| Author | Message | ||
     Steve Jensen (Stevej) Username: Stevej Registered: 07-2009 Posted From: 82.0.77.233 |
For those, like me, who want to learn from a master (or should that be 'mistress'?), The Masterpieces of Shirley Jackson is available for only £6.50 on Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1854874373/ref=s9_simz_gw_s0_p14_t1?pf_rd_m=A 3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=1XDAFH3ADK7X2GBMXZTD&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p= 467198433&pf_rd_i=468294 Masterpieces features several short stories including the classic The Lottery, The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle. | ||
| Huw (Huw) Username: Huw Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 218.168.183.147 |
An essential volume for anybody who does not already own those books. If you added Come Along With Me and Just an Ordinary Day (mostly for for more short stories), you'd have a pretty comprehensive collection of Jackson's weird fiction output. | ||
| John Llewellyn Probert (John_l_probert) Username: John_l_probert Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 213.253.174.81 |
I've got this very volume! Excellent value for money. It was published by Raven books which was the short-loved horror imprint of Robinson (I think they did Best New Horror 6 under it) | ||
| Stephen Walsh (Stephenw) Username: Stephenw Registered: 03-2009 Posted From: 194.72.14.113 |
I've only read the short story 'The Lottery' - an incredibly disturbing and ahead of its time nightmare vision of a possible future for conservative small town America (or anywhere - and living in Ireland I really mean "anywhere"). And of course the tour-de-force novel 'The Haunting Of Hill House' - one of the three best horror novels of the 20th Century for me along with 'The Ceremonies' & 'The House On The Borderland' That's why Shirley belongs in my Top 20 and I am itching to read the rest of her brilliantly psychological and multi-layered output. For me the best means the best... not flash in the pan flavours of the month, or even the decade or the generation for that matter. | ||
| Hubert (Hubert) Username: Hubert Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 78.22.229.114 |
I own the Noonday Press edition of The Lottery and Other Stories, as well as the three Penguins The Haunting of Hill House, We Have Always Lived in the Castle and The Sundial. While I've always liked Hill House, her short stories curiously fail to 'speak' to me. I have yet to read the other novels. | ||
| Tony (Tony) Username: Tony Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 217.44.39.227 |
I always feel weird with collected volumes. It's like while reading a story it's infected by it's fellows. Does that sound daft? Also, for sheer bulk, I hate the recent bradbury best-ofs/collected volumes. They are like breeze blocks, and physically unpleasant to read, like the poor Aickman's. 'New from Penguin - the Komplete King! Three feet thick with letters the size of molecules!' | ||
| Stephen Walsh (Stephenw) Username: Stephenw Registered: 03-2009 Posted From: 194.72.14.113 |
Have to disagree Tony, I've had my eyes on those Bradbury collections since I first spied them. For me owning the stories and being able to read them whenever I like always comes before having to have each specific story collection. I felt the same way about the 2 volume complete short stories of J.G. Ballard & 5 volume Philip K. Dick sets. It's the stories first and foremost for me, though I agree to have the original collections would be preferable but just not practical on a limited book-buying budget. Oh for all 40-odd Aickman stories in one volume... | ||
| Tony (Tony) Username: Tony Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 217.44.39.227 |
You haven't heard about the two Aickman volumes?!? I'd have the books, the big volumes, but prefer portability. | ||
| Stephen Walsh (Stephenw) Username: Stephenw Registered: 03-2009 Posted From: 194.72.14.113 |
What two Aickman volumes?!?! You're not serious... they haven't, tell me they have - Oh Lord (I'm down on my knees now reembracing my lost faith and everything)!!!! To be able to read all those many, many stories of his I never have. Twould be the closest literary equivalent to a spontaneous orgasm I can imagine...  | ||
| Joel (Joel) Username: Joel Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 217.37.199.45 |
"I always feel weird with collected volumes. It's like while reading a story it's infected by its fellows. Does that sound daft?" Not at all. It's like buying real albums as opposed to massive boxed-set compilations that feel impersonal and cold. The issue is availability (and price), however. But having bought numerous reasonably-priced, inclusive compilation volumes I then found physically hard to read (not least because of narrow margins and fragile spines), I really sympathise. | ||
