The Letters of Shirley Jackson
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- Author：Shirley Jackson
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Summary
A bewitchingly brilliant collection of never-before-published letters from the renowned author of 'The Lottery' and The Haunting of Hill House。
Shirley Jackson is one of the most important American authors of the last hundred years and among our greatest chroniclers of the female experience。 This extraordinary compilation of personal correspondence has all the hallmarks of Jackson's beloved fiction: flashes of the uncanny in the domestic， sparks of horror in the quotidian， and the veins of humor that run through good times and bad。
"I am having a fine time doing a novel with my left hand and a long story—with as many levels as Grand Central Station—with my right hand， stirring chocolate pudding with a spoon held in my teeth， and tuning the television with both feet。"
Written over the course of nearly three decades， from Jackson's college years to six days before her early death at the age of forty-eight， these letters become the autobiography Shirley Jackson never wrote。 As well as being a bestselling author， Jackson spent much of her adult life as a mother of four in Vermont， and the landscape here is often the everyday: raucous holidays and trips to the dentist， overdue taxes and frayed lines of Christmas lights， new dogs and new babies。 But in recounting these events to family， friends， and colleagues， she turns them into remarkable stories: entertaining， revealing， and wise。 At the same time， many of these letters provide fresh insight into the genesis and progress of Jackson's writing over nearly three decades。
"The novel is getting sadder。 It's always such a strange feeling—I know something's going to happen， and those poor people in the book don't; they just go blithely on their ways。"
Compiled and edited by her elder son， Laurence Jackson Hyman， in consultation with Jackson scholar Bernice M。 Murphy and featuring Jackson's own witty line drawings， this intimate collection holds the beguiling prism of Shirley Jackson—writer and reader， mother and daughter， neighbor and wife—up to the light。
Shirley Jackson is one of the most important American authors of the last hundred years and among our greatest chroniclers of the female experience。 This extraordinary compilation of personal correspondence has all the hallmarks of Jackson's beloved fiction: flashes of the uncanny in the domestic， sparks of horror in the quotidian， and the veins of humor that run through good times and bad。
"I am having a fine time doing a novel with my left hand and a long story—with as many levels as Grand Central Station—with my right hand， stirring chocolate pudding with a spoon held in my teeth， and tuning the television with both feet。"
Written over the course of nearly three decades， from Jackson's college years to six days before her early death at the age of forty-eight， these letters become the autobiography Shirley Jackson never wrote。 As well as being a bestselling author， Jackson spent much of her adult life as a mother of four in Vermont， and the landscape here is often the everyday: raucous holidays and trips to the dentist， overdue taxes and frayed lines of Christmas lights， new dogs and new babies。 But in recounting these events to family， friends， and colleagues， she turns them into remarkable stories: entertaining， revealing， and wise。 At the same time， many of these letters provide fresh insight into the genesis and progress of Jackson's writing over nearly three decades。
"The novel is getting sadder。 It's always such a strange feeling—I know something's going to happen， and those poor people in the book don't; they just go blithely on their ways。"
Compiled and edited by her elder son， Laurence Jackson Hyman， in consultation with Jackson scholar Bernice M。 Murphy and featuring Jackson's own witty line drawings， this intimate collection holds the beguiling prism of Shirley Jackson—writer and reader， mother and daughter， neighbor and wife—up to the light。
Reviews
Heather
，
I was expecting this to be dull， but once you get past the first section it's delightful。 The first section is almost exclusively love letters to her future husband， who treats her like crap， which is frustrating， but after that part， the letters are mostly to her parents and agents， and they are a captivating look at life in the 1950s and 60s。 Jackson and her husband led an interesting life filled in their children， friends， many of whom were other famous writers， and a lot of alcohol （seriousl I was expecting this to be dull， but once you get past the first section it's delightful。 The first section is almost exclusively love letters to her future husband， who treats her like crap， which is frustrating， but after that part， the letters are mostly to her parents and agents， and they are a captivating look at life in the 1950s and 60s。 Jackson and her husband led an interesting life filled in their children， friends， many of whom were other famous writers， and a lot of alcohol （seriously， these people drank like fish）。 The letters are witty and entertaining and her pride in both her writing and her children shines through。 Having read her biography， I realize that these letters present a rather more sunny picture of her life than was reality， but I am sad I don't get to spend more time with the Jackson-Hymans。 。。。more
Steven Yenzer
，
These are probably mostly interesting only to Shirley Jackson fans， but I did enjoy them。 Her writing is just so fabulous that I'm happy to read whatever。 These are probably mostly interesting only to Shirley Jackson fans， but I did enjoy them。 Her writing is just so fabulous that I'm happy to read whatever。 。。。more
Emily
，
4。5 stars - insightful and intriguing。
Magdalena
，
