The Magic of Shirley Jackson
by Shirley Jackson, Stanley Edgar Hyman (Editor)
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Description
This collection is a generous selection of Jackson's work, consisting of three complete books:The Bird's Nest,Life Among the Savages,Raising Demons,and eleven short stories--including the world-famous The Lottery.Tags
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Published shortly after Jackson's death by her widower, Stanley Edgar Hyman, The Magic of Shirley Jackson consists of eleven of her short stories (all from the 25-story collection The Lottery and Other Stories), her novel The Bird's Nest, and her two volumes of suburban-housewife comic memoirs Life Among the Savages and Raising Demons.
It's a convenient collection of some of Jackson's work, but it's not for a first-time Jackson reader, who would be far better off with the 2010 Library of America Jackson edition, which includes the complete collection of The Lottery and Other Stories, an assortment of uncollected/unpublished stories, and her two most important novels, The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle.
The show more stories which Hyman included in The Magic of Shirley Jackson are too limited in number, and The Bird's Nest, a novel about multiple personality disorder, is perhaps a bit clichéd (though not of course through Jackson's fault) in the post-Sybil era. Much more interesting are the suburban-housewife comedies, and The Magic of Shirley Jackson is of value for their sake along with the convenience, for the sake of "Jackson completeness," of the inclusion of The Bird's Nest with them in a single volume.
Considering that The Magic of Shirley Jackson is long out-of-print though obtainable from used-book dealers, a first-time Jackson reader would be best off with the Library of America edition; but for the Jackson aficionado looking for "Jackson completeness," The Magic of Shirley Jackson, especially with its suburban-housewife comedies, could be a worthwhile library addition – and hence its 4****. show less
It's a convenient collection of some of Jackson's work, but it's not for a first-time Jackson reader, who would be far better off with the 2010 Library of America Jackson edition, which includes the complete collection of The Lottery and Other Stories, an assortment of uncollected/unpublished stories, and her two most important novels, The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle.
The show more stories which Hyman included in The Magic of Shirley Jackson are too limited in number, and The Bird's Nest, a novel about multiple personality disorder, is perhaps a bit clichéd (though not of course through Jackson's fault) in the post-Sybil era. Much more interesting are the suburban-housewife comedies, and The Magic of Shirley Jackson is of value for their sake along with the convenience, for the sake of "Jackson completeness," of the inclusion of The Bird's Nest with them in a single volume.
Considering that The Magic of Shirley Jackson is long out-of-print though obtainable from used-book dealers, a first-time Jackson reader would be best off with the Library of America edition; but for the Jackson aficionado looking for "Jackson completeness," The Magic of Shirley Jackson, especially with its suburban-housewife comedies, could be a worthwhile library addition – and hence its 4****. show less
A compilation of Jackson's novel, two memoirs, and several short stories. Expresses the breadth of Jackson's writing talent.
Contains:
Short stories --
The bird's nest --
Life among the savages --
Raising demons.
Short stories --
The bird's nest --
Life among the savages --
Raising demons.
Short stories.--The bird's nest.--Life among the savages--Raising demons. Other authors: Hyman, Stanley Edgar, 1919-1970, ed.
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Stephen King Danse Macabre Appendix Starred List
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Author Information
121+ Works 40,146 Members
Shirley Jackson was born in San Francisco, California on December, 14, 1919. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Syracuse University in 1940. Much of her writing was done during the years she was raising her children. She is best-known for the short story The Lottery, which was first published in 1948 and adapted for television in 1952 and show more into play form in 1953. Her published works include articles, nonfiction prose, plays, poetry, seven novels, and fifty-five short stories. Her other works include Life among the Savages, Raising Demons, The Haunting of Hill House, which was adapted to film, and We Have Always Lived in the Castle. She died on August 8, 1965 at the age of 45. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Work Relationships
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Magic of Shirley Jackson
- First words
- Preface: People often expressed surprise at the difference between Shirley Jackson's appearance and manner, and the violent and terrifying nature of her fiction.
- Canonical DDC/MDS
- 818.5408
- Canonical LCC
- PS3519.A392
Classifications
- Genres
- Fiction and Literature, General Fiction, Horror
- DDC/MDS
- 818.5408 — Literature & rhetoric American literature in English American miscellaneous writings in English 20th Century 1945-1999 Prose
- LCC
- PS3519 .A392 — Language and Literature American literature American literature Individual authors 1900-1960
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 186
- Popularity
- 175,207
- Reviews
- 4
- Rating
- (4.40)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 2
- ASINs
- 7