| Tony (Tony) Username: Tony Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 217.44.39.227 |
And aren't casual readers enticed by the word 'complete'? Would they pick up all the separate volumes? I like these recent boxed Bonds and Sherlock Holmes; a box of Bradburys presented in such a way would be absolutely beautiful. | ||
| Tony (Tony) Username: Tony Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 217.44.39.227 |
Stephen - those two volumes have been out for ages but are very pricey. I had to SAVE UP for mine, and make do with tatties. Anyone got a link? Some smaller (and cheaper) collections have been reprinted recently, but not complete. | ||
| Tony (Tony) Username: Tony Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 217.44.39.227 |
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_w_h_?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=a ickman&x=9&y=23 | ||
| Stephen Walsh (Stephenw) Username: Stephenw Registered: 03-2009 Posted From: 194.72.14.113 |
And aren't casual readers enticed by the word 'complete'? Would they pick up all the separate volumes? I like these recent boxed Bonds and Sherlock Holmes; a box of Bradburys presented in such a way would be absolutely beautiful. You said it... beautiful beyond words. Oh to live in a perfect world (sigh). | ||
| Tony (Tony) Username: Tony Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 217.44.39.227 |
Let's become publishers! | ||
| Steve Jensen (Stevej) Username: Stevej Registered: 07-2009 Posted From: 82.0.77.233 |
The two Aickman volumes are priced at...1500 squids! *cries a lot* | ||
| Tony (Tony) Username: Tony Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 217.44.39.227 |
You know, only a few years ago you would have got them for sixty, like I did. God, I feel for you. | ||
| Huw (Huw) Username: Huw Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 218.168.192.156 |
I always like to have the original collections and novels in their 'normal' state (i.e., one single volume), like Joel and Tony. But sometimes the 'collected' or 'complete' editions are convenient, or collect a lot of otherwise hard to find material. For those looking for Aickman collections, keep an eye open for inexpensive (relatively, I suppose I mean) copies on eBay and ABE. They do pop up from time to time - usually library copies of the original hardbacks without dust jackets, or less than pristine paperback copies (Aickman's first three collections were issued in both soft and hardback). The easiest collections to go for are probably the book club editions of Painted Devils, Cold Hand in Mine and The Wine-Dark Sea, and if you have these three you'll have a good portion of his work. Night Voices is usually fairly inexpensive, even in good condition. | ||
| Stephen Walsh (Stephenw) Username: Stephenw Registered: 03-2009 Posted From: 194.72.14.113 |
I can see a Shirley Jackson project coming on me soon. Of the nine novels she wrote how many would be considered horror/weird fiction and what genres do the rest fall into? 'The Road Through The Wall' (1948) 'Hangsaman' (1951) 'The Bird's Nest' (1954) 'The Witchcraft Of Salem Village' (1956) 'The Sundial' (1958) 'The Haunting Of Hill House' (1959) 'And Baby Makes Three' (1960) 'We Have Always Lived In The Castle' (1962) 'Famous Sally' (1966) | ||
| Huw (Huw) Username: Huw Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 61.216.32.174 |
Stephen, the following can be considered supernatural (or, at the very least, weird) novels: The Sundial The Haunting of Hill House We Have Always Lived in the Castle Hangsaman and The Bird's Nest are both mainstream novels dealing with psychological issues (isolation and mental disintegration are a recurring theme in Jackson's writings), but I don't know anything much about The Road Through the Wall, And Baby Makes Three, and Famous Sally. The Witchcraft of Salem Village is non-fictional, as are Raising Demons and Life Among the Savages (the last two deal with her family life). There are also the short stories, of course. For my money, the better ones are collected in Come Along with Me - 'The Beautiful Stranger', 'The Summer People', 'A Visit' (aka 'The Lovely Night'), 'The Bus' and others are some of the best weird stories ever written, in my opinion. The book also includes the beginning of her unfinished novel Come Along with Me. | ||
| Stephen Walsh (Stephenw) Username: Stephenw Registered: 03-2009 Posted From: 82.4.20.22 |
