Shirley Jackson's last novel was a dark fantasy September saw the Tyneside Book Club tackle Shirley Jackson's haunting and macabre tale of the Blackwood family.
A few were familiar with Jackson's other works, but for most this was their first encounter with the author.
Opinions varied on the character of the narrator Merricat. While some found her a compelling voice, and sympathetic, others found her irritating and a personification of evil. She was clearly disturbed and troubled, and there was much discussion about the nature of her condition and her desire to control her surroundings.
That led to some debate about the nature of evil in the book. Merricat's actions could be viewed as evil, but was the real devilment actually carried out by the villagers? Most thought that's what Jackson was directing us towards. Some thought the fable and fairy tale-like atmosphere also lessened the impact of Merricat's actions. All of us certainly detested Cousin Charles.
The book made some laugh at times, even though the subject matter was so dark - Merricat's behaviour being appealingly transgressive. There was an air of sadness about the saintly-seeming Constance, but some wondered whether she could also be seen as complicit in the book's darker events. The supporting cast of Uncle Julian and Jonas the Cat also appealed.
There was some discussion about the author herself and how much Shirley Jackson's misanthropic personality, dysfunctional marriage, agoraphobia and obsession with food fed into the novel. All agreed that the book in the end gave Merricat all she wanted - perhaps with a hint of redemption in the guilt and renewed sympathy of the villagers - but with potentially darker consequences for Constance.
A few were familiar with Jackson's other works, but for most this was their first encounter with the author.
Opinions varied on the character of the narrator Merricat. While some found her a compelling voice, and sympathetic, others found her irritating and a personification of evil. She was clearly disturbed and troubled, and there was much discussion about the nature of her condition and her desire to control her surroundings.
That led to some debate about the nature of evil in the book. Merricat's actions could be viewed as evil, but was the real devilment actually carried out by the villagers? Most thought that's what Jackson was directing us towards. Some thought the fable and fairy tale-like atmosphere also lessened the impact of Merricat's actions. All of us certainly detested Cousin Charles.
The book made some laugh at times, even though the subject matter was so dark - Merricat's behaviour being appealingly transgressive. There was an air of sadness about the saintly-seeming Constance, but some wondered whether she could also be seen as complicit in the book's darker events. The supporting cast of Uncle Julian and Jonas the Cat also appealed.
There was some discussion about the author herself and how much Shirley Jackson's misanthropic personality, dysfunctional marriage, agoraphobia and obsession with food fed into the novel. All agreed that the book in the end gave Merricat all she wanted - perhaps with a hint of redemption in the guilt and renewed sympathy of the villagers - but with potentially darker consequences for Constance.
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