This book is beyond incredible and an absolute treasure。 Shirley Jackson is one of my favourite writers ever and I couldn't wait to read her letters， to be able to learn even more about this brilliant woman and an extraordinary writer。 There are letters written by young Shirley to her future husband Stanley Hyman; letters where she writes about her first stories， 'The Lottery' being sold and becoming a crazy success; letters to her friends and literary agents; incredibly personal and long letter This book is beyond incredible and an absolute treasure。 Shirley Jackson is one of my favourite writers ever and I couldn't wait to read her letters， to be able to learn even more about this brilliant woman and an extraordinary writer。 There are letters written by young Shirley to her future husband Stanley Hyman; letters where she writes about her first stories， 'The Lottery' being sold and becoming a crazy success; letters to her friends and literary agents; incredibly personal and long letters to her parents and later also to her children， and more。I loved getting an insight into her early thoughts on the great novels like The Bird's Nest， The Haunting of Hill House， We Have Always Lived in the Castle and the others。 Obviously， when I reached the end of the book， it left me in tears。 I genuinely feel so grateful that this collection of letters exists and that Shirley's legacy lives on。 I loved it and I love her。 Shirley Jackson forever。 。。。more
Sherry
，
I thought I would read this in bits over a longer period of time but once I started I was entranced and read it straight through。 I just wish I knew another Shirley Jackson fan to discuss a few issues。 For example， the tone of her letters to her parents from whom she supposedly had a difficult relationship。 Anyway， enjoyed this and now plan to reread some of her fiction。
Beth
，
I am a diehard Shirley Jackson fan， so I had to skip the whole first section because I couldn't bear to read Shirley's love letters to Stanley knowing how hurtful he was to her later。 And it was jarring to read the many affectionate letters to her parents when you know she had a horrible relationship with her mother。 That aside， the middle sections were wonderful， very Life Among the Savages。 I usually hate reading letters， but these were more like first drafts of the humorous essays she publish I am a diehard Shirley Jackson fan， so I had to skip the whole first section because I couldn't bear to read Shirley's love letters to Stanley knowing how hurtful he was to her later。 And it was jarring to read the many affectionate letters to her parents when you know she had a horrible relationship with her mother。 That aside， the middle sections were wonderful， very Life Among the Savages。 I usually hate reading letters， but these were more like first drafts of the humorous essays she published about her family。 The description of Xmas and the flood （pages 116-122） was my favorite。 But it was sad to think that she was this false happy self when writing to her parents。This would be a better book to own than to get from the library， because it's 600 pages of letters！ I read two hundred pages of them and feel that I've done all I can do at one time。 。。。more
Erika
，
The first chapter contained Jackson's love letters to her future husband， and these were my least favorite; reading someone else's lovesick letters isn't that entertaining to me。 I liked the letters in the middle the best， reading about her children and domestic habits。 People back then seemed to drink and smoke a lot; I assume that's what led to both her and her husband's premature deaths。 The first chapter contained Jackson's love letters to her future husband， and these were my least favorite; reading someone else's lovesick letters isn't that entertaining to me。 I liked the letters in the middle the best， reading about her children and domestic habits。 People back then seemed to drink and smoke a lot; I assume that's what led to both her and her husband's premature deaths。 。。。more
Judy G
，
Numerous times reading this i wanted to close it leave it and thankfully I continuedto read what is a memoir in the form of letters written by the known respected writer Shirley Jackson。 The period of time is 1925-1963。 She died young successful writer loving mother of 4 children a daughter a friend。 Her private life was riddled w grave difficulties。 Much has been written abt her marriage to Stanley Hyman also a writer a critic a professor himself a father son brother and a messed up man。 He die Numerous times reading this i wanted to close it leave it and thankfully I continuedto read what is a memoir in the form of letters written by the known respected writer Shirley Jackson。 The period of time is 1925-1963。 She died young successful writer loving mother of 4 children a daughter a friend。 Her private life was riddled w grave difficulties。 Much has been written abt her marriage to Stanley Hyman also a writer a critic a professor himself a father son brother and a messed up man。 He died a few yrs later and had remarried classmate of one of their daughters。 Both were harmful to themselves and each other。 To me the tragedy for Shirley was her inability to stand up to him and concurrently stand up for herself。 She drank as did he smoked overate and in her last yrs had severe fear of leaving home。 she was in analysis and doctors gave her many many pills。 Her husband had many sexual affairs w female students womwn in nyc when he was teaching at Columbia U。 He fed on her financial success and dominated her demanding her time b used to write only what she could sell。Towards end of her youing life she wrote him letter to express the unexpressible and hid it。As i read this her letters mostly to her parents her literary agents her children some friends i came to love and admire this woman who sooo loved her children 。 Judy g 。。。more
Steven
，
Shirley Jackson has always been one of my favorite authors。 She is often unfairly labeled a writer of horror fiction， but there is so much more to her writing than that。 In her letters we get a sense of how multilayered and complex her writing is - from her humorous and wry Life Among the Savages and Raising Demons to The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle。 The last two are long， dark journeys to psychological breakdown and sell-annihilation。
Linda
