Customer Reviews (1)

Another Brick in the Wall
More of a character study than a plot-driven novel, "The Road Through The Wall" is a haunting look at one seemingly perfect subdivision and its residents.It was the first novel Shirley Jackson published, and it is endowed entirely with her unique voice and vision.Jackson is a master at examining the ugliness and evil that lies underneath the thin veneers of propriety and expectations.

The story is set on Pepper Street, a fairly well-to-do subdivision on the outskirts of a wealthier one.The block is cordoned off by a tall brick wall that keeps the residents separate from their wealthier neighbors.For some characters, like the Desmonds, Pepper Street is a resting place before they move on to bigger and better places; while for other characters, it is an acknowledgement of what they have achieved.And for some characters, the limits of Pepper Street are as limiting as the walls of a prison.The narrative is told through various eyes, young and old, as readers follow the residents' lives during one summer that ends in startling and unexpected tragedy.

"The Road Through The Wall" is a quick-paced examination of the veils people hide behind.While almost all the residents would like others to see them at their best, their worst is revealed through their gossip and hypocritical treatment of their neighbors.Nobody is what they present themselves to be, and Jackson drops plenty of hints to the backgrounds of every character, but leaves the reader to piece these hints together.Jackson wrote with an intensity that has seldom been duplicated, crafting characters that draw readers in immediately, leaving the reader to wonder what becomes of them as they exit the story.The reader almost feels as if they were driving by Pepper Street and watching the story unfold, not quite catching all the background pieces of the puzzle, learning only part of the story.

The abrupt ending to the novel is disturbing and somewhat reminiscent of Jackson's most famous short story, "The Lottery".It leaves the reader wishing for more, with a desire to follow these characters further on into their lives as Pepper Street changes beyond their control.Yet it is all of these elements that are left unexamined and unexplained that make "The Road Through The Wall" such an intriguing and unforgettable novel. ... Read more

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From Huxley's Brave New World, to Orwell's 1984, to Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, dystopian books have always been an integral part of both science fiction and literature, and have influenced the broader culture discussion in unique and permanent ways. Brave New Worlds brings together the best dystopian fiction of the last 30 years, demonstrating the diversity that flourishes in this compelling subgenre. This landmark tome contains stories by Ursula K. Le Guin, Cory Doctorow, M. Rickert, Paolo Bacigalupi, Orson Scott Card, Neil Gaiman, Ray Bradbury, and many others. ... Read more

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This study examines representations and configurations of lesbianism in literary narrative and, in particular, three novels by American author Shirley Jackson (1916-1965). As recent scholarly work has demonstrated, representations of sexuality between women in literature tend toward the ghostly, the Gothic.

Examining the ideological import of such representations, this study likewise considers what happens in narrative once lesbianism is "occulted" this way. Central to this analysis is the issue of subjectivity, of who sees what, how, and why. In its examination of three novels by Shirley Jackson--Hangsaman (1951), The Haunting of Hill House (1959), and We Have Always Lived in the Castle (1962)--this study draws on theories of performativity and subjectivity as put forward by feminism/queer theory and, in particular, Judith Butler.

Central to this investigation is how these texts repeat and, simultaneously, fail to repeat literary conventions linking lesbian and Gothic, as well as how that repetition, and its failure, affect overall interpretation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Classics of the Supenatural
Edited by Peter Haining.

Whenever I come across a book with the name Peter Haining, I know that it's a collection worth considering. Haining has edited dozens of anthologies on horror, crime and fantasy and his selections are usually preceded with a knowledgeable introduction informing the reader about the author and the background to the story.

This collection, originally called "Ghost Movies," but also published as "Classics of the Supernatural," follows his usual high standard and authors include James Herbert, M.R. James, John Carpenter, Robert Bloch, Daphne Du Maurier, Shirley Jackson, Nigel Kneale and others.

The premise of this collection is to present original stories on which famous motion pictures are based. Similar to "Reel Movies," a collection by Sebastian Wolfe. Unfortunately,the volume is soured by the fact that he hasn't been able to obtain all the original source material. Some movies were based on novels or scripts, so they are not reproduced here. Instead, he's substituted a similar story by the same author to represent the omission.

So you don't really get the original stories for "Haunted," "The Old Dark House," "The Uninvited," "The Haunting" and "Beetlejuice." This may dissuade some readers from the collection. The "Ghost Movie" title is also a bit misleading as many stories don't feature ghosts.
The ratings below are out of five.

