honestly!), to a stranger, then even stranger, then still even stranger “place.�
The setting, although similar to some of her other narratives, carries a uniqueness for this particular novel. Hillsdale, of The Haunting of Hill House, perhaps comes the closest; yet, Hillsdale lacks the population, the more vibrant community life, and the sense of passing time of the . . . Castle’s village.
And so, refraining from leaking spoilers as well as refraining from bestowing further laurels, (given my already posted admiration for this writer), I simply shall say,
“Once again, a masterful work by a masterful writer.�
Post Script:
Despite my praise and admiration for her work, I must say that I am a little bit relieved by a break from Jackson. The world she creates is so dark, so menacing, that “lighter fare� I certainly now need, (especially after 45 stories and two novels). Hmmm. Wittgenstein perhaps?
. . .
Yet, because of her enticing style and wonderful craftsmanship, I know I shall return.
Oh! �. . . sadistic delight in seeing or causing death . . .�
All of them . . . One by one.
(Hee, hee, hee!)
From a4.0 stars
Oh! �. . . the lust to kill.�
Oh! �. . . sadistic delight in seeing or causing death . . .�
All of them . . . One by one.
(Hee, hee, hee!)
From an Agatha Christie novel? Really? Actually . . . yes.
Strikingly dark, Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None surprises, puzzles, and, in one or two places, actually scares. And, despite writing a whodunit, Christie grays the boundary between three genres.
With a much more psychological probing than Murder on the Orient Express, Christie interweaves the weighted values of justice, guilt, and transgression amidst a now familiar plotline, (reinforced so by the horror-slasher flicks of the 1980s), wherein victims are murdered one by one. The author also plays with the ideas of illusion-reality and madness.
Unlike those films, however, Christie allows “the scab to fester,� allaying surprise until the "right� moments. And, by extending expository scenes, she allows the reader to sufficiently acquaint themselves with ten different characters with various backgrounds, dispositions, and secrets.
With elements of the Gothic Horror and True Crime genres, this dark novel nevertheless stays within the genre of the whodunit mystery.
Since the whodunit works as a type of “game,� this particular genre lends itself to play and fun. So, although this reader indeed did guess correctly the identity of the killer, Christie, so expert at working her “shell game,� successfully did divert my attention elsewhere.
On a side note, because of that wonderful parody, Murder by Death, the ringing of the gong for dinner incited such a guffaw, I almost “blew� my coffee.
On a more serious note, Christie, while protesting against conventions of the Gothic Horror genre, writes certain elements thereof. There are two to three scenes which are quite suspenseful and even scary, with one scene in particular.
The author, with this novel, brushes against the True Crime genre, as well, by laying out deeper psychological facets, (at varying degrees), from which the characters� actions proceed. Hence, very realistic portrayals are conveyed despite assumptions based on stock occupations, types, etc. Further, Christie, in her solution, reveals a “serial killer psychology� now so familiar to contemporary readers / audiences given true crime narratives, movies, and television shows. And, almost as a “wink,� she alludes to the Lizzie Borden case.
More than . . . the Orient Express, both metafictional statement and social commentary emerge as well.
Drawing out her thematic ponderings of justice, guilt, and transgression mostly through plot and character, Christie maintains a tone of suspicion and viciousness, which intensifies. The plot seems to be built on two dualistic strands: one, the gramophone recording's indictment of the victims coupled with the killer’s nursery rhyme; and two, the revealing of character and respective secrets coupled with an increasingly desperate situation, (as victims are eliminated, one by one).
Indeed, the author presents the slow effect of corruption on the characters as well as their degeneration to “bestial,� “wolf-like,� behavior. The paranoia that sets in becomes remarkable:
[Lured to the Island]: with a piece of cheese . . . We are in a trap . . . There was little pretense now—no formal veneer of conversation. They were . . . enemies linked together by a mutual instinct of self-preservation.
Lastly, like many of, (or most of), Stephen King’s characters, some here convey such a sadness. Christie even has one who seems the anchor King-type character, one, appropriately Puritan, stoic, and dour, who posits the “trap� as an “Act of God.� And, one of the joys of Christie’s characters, like King’s, is their sad attempt at fooling themselves. Many, if not all, in this trap reveal their individual hypocrisy.
A whodunit with elements from the Gothic Horror and True Crime genres, And Then There Were None becomes a fun, thoughtful, suspenseful, and in places, even “scary� read.