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Aside from the insight into Shirley's personal life， there are tidbits here about life in the 1930s thru 50s that made me pause and reflect。 The liberal use of and references to alcohol consumption， even back when Shirley was 21 and still living with her parents， made me think about the fact that the first letters reproduced here were written just five years after the end of prohibition。 Later， there's a reference to someone from the college where Stanley Hyman taught who died after only four da Aside from the insight into Shirley's personal life， there are tidbits here about life in the 1930s thru 50s that made me pause and reflect。 The liberal use of and references to alcohol consumption， even back when Shirley was 21 and still living with her parents， made me think about the fact that the first letters reproduced here were written just five years after the end of prohibition。 Later， there's a reference to someone from the college where Stanley Hyman taught who died after only four days of sickness。。。 from polio， which caused a local panic。 I'm thankful that panic over polio was no longer the norm by the time I was born。Mostly， though， it was the everyday life stuff that got me。 While Stanley usually had a job of one sort or another-- with New Yorker magazine， at a college， writing books， etc， Shirley was like one of those plate spinners I used to watch on the Ed Sullivan Show。 Shirley wrote stories and novels， hosted huge parties for neighbors and friends from the literary world， raised 4 kids， marveled at the wonder of finally having a washing machine or a working refrigerator， chauffeured the family （Stanley refused to learn how to drive）， and read voraciously。 There were at least half a dozen references in her letters to Stanley complaining that she was spending too much time on letters， when she should be writing something that would make some money。 Not once does Shirley admit to replying “Shut up， Stanley， and incidentally， feel free to make the lion's share of the family income yourself， if you think you can manage it” but I hope she did。 Oh， and the last straw concerning Stanley: He did not like cats， or at least would not hold them or let them sit on his lap。 Stanley would have hated the internet， I guess。It was startling how normal the letters were， from such an extraordinary writer。 Kids， malfunctioning cars and appliances， moving house， new jobs， new cars。 Even the last letter， written only 8 days before she died， was heartrendingly mundane。 Her agoraphobia was always described in a matter-of-fact style that never delved into how it made her feel。 Just “I can't leave the house”， and “the doctor gave me pills”， and then it was back to complaining about her typewriter， or the weather。Reading Shirley's work， or reading about her， automatically makes me sad， because I think of all the magnificent novels and stories she could have written had she lived longer。 But there are a lot of smiles to be found in this compilation as well。 When she was under contract at Farrar Straus， she mentioned having lunch with a Mr。 Giroux， with whom she was unfamiliar。 I'll bet he did okay for himself in the publishing biz。 Shirley and Stanley seemed to primarily listen to jazz （although they discovered a love for Elvis）， but my heart went pitter pat when she mentioned loving the duo Flanders and Swann。 Now I will think of Shirley every time I hear "The Hippopotamus Song"。Recommended for anyone who has more than a passing interest in her novels or stories。 。。。more
Alex Smith
，
It must have been wonderful to receive a letter from Shirley Jackson in the mail。 A born storyteller， she was able to enliven any incident with her razor-sharp timing and wit， and most of the letters in this collection - - especially the ones to her parents - - read like the short stories about her family that she published in "Life Among the Savages" and "Raising Demons。" As entertainment， this book was a delight。 However， as a guide to Jackson's actual life， many of the letters are questionabl It must have been wonderful to receive a letter from Shirley Jackson in the mail。 A born storyteller， she was able to enliven any incident with her razor-sharp timing and wit， and most of the letters in this collection - - especially the ones to her parents - - read like the short stories about her family that she published in "Life Among the Savages" and "Raising Demons。" As entertainment， this book was a delight。 However， as a guide to Jackson's actual life， many of the letters are questionable。 As Judy Oppenheimer noted in her biography of Jackson， the author tried to paint a perfect domestic picture when dealing with her relentlessly fault-finding mother。 In addition， in her correspondence Jackson almost always describes events rather than talking about her feelings （late in the collection she does describe her agoraphobia and insecurity， but largely in terms of the treatment she is undergoing rather than discussing any of the possible root causes）。 The only letters filled with emotion， aside from an angry one to her mother that she never mailed， are those to her husband Stanley。 Most of these are at the start of the book during the couple's period of courtship， and a few （usually not sent） are during their marriage， in which Stanley's arrogance， selfishness， and insensitivity have a toxic effect on Jackson （she doesn't directly mention his adulteries， although Stanley's copious womanizing has been commented on by many observers， including Oppenheimer， Ruth Franklin， and Brendan Gill）。 The letters to Stanley are disturbing; the ones during courtship can descend to writhing self-abasement （"TAKE ME BACK" she cries more than once in one letter）， and the correspondence during their marriage makes one wonder why she didn't put an end to her misery by leaving him。 。。。more
Russell
，