"Halloween's Child" by James Herbert.
A substitute story for the film "Haunted." A driver encounters a strange creature on a lonely road on Halloween night. Gripping little chiller. (5/5)

"Night Sequence" by J.B. Priestly.
A substitute story, with a similar premise, for the film "The Old Dark House." A couple seek refuge in an old house when their car breaks down at night. Dated but amusing ghost story. (3/5)

"Sir Tristram Goes West" by Eric Keown.
Original story for the movie "The Ghost Goes West." A stowaway ghost causes mischief. Disappointing. (2/5)

"A Smoky Lady in Knickers" by Thorne Smith.
An early Topper story to represent the film "Topper." Light, amusing fluff abouta couple of ghosts who are husband and wife. (3/5)

"Samhain" by Dorothy Macardle.
A substitute story for the movie "The Uninvited." Atmospheric, creepy story about the festival of the dead. (4/5)

"The Extraordinary, Horrible Dummy" by Gerald Kersh.
Original story for one part of the anthology film "Dead of Night." The segment about a ventriloquist and his dummy. Surprisingly ordinary. (3/5)

"Casting the Runes" by M.R. James.
Original story for "Night of the Demon." Two men are brought together by supernatural occurrences. Dated. (2/5)

"The Bus" by Shirley Jackson
Substitute story for "The Haunting." An elderly woman's bus journey takes some strange turns. Memorable chiller. (4/5)

"The Trespassers" by Nigel Kneale.
The BBC television production "The Stone Tape" was a screenplay but it's concepts were first explored in this short story by the same author. Unspectacular poltergeist-in-the-house tale. (2/5)

"Lucy Comes to Stay" by Robert Bloch
Filmed as a segment for the movie "Asylum." Classic psycho-thriller that plays with reality (5/5)

"Don't Look Now" by Daphne Du Maurier.
Original story for the Nicholas Roeg feature film of the same name. Visually and psychological treat. (5/5)

"Harlequin" by John Carpenter.
Original story from which "Halloween" was devised. Very different from what you'd expect but satisfying in its own right. A rare gem. (5/5)

"Halley's Passing" by Michael McDowell
Substitute story for "Beetlejuice." A cold, calculated serial killer has a hidden secret. Original and surprising. (5/5)

Overall, a solid collection weakened by some lesser stories but worth purchasing for those rated 5/5. ... Read more

Product Description
Shirley Jackson was one of America’s most prominent female writers of the 1950s. Between 1948 and 1965 she published six novels, one best-selling story collection, two popular volumes of her family chronicles and many stories, which ranged from fairly conventional tales for the women’s magazine market to the ambiguous, allusive, delicately sinister and more obviously literary stories that were closest to Jackson’s heart and destined to end up in the more highbrow end of the market. Most critical discussions of Jackson tend to focus on “The Lottery” and The Haunting of Hill House. An author of such accomplishment—and one so fully engaged with the pressures and preoccupations of postwar America—merits fuller discussion. To that end, this collection of essays widens the scope of Jackson scholarship with new writing on such works as The Road through the Wall and We Have Always Lived in the Castle, and topics ranging from Jackson’s domestic fiction to ethics, cosmology, and eschatology. The book also makes newly available some of the most significant Jackson scholarship published in the last two decades. ... Read more

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Throughout history, witches have always enthralled us. Be they good witches or bad witches, ancient sorcerers or modern-day Wiccans, their aura of magic, nature, and power is irresistible. Here, some of the greatest authors of all time are gathered together to stir up a little trouble. These works of prose and poetry capture the witch in all her guises: wicked, empowering, romantic, and pagan.