Indeed, the reader still may pause, disturbed perhaps, while reading how at ease the killer seems when confessing to these crimes, at one point saying:
Journey back through time, to 1934, and take a three-day train trip across Europe, aboard the Orient Express. You should know better. A snows3.6 stars
Journey back through time, to 1934, and take a three-day train trip across Europe, aboard the Orient Express. You should know better. A snowstorm, a strange assortment of passengers, and a murder await you . . . if you happen to be traveling with Agatha Christie, that is.
Agatha Christie’s novel, Murder on the Orient Express, a Hercule Poirot mystery, becomes both relaxing, fun, and a little bit surprising. After all, a reader can feel the need to shed metaphor, symbology, and cultural / social commentary once in a while. And, the reading world knows Christie provides classic whodunit entertainment.
Since the form has been so played out, the wonderful satires Murder by Death and Clue inevitably came to mind while reading. And, I could not help but stifle a chuckle here and there as some of the old plot turns expectedly emerged.
Because of my enjoyment of Poe’s M. Drouet, I expected to dislike Poirot—especially since he seems so modeled after Poe’s “original� detective. Yet, I could not help but like him. More than anything, his modesty, cutting through his “famous reputation,� became endearing.
Written in 1934, racial epithets do appear. Yet interestingly, Poirot admirably “waves away� most of these comments.� Perhaps more off-putting, then, is the detective’s seeming deference to classed aristocracy.
But, then again, as an American reader, I very well could have mis-read this.
And, some of the comments on nationality simply are amusing. Christie seems to have a bit of fun herself obliquely and wryly nudging English, Swedish, and American characteristics. She even continues "off script" by making quick meta-fictional quips about the mystery / detective genre. Unexpectedly, too, the writer makes social commentary, albeit quickly.
Basing a part of her plot on real events of the time honestly surprised me. That element, as well as some others, actually made the story grounded despite the staid archetypes. And, with another plot element, she maintained quite a seriousness that helped propel the mystery along.
The time period of this “light� piece actually becomes quite striking. And, conscious or not, intentional or not, Christie creates such an atmosphere—one that makes the reader truly feel in the time period. And consistent with that, there exists one striking dialogue exchange between Poirot and another character which becomes incredibly, horribly ironic, given history.
Returning to lighter aspects of this entertainment, perhaps the most frustrating, (and boring), aspect to the novel, and to other works of the whodunit form, is the “character soundboard,”—the “dense,� and sometimes bumbling character(s) who advance(s) the obvious questions and scenarios for the master detective. This is done so s/he can propound, deduce, and explain. And, Murder on the Orient Express represents no exception to this, now tired, convention.
Yet, this novel, despite its 80-plus year-old age, still “holds up.� Given the genre, the conventions, and all the events that have occurred in the interim, the novel’s “staying power� becomes remarkable, really.
And so, though somewhat dated, Christie’s novel still entertains. And, on that level, Murder on the Orient Express provides a fun and relaxing trip—despite the snowstorm, despite the strange assortment of passengers, despite the murder, and, despite the “tired� whodunit conventions.
Although a conservative, staid, and constrictive tradition lies behind the 1950s, U.S. pop culture, an odd and innocent sense of3.8 stars
“Oh my gosh!�
Although a conservative, staid, and constrictive tradition lies behind the 1950s, U.S. pop culture, an odd and innocent sense of fun seems to accompany it.
“G!�
After my immersion into Shirley Jackson’s dark and menacing world, Heinlein’s Red Planet, (1949), with this conservative yet fun 1950s aspect, became just the tonic I needed.
Setting a young adult/adult, science fiction adventure novel on Mars allows Heinlein to create an exciting story and world while simultaneously exploring ignorance and intelligence, arrogance and humility, materialism and faith, and surprisingly, gender!
Within the hero-villain adventure story plotline, the author sets these variously explored layers amidst an American Revolution-type frame. The Earth humans as Martian colonists experience repeated grievances and dictatorial threats, (very “Royal-like�), that mirror the original English colonies' sufferings, the crown's feudal mercantilist economy, and the colonies' escalating resistance. And so, echoes from Adams, Jefferson, and Paine emerge.
Heinlein succeeds in balancing his multiple ideas within genre and “story� expectations primarily through character, “world building,� and above all, plot.
