Reviews
Something disquieting always lurks at the heart of Jackson's prose. It is a trademark of hers, and this eclectic but quintessential collection is no different. In this collection, Jackson is frequently insistent in overturning our assumptions of the placid and comfortable. In her stories, hostility resides in scenes of harmony, the disquiet in quiet, and the frightening in the familiar/familial. Her prose is deceptively simple, as if possibly written in a language for children, and at times even sing-song, in oft-repeated statements that recur, with the opposite effect of unsettling instead of assuring. Several stories had the effect of a cliffhanger, leaving one wondering what actually happened, but as a reader I found them dissatisfying - because they were just so short, and said too little for even a vague coherent idea to form and frighten. (This is especially directed to "Island", and "The Rock".) "Louisa, Please Come Home" is my favourite, for its rebellious nature delivered in practical reason, and the ironic twist at the end. The last section of the book "three lectures, with two stories" offer an illuminating (and also humorous) insider's peek into Jackson's sources of inspiration and her thoughts on her storytelling. Evidently she is a fine essayist too.