Reading the collected letters of a person is biographical in nature， but something more and something less than an authorized biography。 The letters are more than a standard biography in that you read the actual words of the subject， as they communicate with others in their life。 It's less， though， in the sense that the letters contain only those things they'd say to someone else， which could sometimes be quite different from what is actually happening。 In Shirley Jackson's case， there isn't muc Reading the collected letters of a person is biographical in nature， but something more and something less than an authorized biography。 The letters are more than a standard biography in that you read the actual words of the subject， as they communicate with others in their life。 It's less， though， in the sense that the letters contain only those things they'd say to someone else， which could sometimes be quite different from what is actually happening。 In Shirley Jackson's case， there isn't much she leaves out。 In her letters you see the early struggle to publish， as she and her husband， Stanley Hyman， try to scrape out a living near the end of the Depression。 As they begin to find their voices and financial footings， the raising of children becomes the focus of much of her energy and her writing， and she finds financial stability at last with a novel and stories about her children。 Only towards the end of her life， as she writes several more best-selling novels， and sees fabulous （for the time） income from "The Haunting of Hill House" as it becomes an award-winning movie， does she create a life truly free of the pressure to write for income。 Unfortunately， this happens not long before her early death at the age of 48。 I enjoyed most all of these letters， to her parents， her agents， friends， and later， to her children， and feel I got a sense of who she was。 。。。more
Ellen H
，
I was so convinced that I'd be able to skim through this， but I was totally captured by her letters。 They reflected the two biographies of Jackson I'd read， and were also heartbreaking in many ways， not least because of how much she hid from her correspondents， primarily her parents。 I was so convinced that I'd be able to skim through this， but I was totally captured by her letters。 They reflected the two biographies of Jackson I'd read， and were also heartbreaking in many ways， not least because of how much she hid from her correspondents， primarily her parents。 。。。more
Hobson
，
If you only loved Jackson for her better-known novels， you may find her letters off-putting。 I had a lot of fun reading these letters， particularly because as a kid I read her domestic writings and felt like I knew her family。 It was fascinating to read the letters about writing， and that was what I bought this book for， but it was so much more than that。
Emily Martin
，
I won a copy of this book through Goodreads Giveaways。 I am a steward for a Little Free Library and I'm excited to share this one with the community！ I won a copy of this book through Goodreads Giveaways。 I am a steward for a Little Free Library and I'm excited to share this one with the community！ 。。。more
Jeremiah
，
Reading someone's letters in this fashion is an enchanting way of learning about someone， particularly when that someone was such a talented and witty writer。 I not only found this a joy to read but was surprised at my personal grief at the abrupt end。 I was aware of how many pages were left and when it was that she passed but it was still jarring and heartbreaking to make it to the end。 I am filled with a need to read and reread the novels and stories that Shirley Jackson left behind and to hav Reading someone's letters in this fashion is an enchanting way of learning about someone， particularly when that someone was such a talented and witty writer。 I not only found this a joy to read but was surprised at my personal grief at the abrupt end。 I was aware of how many pages were left and when it was that she passed but it was still jarring and heartbreaking to make it to the end。 I am filled with a need to read and reread the novels and stories that Shirley Jackson left behind and to have a bourbon in her memory。 。。。more
Oolookitty
，
Beautiful book， wonderfully presented， and it’s just chock-full of zillions of letters written by Shirley Jackson， and drawings drawn by Shirley Jackson， so what else can I say except… ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Bay
，
A great companion to Ruth Franklin’s Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life。 Most （Shirley’s） letters quoted in the autobiography are here。 I never heard SJ’s voice but Kirsten Potter’s narration really sells it！
Contrary Reader
，
I feel like I have spent a glorious， fulfilling week with my favourite person with us trading in truth and sharing our innermost feeling。 Vulnerabilities。 Truths。 Hidden feelings。 Complexities。 Hopes。 Dreams。 Complex， real relationships。 Love。 Imagination。I feel bereft。 This woman and her words。 Her lived experiences。 I don’t think I have ever wished I knew someone in real life more。Thank you to Laurence all of Shirley’s loved ones for allowing us to share in this magic
V。 Briceland
，
The Letters of Shirley Jackson begins in 1938， with Shirley Jackson—an impish college student fond of tweaking her conservative parents by pretending she's a communist—desperately in love with fellow Syracuse undergraduate Stanley Hyman and aspiring to become a writer。 It ends in 1965， shortly before Jackson's death， after having reached a career high with the bestselling We Have Always Lived in the Castle， overcoming both a two-year bout of agoraphobia and a vicious case of writer's block， and The Letters of Shirley Jackson begins in 1938， with Shirley Jackson—an impish college student fond of tweaking her conservative parents by pretending she's a communist—desperately in love with fellow Syracuse undergraduate Stanley Hyman and aspiring to become a writer。 It ends in 1965， shortly before Jackson's death， after having reached a career high with the bestselling We Have Always Lived in the Castle， overcoming both a two-year bout of agoraphobia and a vicious case of writer's block， and thoroughly fed up with， and ready to step away from， decades of Hyman's neglect and emotional abuse。