Apparently, like any Heinlein novel, Red Planet possesses not only “clinks and clunks� that a reader can gloss over but endoxa and entrenched points-of-view that can make a contemporary reader cringe, well up with frustration, and even recoil in outright anger.
The author's reliance on the MacRae character to be his aged, curmudgeonly, all-at-once Everyman, (doctor, sage, linguist, diplomat, councilor, and combat platoon sergeant), irritates. The template for his later Stranger In a Strange Land Jubal character, MacRae, with his almost extreme, strident advocacy for “arms� or guns, strikes a nerve. His comments about paranoia simply are ignorant and inflammatory, making them "wrong" in both senses of the word. And, Heinlein's creation of a male-centered, constrictive-prescriptive world for women has sexist, even misogynist moments: “the womenfolk,� and “’That’s what comes of trusting women,� he said, bitterly.�
And yet . . . Golly!
Despite all, Heinlein still creates an enjoyable tale that engages the reader on both the fun and thinking level.
Section by section, and chapter by chapter, readers will recognize prototypes, ideas, themes, and paradigms that have heavily influenced later science fiction tales and scripts. A few include:
—the government-private company alliance in Alien; —the atmospheric processing stations in Aliens; —the character and some functions of R2D2 in Star Wars; —the "beach ball" alien in Dark Star; —a feature of the environmental suits in Dune; —and, the sub-plot, tunnels, and ice-water dynamic in Total Recall.
And, the causes, goals, and ideals of the American Revolution, as mirrored in Heinlein’s treatment, become ideas and values well worth the exploration.
Lastly, the most wonderful aspects of this fun and thoughtful adventure novel deal with the Martians themselves. Indeed, the creatures and their culture become the “stars� of the narrative. And, Heinlein wisely keeps much of their history and “world� in mystery. And, the Martian characters, even more than his MacRae character, allow the reader to reflect upon deeper ideas: humanity’s strengths, weaknesses, and limits; and, the human awareness of the need for others and “otherness.� Pretty “Neat-o� for a young adult/adult science fiction “romp.�
Confound it! For the love of Mike, I enjoyed Red Planet. It’s a swell novel, it is.
I am so tempted to write an inviting introduction to this review; but, especially with Shirley Jackson’s writing, such an introduction would5.0 stars.
I am so tempted to write an inviting introduction to this review; but, especially with Shirley Jackson’s writing, such an introduction would spoil “the fun.� Suffice it to say, the reader takes one exciting, startling, yet joyful “ride.�
With the Library of America volume, a reader cannot help but “fall� into her world. And, I certainly now understand why some readers have exclaimed, “I love Shirley Jackson,� or even, “I am in love with Shirley Jackson.� She casts quite a spell.
And so, two novels, 46 stories, and one essay make up this wonderful anthology.
As standard with the Library of America series, the books themselves are GREAT; and, the font and size of the book make it extremely easy to read and carry.
I review here only the anthology as a whole, Other Stories and Sketches, (a 4.7 rating itself), and the essay. For reviews of the larger works, please see reviews posted under the respective titles.
And so, here we go . . .
“Other Stories and Sketches, Published:�
—ĜJԾ� A “Short-short story.� And, with this, her first story, Jackson plants that quality which becomes almost singular to all of her work: “Menace,� with a capital “M!�
—“A Cauliflower in her Hair� An upper, middle class family’s various reactions to a visit from a friend of one daughter, Jackson seems to explore “middle class� values and sensibilities as well as “freedom.� From this early story forward, the Jackson “grotesques� variously will involve three recurring images: play on the color “blue,� play on the color “red,� and women’s make-up, used variously for garish effect.
—“Behold the Child Among His Newborn Blisses� Here, and hereafter, Jackson presents middle class values as judgment—judgment of parents for their children, and vice versa. Innocence is “swatted down,� and role / gender play becomes an element here.
—“It Isn’t the Money I Mind� Here, the grotesque has both a sad and a humorous quality. Like other work, Jackson builds her “effect� through repetition as the reader follows a vagrant bragging of connections to “famous� children.
—The Third Baby’s the Easiest� A magazine story or vignette with both irony and dark humor. Although ironic, her titular repetitive phrase unfortunately does not work so well here. We can anticipate the ending, and the irony.
