Sunday, February 12, 2017

“We Have Always Lived in the Castle,” by Shirley Jackson

FM's ratings:

1.      Premise 10
2.      Prose 9
3.      Plot 10
4.      Characters 9
5.      Overall 9

Comments (optional - but try to keep it under 3000 words!)

Jackson is one of those rare writers who re-invented fiction-writing to suit her own preferences.  Often, this is the path to obscurity, but in her case, her personal approach resonates with us so vividly that we revel in it.  Sure, there will be those who “just don’t get it.”  Maybe they’re trying to look too deep, or are grasping for some conventional aspect to the writing.  But it’s best just to go with the flow and let Shirley Jackson lead you where she will.  Could the characters be more thoroughly developed?  Yes; but some of the allegorical magic here would be lost.  Could the prose be deeper, broader, or more penetrating?  Yes; but the narrative would lose something of its simple charm.  The plot is never predictable – nor is it the least bit confusing.  The premise is as clear as any – yet there is a mysterious quality that permeates the story like a fog, in a subtle though unforgettable way.  Is it “horror?”  That would be something of a stretch.  But “Goth” is a pretty close description, if re-defined to Jackson’s quirky standards.  While the plot doesn’t reach a nice, tidy conclusion, would we really want it to?  A clever “punchline” ending would detract from the story’s overall sense of wonder.  And perhaps no cat in literature has been depicted so perfectly as Jonas!  I love the universe to which this story and others like it belong.  I shall return.

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