Thanks, as ever, for the info Huw. I already have 'The Haunting Of Hill House' and will make a point of getting the short story collections you mentioned and those other two novels. Also might have a go at the psychological novels. Much happy reading ahead (well, disturbing anyway)! | ||
| Stephen Walsh (Stephenw) Username: Stephenw Registered: 03-2009 Posted From: 194.72.14.113 |
I've done a bit of double-checking and she only actually wrote 6 novels. 'The Road Through The Wall' is a disturbing depiction of an outwardly polite/inwardly vicious small ultra-conservative community who exclude all outsiders or anyone not considered of themselves - like a novel length continuation of the themes she nailed so memorably in 'The Lottery'. 'Hangsaman' is about the mysterious and unexplained vanishing of a teenage girl from a strict college and is loosely based on a true case - shades of 'Picnic At Hanging Rock'!! 'The Bird's Nest' is about the mental disintegration of a young woman plagued with multiple personalities. While the books listed as novels on the Fantastic Fiction website are: 'The Witchcraft Of Salem Village' is a historical account of the infamous witch trials written for children. 'And Baby Makes Three' is a guide for new young mothers! 'Famous Sally' is a Roald Dahlesque children's book. I think I'll read all of her major novels now! | ||
| Huw (Huw) Username: Huw Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 218.168.186.239 |
Good idea, Stephen! I keep meaning to revisit Shirley Jackson's work. I bought We Have Always Lived in the Castle and The Haunting of Hill House for my niece and nephew recently. Last year it was Lovecraft.  | ||
| Steve Jensen (Stevej) Username: Stevej Registered: 07-2009 Posted From: 82.0.77.233 |
By the way, folks, The Haunting is only £2.99 at HMV: http://hmv.com/hmvweb/simpleSearch.do?searchUID=&pGroupID=5&adultFlag=false&prim aryID=5&simpleSearchString=The+Haunting&btnSubmitSearch.x=10&btnSubmitSearch.y=1 4 | ||
| Tom_alaerts (Tom_alaerts) Username: Tom_alaerts Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 194.78.35.185 |
About the Tartarus Aickman two-book set. Since several of his stories are very hard to find now (but you can get quite a good selection easily), this two volume set is the only feasible answer even if it's out of print, and rather expensive. However, while I tend to love Tartarus books, I do think that this set is a bit disappointing. Especially considering the price, I think it would have been reasonable to expect a three volume set with bigger fonts and wider margins. Currently it's not really a pleasure to read in these books - a rare disappointment for a Tartarus book! So, I kept my 3-4 cheap other Aickman collections (originally planned to sell them when getting the 2 volume set) and I only refer to the set for the stories that I don't have elsewhere. | ||
| Tony (Tony) Username: Tony Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 81.132.170.85 |
Ditto. Anyone else encountered the work-out that is the collected Bradburys? they almost need a trailer. | ||
| Tony (Tony) Username: Tony Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 81.132.170.85 |
Seems she was even more versatile than we expected; http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dont-Come-Around-Here/dp/B002FRN4PY/ref=sr_1_36?ie=UTF8& s=dmusic&qid=1250270970&sr=8-36 | ||
| Craig (Craig) Username: Craig Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 75.4.255.148 |
She's still relevant... and apparently Michael Douglas is a fan.... ------- Title: WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE Logline: The reclusive Blackwood family -- primarily of sisters Merricat and Connie and their uncle Julian -- are forced into seclusion after the mysterious lethal poisoning of several of their family members six years earlier. Merricat, who is the younger sister, cares for the agoraphobic Connie, while the ailing Julian increasingly is in the grip of his own obsessions. The plot thickens when a long-lost cousin arrives and seeks to secure the family's fortune. Writer: Mark Kruger Agency: WME Entertainment Prod. Co: Furthur Films Genre: Thriller Logged: 8/18/2009 More: Adapted from Shirley Jacskon's 1962 novel. Further's Michael Douglas will produce. | ||
| Stephen Walsh (Stephenw) Username: Stephenw Registered: 03-2009 Posted From: 194.72.14.113 |
The plot of that sounds very similar to Francis Ford Coppola's debut 'Dementia 13' (1963). I wonder... | ||
| Joel (Joel) Username: Joel Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 217.37.199.45 |
"Anyone else encountered the work-out that is the collected Bradburys? They almost need a trailer." For people who don't know his work, you mean?  | ||
| Gary Fry (Gary_fry) Username: Gary_fry Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.26.90.161 |
Oi! I did a trailer joke the other day! |