tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post2815284570865363271..comments2024-01-07T09:36:51.796-08:00Comments on Chess, Comics, Crosswords, Books, Music, Cinema: Charles (1948) and The Witch (1949) by Shirley JacksonPrashant C. Trikannadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16079354501998741758noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-10347475627441043802014-03-01T00:23:37.999-08:002014-03-01T00:23:37.999-08:00Hi Ryan, you put that very well. I'm new to Sh...Hi Ryan, you put that very well. I'm new to Shirley Jackson's fiction and so far I liked whatever I've read. She writes with intensity that isn't obvious at first.Prashant C. Trikannadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16079354501998741758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-27904678229324824862014-02-27T20:33:08.704-08:002014-02-27T20:33:08.704-08:00I adore both stories, but I'm a huge fan of Sh...I adore both stories, but I'm a huge fan of Shirley Jackson. I love the way she can take a story and slowly twist it into something unrecognizable by the end. I love the journey she brings the reader on without them realizing it.Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17786139533776263328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-48819640913176980352014-02-13T00:42:20.279-08:002014-02-13T00:42:20.279-08:00Yvette, thank you. Between scary movies and books ...Yvette, thank you. Between scary movies and books I'll take books any day. Brave enough to read than watch. I'm curious to read some of her horror fiction.Prashant C. Trikannadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16079354501998741758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-84716696840903602014-02-13T00:38:41.198-08:002014-02-13T00:38:41.198-08:00Col, no problem. Were it not for the Shirley Jacks...Col, no problem. Were it not for the Shirley Jackson special at Patti's blog, I probably wouldn't have read any of her fiction either. But I'm glad I did.Prashant C. Trikannadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16079354501998741758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-47506763991345875272014-02-13T00:37:03.674-08:002014-02-13T00:37:03.674-08:00Tracy, thank you. Given your interest in various f...Tracy, thank you. Given your interest in various fiction you might like Shirley Jackson's stories. I found these two stories unsettling too but I can't judge her writing based on them. That said, she wrote very well. Prashant C. Trikannadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16079354501998741758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-37216159498700048752014-02-13T00:27:34.533-08:002014-02-13T00:27:34.533-08:00Hi Mel, THE LOTTERY is clearly the favourite and I...Hi Mel, THE LOTTERY is clearly the favourite and I hope to read it soon. Jackson created a stir when she wrote it.Prashant C. Trikannadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16079354501998741758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-36198549219717670202014-02-13T00:25:50.219-08:002014-02-13T00:25:50.219-08:00David, thank you. Glad you liked them. I plan to b...David, thank you. Glad you liked them. I plan to bring THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE to the top of my reading pile though I may not review it. I'll also be reading some of her shorter fiction.Prashant C. Trikannadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16079354501998741758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-8674252514604236062014-02-13T00:24:26.366-08:002014-02-13T00:24:26.366-08:00John, thank you. From only the two stories I read ...John, thank you. From only the two stories I read I thought Jackson had an unusual way of portraying her characters. In "Charles," for instance, Laurie is rude to his father and quite needlessly so. Although it was a fictional tale I couldn't accept his insolent behaviour, for that's not how I know families to be. Maybe, I'm reading too much into it.Prashant C. Trikannadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16079354501998741758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-26416837340225877632014-02-13T00:12:04.146-08:002014-02-13T00:12:04.146-08:00Sergio, thank you. It was a coincidence that I rea...Sergio, thank you. It was a coincidence that I read these stories with a common theme. I hope to read some of her other short stories before I get around to her limited number of novels. Perhaps, I'll then get a better understanding of her stories and characters.Prashant C. Trikannadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16079354501998741758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-82955137755216400332014-02-12T22:04:32.557-08:002014-02-12T22:04:32.557-08:00Charles, I still have to read THE HAUNTING OF HILL...Charles, I still have to read THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE. I'm looking forward to reading Shirley Jackson's horror fiction.Prashant C. Trikannadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16079354501998741758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-29576268261601182222014-02-11T11:33:04.880-08:002014-02-11T11:33:04.880-08:00Not my cup of tea either, Prashant. Though I alway...Not my cup of tea either, Prashant. Though I always hear good things about her books. Scary and creepy and all. Maybe it's just that I don't like to be scared. Brings out the chicken in me. :) Still, I enjoyed reading your post. Yvettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08919246184376538331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-69531893632985688042014-02-10T04:51:38.010-08:002014-02-10T04:51:38.010-08:00I tried reading Jackson many years ago and couldn&...I tried reading Jackson many years ago and couldn't get a start on her so gave the books away - Castle and Lottery from memory. I'm probably not going to re-visit and try again.col2910https://www.blogger.com/profile/06422138069939709043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-58516634740793234542014-02-09T09:29:37.317-08:002014-02-09T09:29:37.317-08:00Great post, Prashant. Haven't been interested ...Great post, Prashant. Haven't been interested in reading Shirley Jackson yet, but you never know. Both of those stories sound interesting but uncomfortable.TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-70222621252079332922014-02-08T01:16:04.738-08:002014-02-08T01:16:04.738-08:00It is good to see more than just "The Lottery...It is good to see more than just "The Lottery" being read Mel uhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08714473754458914681noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-36072302007268576372014-02-08T00:35:50.083-08:002014-02-08T00:35:50.083-08:00I haven't read The Haunting of Hill House but ...I haven't read The Haunting of Hill House but it was loaded to my Nook a few weeks ago. My buddy Gramlich's comment above will keep me rotating farther down the list for a few more weeks. <br />Top reviews, Prashant. Thanks.David Cranmerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04749857752139212888noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-28823245847392196222014-02-07T11:59:47.796-08:002014-02-07T11:59:47.796-08:00Good choices to discuss, Prashant.
Laurie from &q...Good choices to discuss, Prashant.<br /><br />Laurie from "Charles" gets recycled into "ARCH-CRIMINAL", an unpublished story in the collection I read.Seems he hasn't learned any better. Laurie is now a nine year-old boy who, unknown to his parents, is being indoctrinated into the world of juvenile deliquency by a 13 year old boy aptly named Spike. Jackson seemed to be very attached if not obsessed with her characters' lives.J F Norrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06473487417479127354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-37320138668436402392014-02-07T11:14:28.223-08:002014-02-07T11:14:28.223-08:00Shirley Jackson wrote one of the few books that ac...Shirley Jackson wrote one of the few books that actually scared me. The haunting of hill houseCharles Gramlichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02052592247572253641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-57518678681180994282014-02-07T08:08:22.618-08:002014-02-07T08:08:22.618-08:00Really enjoyed your take on these stories Prashant...Really enjoyed your take on these stories Prashant having just re-read them too. It's possible THE WITCH was written for the collection in which it first appeared, THE LOTTERY, OR THE ADVENTURES OF JAMES HARRIS (1949) as several of the stories there do not have previous publication copyright notices. Ypu picked a nice pair of twin-themed stories there - she is particularly good when handling children and her female protagonsts. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com