—“The Summer People� Here, another recurring dynamic occurs: “city� vs. “country.� This story deals with upper, middle class values and ideas. Jackson puts into relief “country� practicality against a metropolitan, or “city� comfort sensibility. Like other narratives, children and estrangement from the world figure prominently. Both Samuel Beckett and Jack London came to mind while reading this little gem.
—Ի� Oh my! Again, we see a horrible condemnation / judgment of “lower classes� by an upper middle class character. Here is another grotesque; yet, this “little� story is crafted differently. Here, we see one of Jackson’s first “monsters,� horrible and yet “sad.� I particularly liked how “innocent� little Miss Oakes is not so innocent, after all.
—“The Night We Had the Grippe� A witty, article-type piece organized as a domestic mystery. Jackson lightly pokes fun of the mystery genre while delineating the absurdities of domestic life. Entertaining yet frustrating in places, this piece fits with the anthology, and yet does not fit. The goal, here, seemed to be to include pieces that revealed Jackson’s “other career� as a magazine contributor of domestic articles. Oh, and “No, I did not solve the “whodunit.�
—“A Visit� or “The Lovely House,� (written for Dylan Thomas) This seems to be Jackson’s second haunted house story, (the first being “The Rock,� an unpublished story written a year earlier). This story contains many of the gothic romance elements as well as a climax that will become another Jackson “staple:� mirrors and reflections which disorient her characters, and sometimes, the reader.
—“This is the Life� or “Journey with a Lady� Thus far, this is one of the best stories I have ever read that has brought the reader into conspiracy with the character(s), (ye ole Shakespearean Othello Iago device). This story is joyful, funny and sad, and explores our desperate need for freedom. A story where one feels “guilty� laughing! Oh Shirley, you manipulated me! Horribly! Wonderfully! I love this story.
—“One Ordinary Day with Peanuts� Another “Oh my!� A seemingly simple reversal occurs. The Poe-like craftsmanship is fine, and Jackson’s own style develops. And, these two aspects make this story, like so many others, so satisfying. This little jewel runs the gamut from altruism to pure evil. I cannot help but wonder which character becomes more influential, Mr. or Mrs.? Would an inevitable progression ensue? Or would balance return?
—“Louisa, Please Come Home� With such a contemporary sensibility, “Louisa, Please Come Home� may beguile the reader into thinking the story is only a decade old�not five and counting. The character, plot, and build to climax create a chilling irony. Jackson explores relationships between siblings as well as the expected relationships between parents and children.
—“The Little House� The Jacksonian “intruding community� element becomes heavy, here. This extremely disturbing story evokes the fairy tale, yet in a contemporary vain. Like other stories, all are guilty. And, the suggestions at the end become very dark and menacing.
—“The Bus� Like “Louisa, Please Come Home,� this is a story that is so contemporary that it becomes a surprise that it was written 50-plus years ago. And, like “The Tooth,� in The Lottery or the Adventures of James Harris, the plot, dream sequence, and surprise ending can be anticipated by many a Poe, King, mystery, or science fiction reader. Yet again, Jackson’s crafting emerges as so fine since it reveals Miss. Harper’s character in such a way that our interest stays piqued. And, like other narratives, the author leaves some aspects “open”—meanings and consequences suggested, but never concluded.
—“The Possibility of Evil� So wonderfully evil. Here is a story more reminiscent of Hawthorne than Poe. Like Wharton before her, the New England culture depicted is stifling—wrought to a Puritan perfection by old money, and here, blue-blood Miss Strangeworth. Once again, we see parallels to Shakespeare’s Iago of Othello and following, to Stephen King’s Mr. Gaunt of Needful Things. Jackson’s focus on household items, especially the uses of varying grades of paper is wonderfully reflective. And, of course, the ending—such a release!
And, the previously “Unpublished Stories and Sketches:�
—ĜPǰٰ� More melancholy that “menace,� this short-short narrative seems more a prose poem than a “tale.� Although a prose “sketch,� this piece conveys an impression akin to a Wallace Stevens or William Carlos Williams poem.
—“The Mouse� “The Mouse� represents one of Jackson’s best wherein ethos of character is revealed. A mere character study, it explores a married couple’s reaction simply to the appearance of a mouse in the kitchen. Here is a story very reminiscent of Chekhov in terms of style, and of Wharton in terms of the depth of suppressed hatred on the part of men. And, like Medea, Mrs. Malkin seems just short of a monster.