Jackson's letters to family， friends， and agents reflect the complexity of both her domestic and literary life。 Although husband Hyman was a Bennington professor， his salary was so negligible that Jackson had to act as the couple's （and later family's） breadwinner by pumping out story after short story while attempting to write the novels she thought of as her true literary legacy。 She also had to manage the chaotic household of four children solo; Hyman is portrayed as not even having the drive to heat up a can of soup。 I suppose it's to the credit of editor Laurence Hyman—Jackson and Hyman's eldest son—that he's unafraid to allow Stanley Hyman to remain the persistent antagonist of Jackson's letters。 He's always hovering in the background， calculating to the penny how much time and potential income each frivolous letter is subtracting from the household income。 （While simultaneously， it has to be noted， instructing her to remind her recipients to save the letters so they can make the family some cash after her death。） Jackson portrays Hyman as increasingly toxic over the decades; he seethes with envy at the attention and good reviews her literary career consistently attracts over his own。 The afflictions that prevented Jackson from leaving her home late in life likely grew out of his blatant infidelities， including an affair with her own best friend。 The growing anger culminates in a scorching late-life missive Jackson writes （yet never delivers） to her husband in which she elaborates a near-lifetime of his failures and disappointments。 "you once wrote me a letter。。。telling me that i would never be lonely again，" she tells him。 With bitter accuracy， she concludes "i think that was the first， the most dreadful， lie you ever told me。"Despite the continuing theme of Hyman's inadequacies as both a husband and a literary partner， there's a lot of love and humor in Jackson's collected letters。 It's tempting for readers to think of the four Hyman offspring preserved forever as elementary school-aged in the literary amber of Jackson's two domestic memoirs （Life Among the Savages and Raising Demons）。 In the letters， though， we see not only the original germs of stories that developed into the memoirs （and it's fun to witness the extent to which Jackson felt free to fictionalize them）， but to see Laurie become a dad of two， Jannie to become a boy-obsessed teen， Sally to become a moody adolescent， and Barry to grow old enough not to need a teddy bear。 Jackson's letters are often laugh-aloud funny， too: I'm never going to be able to forget the image of Hyman and Invisible Man author Ralph Ellison feeding Jackson an ungodly concoction of castor oil， cream soda， and cookies in order to induce labor with an overdue child， only for them to figure out that they'd calculated the baby's arrival date incorrectly。 There's also a racy story involving Jackson， the prim author of a Cherry Ames-like series of books for girls， and a would-be author for Playboy at a writer's conference that's such a muddle of misunderstandings that it borders on a top-speed， slamming-doors sex farce。 I didn't know that a collection of Jackson's letters was exactly what I needed as a lifelong admirer。 Everything I esteem about Jackson's writing is found in abundance within the volume， however—the humor， the anger， the sense of alienation and otherness。 Although it's tough to witness the author's impediments—particularly the largest， whom she married—readers will finish the volume convinced in Jackson's own sense of professionalism and accomplishment， and in her pride in storytelling。 。。。more
Royce
，
The day I received the “Letters of Shirley Jackson，” I decided to place the book in a spot where I could easily pick it up， read one or two letters， and put it back down in that same spot。 However， once I opened the book and read the first letter， I was captivated。 The book remained by my side until I finished reading the last letter。 These letters are fascinating， funny， insightful， revealing Shirley Jackson’s life in a way that is endearing and heartbreaking。 There are not enough words in the The day I received the “Letters of Shirley Jackson，” I decided to place the book in a spot where I could easily pick it up， read one or two letters， and put it back down in that same spot。 However， once I opened the book and read the first letter， I was captivated。 The book remained by my side until I finished reading the last letter。 These letters are fascinating， funny， insightful， revealing Shirley Jackson’s life in a way that is endearing and heartbreaking。 There are not enough words in the English language to describe how wonderful these letters are。 I highly recommend this fantastic collection of Shirley Jackson’s letters。Final comment…Shirley and her husband， Stanley， hosted many writers， literary agents， etc。， to their home。 Ralph Ellison was a frequent guest。 She wrote one letter to her children at summer camp， telling them their father was dining with Jackie Robinson， who they should remember as someone who used to play baseball， because Stanley was writing an article about Jackie Robinson for the New Yorker。 。。。more
Sarah Berry-O'Cain
，
Brilliant！
Dan Trefethen
，
Fans of Shirley Jackson who want to learn more about her should not start here; they should start with Ruth Franklin's comprehensive and thoughtful biography “Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life”。 The reason is that these letters present a skewed view of Jackson， as written by her。 90% of these letters were either to her parents or to her agent。 The letters to parents are filled with news of her children， and sought to mollify her parents about her writing and home life。 The letters to her ag Fans of Shirley Jackson who want to learn more about her should not start here; they should start with Ruth Franklin's comprehensive and thoughtful biography “Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life”。 The reason is that these letters present a skewed view of Jackson， as written by her。 90% of these letters were either to her parents or to her agent。 