Featuring:Erica Jong € Dean Koontz € Louise Erdrich € William Shakespeare € Ursula K. Le Guin € Harlan Ellison € Sir Arthur Conan Doyle € Shirley Jackson € W.B. Yeats € Brothers Grimm € Ben Franklin € Emily Brontë € Louisa May Alcott € Ray Bradbury € Anton Chekhov € Emily Dickinson € H.P. Lovecraft € Nathaniel Hawthorne € Ambrose Bierce € H.P. Blavatsky € Mary Coleridge € Rosemary Edgehill € P.N. Elrod € Anita Endrezze € Mary Wilkins Freeman € David Gerrold € M.V. Ingram € Mercedes Lackey € Cotton Mather € Charles Perrault € Kathryn Ptacek € Doreen Valiente € Evelyn Vaughn € Lady Wilde ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Broad Overview of Pop and Classic Witch Literature
Witches' Brew is a dense literary anthology broken into three chapters. The first chapter Something Wicked This Way Comes: The Wicked Witch takes it name aptly from a line in a spell from Shakespeare's Macbeth. I was pleased to find this piece as the opening work in "Witches' Brew" but disappointed that this beautiful piece is abbreviated.

Something Wicked This Way Comes also contains W.B. Yeats, "The Sorcerer."Jocks identifies Yeats as a Ceremonial Magician in addition to the revered Irish poet and playwright that most know him to be.Yeats was a member of the Theosophical Society, Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. H.P. Blavatsky cofounder of this order, is included with a piece titled "Can the Double Murder"Cotton Mather, a staunch supporter of the 1692 Salem Witch Trials work provides an account that will chill the bones of most witches.Mather's short piece "Bridget Bishop" concerns a witch trial that depends on "spectral" evidence.On the lighter side, Benjamin Franklin's (yes, that Benjamin Franklin)short story is a tongue in cheek critique of the "scientific" approach used in witch trials.Franklin's contribution written in 1730 is a short essay called "A Witch Trial at Mount Holly."Oscar Wilde's mother, Lady Wilde's piece "The Horned Woman" is a legend about Irish witches.Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, of Sherlock Holmes fame, is included with a dark look at magic in "The Leather Funnel."

Next, we find That's Witch with a "W": Witchcraft as Em-Power-ment.This chapter presents the powerful, omnipotent, witch and crone archetype.Beginning with a short poem by Emily Bronte, that uses nature as a metaphor for the spell that love casts."Snatcher" by Dean Koontz is a compelling piece that makes a delightful read aloud piece on a dark and stormy night.This is a classic crone revenge story that includes a repulsive villain and a hideous monster.Doreen Valiente, one of the founders of the neopaganism movement is appropriately included in the anthology twice.Her poem "The Witch's Ballad," provides an insiders experience of a Sabbat.Erica Jong's "Figure of the Witch" truly embodies the theme of this chapter.

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme: The Nature Witch is the last and my favorite chapter. Sandwiched between Doreen Valiente's basic course in witch craft "The Witches' Creed" poem and Erica Jong's potent warning against witch bias and anti-Semitism"Smoke," are wonderful pieces by the likes of Brothers Grimm and Emily Dickinson. A touching tale suitable to read tochildren "The Christmas Witch" by Rosemary Edgehill explains the significance of Yuletide. Evelyn Vaughn, (the pen name of the editor) contributes a lengthy story "Winter Solstice" that focuses on the semi-annual battle for dominance between the Oak King and Holly King.

It is pleasing that Native American voices are also included.Anita Endrezze's mythic tale, "The Humming of Stars and Bees and Waves," is an eerie Yaqui tale of a crone's epiphany after a retreat in a cave.Louise Erdrich, a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, offers a haunting shape-shifter poem "The Strange People."If more diverse voices were included the anthology would be stronger still, afterall, witch and magic are global.

Yvonne Jocks' anthology provides a broad overview of popular and classic witch literature, crossing continents, cultures and approximately 400 years. ... Read more

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Present's Shirley Jackson's classic short story about an altruistic man and his mean-spirited wife. ... Read more

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Oversize Trade Softcover ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Gothic/Horror for those who appreciate literature.
Dziemianowicz does a superb job of assembling an eclectic collection of intense, macabre stories by female authors. Nadine Gordimer, Louise Erdich, Shirley Jackson, Jean Rhys, Doris Lessing, and Susan Sontag are but a few of the writers featured in this book. Each piece is tightly written and peopled with memorable characters. ... Read more

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This is a novelty early learning title that introduces children to telling the time in preparation for school. Complete with a clock feature, children should be able to learn all about the concept of time in relation to the daily routines of familiar people. The text introduces the features of a clock, explains how to tell the time, then goes on to show the daily routines of different people, (school day, mum's day, dad's day, a day in town). Throughout the book, children will have the chance to move the hands around the clock face, and say what the time is. ... Read more

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This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more