—“I Know Who I Love� Apparently, Jackson reworked this from an idea for a novel. Appearing autobiographical with regard to the threatening love relationship, this story carries a haunting sadness with it. And, consistent with an autobiographical strain, the cruelty of both children and parents are explored—the respective judgments as well. There seems so many similarities to King’s Carrie, especially the cruelty with which other adolescents apply while picking on the girl “outsider:� “Ratty Catty, / Sure is batty . . .� Relationships become confused; and, the issue of “money,� only overtly highlighted earlier in “Island,� works into the confusion.
—“Two Beautiful Strangers� Illusion and reality becomes the driving dynamic as the question of whether “Two Beautiful Strangers� is a ghost story. It nevertheless becomes most definitely another story of one being “lost.� Once again, recurring elements of appearance, power, and antipathy surface. And, consistent with Jackson’s style, the ending becomes only suggestive.
—“The Rock� Seemingly, the first “haunted house� story penned. I enjoyed this one more that the later “A Visit.� A house made completely from an island rock, indeed seemingly part of its landscape, draws the reader into the story as does the strange Mrs. Carter, Charles� illness, and, of course, the mysterious “other guest.� Both the gothic romance and Poe-esque elements are here. The end, typically suggestive, becomes primer for the later “Lottery� James Harris stories.
—“The Honeymoon of Mrs. Smith� Yet another “Oh my!� Yet another “best.� Again, “The Honeymoon of Mrs. Smith� is one of the most wonderful and horrible stories I have ever read. The story showcases yet another Jacksonian theme or motif: women trapped by their roles / convention. And so, Mrs. Smith, seemingly trapped, marries Mr. Jones. Consistent with a “woman’s role,� and necessarily a woman’s “world� at the time, the town market, especially the grocer, become extremely important.
—And, the essay, “Biography of a Story� This considered reaction to reader response to the short story, “The Lottery,� twelve years after publication simply is fun. Jackson presents a sampling of responses from readers as well as her refusal to elucidate some of the story’s elements. I enjoyed this stance, since the work remains the work unto itself—and ultimately, true to “craft.�
This volume, and the Library of America series, indeed may spoil you.
Kudos to:
Shirley Jackson, and,
Joyce Carol Oates for assembling such a representative body of this author's work. ...more
Like The Long Walk and The Running Man, King/Bachman’s Dzɴǰ’s structure progresses through a “ticking� timeline. Unlike The Long Walk an3.0 stars.
Like The Long Walk and The Running Man, King/Bachman’s Dzɴǰ’s structure progresses through a “ticking� timeline. Unlike The Long Walk and The Running Man, King/Bachman’s Roadwork takes place in a present rather than a future.
The novel, in many ways, represents King/Bachman’s most realistic, and most mundane, novel. And while it shows up a variety of social points and criticisms, empathy and/or sympathy for the protagonist, Barton G., (George), Dawes becomes difficult—despite explanations and explorations of a mental, (and societal), breakdown.
The literary allusions, frankly, become tiresome; and, the seemingly conscious work of a "screenplay as novel" seem to take away rather than complement the story, (e.g., the numerous simile comparisons to film scenes, and the screenplay structured end/finale).
The most wonderful aspects of this novel are the social commentaries / critiques made: media, business, government, and adult relationships, etc.
Depicted directly is a United States during and after Vietnam—one moving from "caring" private business to uncaring corporation—and, the marriage of that to government operations resulting in a Goliath-like monster. Depicted indirectly, at times unsaid, unmentioned, unwritten, is the death of World War II generation values. These loom in the background as nostalgia for a more clear, structured, and hopeful future.
The aspect which finally prevents a more ardent recommendation is simply some absent quality to the protagonist himself. Perhaps intentional so as to prevent empathy or sympathy for an anti-hero “terrorist,� King / Bachman wonderfully charts Barton’s estrangement. But, his “cross wires� and “unrecoverable sorrow for Charlie,� his dead son, do not fully provide a believable impetus for Barton’s descent. Something seems missing.
Lastly, despite the metaphor depicting Barton as waste, a December scene delineating the protagonist’s bowel movements can make even the most open reader recoil. While this may have been the point, another strategy, perhaps, could have been more effective.
And so, there is much here that could have brought this novel to a great level; unfortunately, King / Bachman's stylistic choices prevent it. ...more
Loading...