The letters to parents are filled with news of her children， and sought to mollify her parents about her writing and home life。 The letters to her agent are more informative about her work， but are fairly businesslike， as would be expected。Having said that， I must say that those who are familiar with Jackson's life and difficulties will find this book to be intriguing。 For those who have read her two semi-autobiographical books about family life， “Life Among the Savages” and “Raising Demons”， her humor in these letters will be familiar （and many of them are quite funny）。 Most people， however， know her for her creepy stories， especially “The Lottery” and the two books， “The Haunting of Hill House” and “We Have Always Lived in the Castle”。Shirley lifts the veil a bit in a couple of later letters， one to her husband （probably not sent） who made much of her life difficult， and one to herself。 These are the letters where we feel we're hearing Shirley's true voice。Still， there are 600 pages of letters here， and it's a lot to get through。 Real fans of Shirley （and you know where I stand if you examine my profile photo carefully） will find her epistolary voice rewarding。 The main beneficiaries of this book will probably be scholars of her work。 For the rest of you – read the Franklin biography。 It gives a fuller account of both her working life and her home life。 。。。more
Kevin
，
Shirley Jackson （1916-1965） is remembered for her peerless crafting of psychological suspense and horror short stories （"The Lottery"） and novels （WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE）。 But she had another side: long before Jean Kerr and Erma Bombeck， she essentially created the mommy blog genre with her affectionate and humorous magazine pieces on raising four children。 This collection of nearly 300 lengthy letters spanning 27 years ranges in content from lighthearted family anecdotes to serious Shirley Jackson （1916-1965） is remembered for her peerless crafting of psychological suspense and horror short stories （"The Lottery"） and novels （WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE）。 But she had another side: long before Jean Kerr and Erma Bombeck， she essentially created the mommy blog genre with her affectionate and humorous magazine pieces on raising four children。 This collection of nearly 300 lengthy letters spanning 27 years ranges in content from lighthearted family anecdotes to serious discussions of her writing process， family drama， writer's block， insomnia， agoraphobia， psychoanalysis and health problems。The critical acclaim and popularity of Jackson's 1959 novel THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE finally brought financial security， but her marriage was precarious。 A 1960 letter to her husband reads like a shotgun blast of pent-up frustration， anger and hurt。 "I also do not believe you realize the brutality of your constant small reminders， to me and the children， of our insignificance，" she writes。 "You once wrote me a letter。。。 telling me that I would never be lonely again。 I think that was the first， the most dreadful， lie you ever told me。"While Jackson labored over her published prose， her massive missives seem to flow effortlessly。 Yet， her letters captivate with the same sly， caustic humor， clever attention to detail and inventive phrasing that mark her best writing。 At nearly 700 pages， readers are unlikely to find a book that moves with more assured swiftness than THE LETTERS OF SHIRLEY JACKSON。 This is a bountiful offering fans will treasure。 Shirley Jackson's letters are just as compelling and beautifully written as her best novels。 。。。more
Brenda
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Shirley Jackson wrote brilliantly， including the classics "The Haunting of Hill House"， "The Lottery" and "We Have Always Lived in the Castle" which have a special place in my library。 She also wrote many articles， poetry and gave lectures。 After reading this book I feel I know her much better， what made her tick。 Her collection of letters to Stanley， her parents， publishers and others gives readers more than just a glimpse about her life。 Her line drawings are witty and charming and I love the Shirley Jackson wrote brilliantly， including the classics "The Haunting of Hill House"， "The Lottery" and "We Have Always Lived in the Castle" which have a special place in my library。 She also wrote many articles， poetry and gave lectures。 After reading this book I feel I know her much better， what made her tick。 Her collection of letters to Stanley， her parents， publishers and others gives readers more than just a glimpse about her life。 Her line drawings are witty and charming and I love the addition of photographs， too。Typing only on manual typewriter "ernest" with little editing and rare capitalization her style was very unique。 She wanted her letters to be kept。。。and I am so glad they were saved and put together to create this book by her oldest son。 He definitely had no shortage of material！ Jackson admitted to sometimes writing just for money as she and Stanley and their children lived in lovely houses and had to pay rent。 They also moved often。 In fact， in many letters to her parents she requests and thanks them for their regular cheques。 I wonder what she would think of her popularity now！ The daily life bits are fascinating， too， as Jackson included details on dental appointments， what she did for entertainment， grasshoppers a foot and a half long， marriage， children， storms， husband Stanley's jobs， cleaning， baking， her thoughts and dreams and letters to her publishers。 Her hyperbole and wit is legendary and it was wonderful to read so much more of it！ She enjoyed Henry James and P。 G。 Wodehouse。 Excellent taste in authors。Her sudden death so young is very sad， not only for those around her but for those who enjoy her writing decades after her death。 If you enjoy epistolary writing and this author in general， you will surely be smitten with this book。My sincere thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Random House and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this insightful book。 。。。more
Dan
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My thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an advanced copy of this collection of letters。The Letters of Shirley Jackson， written by Shirley Jackson， and edited by her son Laurence Jackson Hyman showcases some of the correspondance the famous author wrote to friend， family and fans over a 30 year period， covering her courtship with her husband， up until her early passing a 30 year period。 Most are collected for the first time。 Letters can give great insights into both the writer and My thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an advanced copy of this collection of letters。The Letters of Shirley Jackson， written by Shirley Jackson， and edited by her son Laurence Jackson Hyman showcases some of the correspondance the famous author wrote to friend， family and fans over a 30 year period， covering her courtship with her husband， up until her early passing a 30 year period。 Most are collected for the first time。 Letters can give great insights into both the writer and to written。 Public stands and statements might be further explained， or even denied in letters， true emotions might be shared between intimates。 True love could be confessed， and a great love can be shown to have its problems。 All this is present in Ms。 Jackson's letters。 Many might complain why these should be published。 Many more might complain on the presentation of the letters。 Her son decided to keep her style of all lower case， and little punctuation or editing。 So it might take some time to get into the flow of the writing。 However to understand her writing， it helps to understand the writer， and that is clearer in her own words， clearer even than most biographies can be。 They are sad， her numerous medical problems overshadow most of the letters， but funny。 Some letters are almost short story-like。This is a very interesting collection， for fans of Ms。 Jackson， or for those interested in writing， how a writer becomes inspired， and how sometimes that inspiration can effect their life。 。。。more
Robin Bonne
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“i am so lonely now that i am shocked when i remember being a child and a adolescent; i thought i was lonely then。” -Shirley JacksonI took my time savoring this book of personal letters。 It was like spending time with Shirley in her own words。 If you enjoyed Life Among the Savages or Raising Demons， you will likely enjoy all the additional family anecdotes that are detailed in her letters。This book gives a great insight into the life and mind of a creative person juxtaposed against a mid-century “i am so lonely now that i am shocked when i remember being a child and a adolescent; i thought i was lonely then。” -Shirley JacksonI took my time savoring this book of personal letters。 It was like spending time with Shirley in her own words。 If you enjoyed Life Among the Savages or Raising Demons， you will likely enjoy all the additional family anecdotes that are detailed in her letters。This book gives a great insight into the life and mind of a creative person juxtaposed against a mid-century housewife。 I found her letter to Stanley particularly powerful。 I could feel her sadness and hurt over his infidelity。 Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a free copy of this ebook in exchange for an unbiased review。 。。。more
SundayAtDusk
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There were two times while reading this ARC about Shirley Jackson that I wanted to cry。 The first time was when I saw that the letters to Stanley Hyman， which cover the first 18% of the Kindle edition， are an unreadable mess。 The second time was during the last 10% of the book when I knew the letters would end soon， because Shirley Jackson was going to die soon， and there would be no more letters to anyone。Let’s look at the first part of the ARC 。 。 。 since Ms。 Jackson often wrote letters withou There were two times while reading this ARC about Shirley Jackson that I wanted to cry。 The first time was when I saw that the letters to Stanley Hyman， which cover the first 18% of the Kindle edition， are an unreadable mess。 The second time was during the last 10% of the book when I knew the letters would end soon， because Shirley Jackson was going to die soon， and there would be no more letters to anyone。Let’s look at the first part of the ARC 。 。 。 since Ms。 Jackson often wrote letters without using capitalization， her eldest son Laurence Hyman thought they should be printed that way。 Well， there is a reason that correct capitalization， grammar， and punctuation are important when publishing a book。 Namely， those things help the reader to easily read what was written， which in turn helps the reader to better understand what the writer was saying and thinking。 Mr。 Hyman obviously does not feel that way， but stated in his intro that the letters were not correctly capitalized 。 。 。 obviously as well as not correctly punctuated or grammatically corrected 。 。 。 for this book because: “Shirley’s habit of writing most everything in lowercase has been preserved here because it reflects her personality nearly as much as the letters’ contents。” It reflects her “playfulness”。 Sure。 While having such a difficult time trying to make out what was being said in the letters， I felt nothing but happiness as Ms。 Jackson’s personality and playfulness shined through the mess。 The heck with what she was actually saying in the letters！ That’s trivial。 After trying to read the letters to Stanley Hyman， after then starting to skim them， I eventually gave up。 Forget it。 It’s the editor’s job to clean up messy manuscripts， not the reader’s job。 In addition， should they have been published in the first place？ Just because a writer becomes famous does not mean everything she or he ever wrote should be published。 No writer would want that， except an extremely narcissistic one。 Shirley Jackson never struck me as being that way。 Instead， she seemed to be someone genuinely concerned about her personal privacy not being invaded by the public。 It was her husband who repeatedly told her to make sure to tell her parents to keep her letters to them。 One suspects he was thinking of future publication and payment， because he always seemed to see his wife as a cash cow and treated her accordingly。 For example， since her letters weren't going to provide current cash， he repeatedly reprimanded her for using her writing time to write them in the first place！Correct capitalization was also not used in the many letters to her parents， but those were usually not difficult to read， because she was not rambling in a free association way。 It’s important to note， however， that those letters to her mother did not reflect the true relationship between them。 Only one unsent letter in the book expressed Ms。 Jackson’s bitterness about her mother’s lifelong criticism of her looks and weight。 Same with the letters where Stanley was mentioned; from reading them you would think she didn’t mind him seeing her as a cash cow; and they didn’t have major marital problems， which they certainly did， as only one or two letters to him reflected。 This is another sign that she valued her personal privacy， knowing her letters would one day be made public。 She so often sugarcoated her correspondence。 Hence， it may be best to see this book， after the first 18%， simply as a nice time spent with Shirley Jackson， enjoying all her funny stories; the descriptions of her children growing up; the antics of her cats and dogs; the progression of her writings; the trips and socializing; the large house problems and joys; the friends and parents; the book， magazine and movie contracts; the music; the seasons in Vermont， etc。 Getting towards the end of the book was truly sad， knowing it would soon state she died in her sleep during her afternoon nap one day。 No more letters， no more stories， no more books， no more Shirley 。 。 。 。P。S。 For a better understanding of Shirley Jackson’s life， do read Private Demons: The Life of Shirley Jackson and Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life。 Unfortunately， the first one is no longer in print， so you will either have to find it in a library or buy a used copy。 It is definitely worth the search。 Years ago， I found it in my local library， and recently got a used copy at Amazon at a fair price and in excellent used condition。（Note: I received a free e-ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher。） 。。。more
Jasmine
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Before reading this collection of Shirley Jackson’s letters， I had never read anything by the author。 Having read this， I can now say I am a fan of her writing。 If her letters were this interesting I can only imagine how amazing her other works must be。 She turns mundane activities like going to the dentist and the nuances of her children’s lives into a compelling tale。 She could have written a grocery list and I probably would have been completely engrossed。This book is a vast collection of let Before reading this collection of Shirley Jackson’s letters， I had never read anything by the author。 Having read this， I can now say I am a fan of her writing。 If her letters were this interesting I can only imagine how amazing her other works must be。 She turns mundane activities like going to the dentist and the nuances of her children’s lives into a compelling tale。 She could have written a grocery list and I probably would have been completely engrossed。This book is a vast collection of letters that Shirley Jackson wrote over the course of nearly three decades from the time of her youth to six days before she passed away。 Some of her earliest letters were to her future husband， Stanley， to her parents whom she consistently addressed as “mom and pop”， to her various agents and publishing friends， to fans， to her friends， and later， to her children as they got older。 In her letters， Shirley chose to copy Stanley’s style and write in lowercase letters with little punctuation because she wasn’t a fan of the semicolon。 Who is？ I loved reading all her letters， but some that stand out to me were her letters to Stanley when they were young。 She was very bold and did not shy away from discussing Stanley’s other girlfriends that he had while being committed to Shirley。 Medicine seems like it was trial and error back then， at least for Shirley。 In one letter she writes how she became sick with a throat infection and was told to drink hydrogen peroxide！ It’s no shock that that made her much worse until she saw a specialist who told her that was “wrong wrong wrong。” Or， how when she was due to go into labour years later， another doctor told her to drink castor oil mixed with a drink she didn’t like because she would never want to have that drink again。 So she mixed half a glass of castor oil with another half of cream soda。 Yum。 As her children grew up， I enjoyed reading her letters about them。 She wrote a lot about how much money she was making from her short stories and books， which surprisingly was never enough。 It made me wonder how much other authors of her caliber were making at the time。 There was one letter Shirley wrote later in her life to her husband that made me feel sad for her that Stanley was belittling her and her achievements。 Another letter she wrote to herself was equally heartbreaking。 It seems that Stanley was against her writing about anything that didn’t bring in money。 She had to coach herself to be strong。 In her forties， Shirley started experiencing severe anxiety and agoraphobia that she eventually sought help for from a therapist。This collection was a tome that I ended up taking my time with by reading about fifty pages a day， usually on the weekends。 I am now excited to go back and read her other works now that I have a lot of insight into her writing process。 I could go on and on about the letters of Shirley Jackson， but I’ll stop here and hope you end up reading this collection and loving it as much as I did！ Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for the digital ARC。 。。。more
Manny
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