Title: Let Me Tell You: New
Stories, Essays, and Other Writings
Author: Shirley Jackson (edited
by Laurence Jackson Hyman and Sarah Hyman DeWitt)
Genre: Fiction,
Non-Fiction, Short Story, Essay
About the book…
A collection of Shirley
Jackson’s, primarily, unpublished and uncollected works put together by two of
her children. This book is divided into five sections: Unpublished and
uncollected short fiction, essays and reviews, early short stories, humor and
family, and lectures on writing.
What I think…
This is probably one my
favorite books I’ve read within the past year. Jackson over the past few
years has wormed her way on to my list of favorite short story writers and this
collection did not disappoint me in the least!
I
really liked that this collection includes not only short stories, but
essays and lectures, as well. These were broken up so that you don't spend half
the book reading just essays and then the other half just short stories, which sometimes annoys me.
Jackson's style is
one that is often funny, dark, and fantastical all at the same time. I love how
she seamlessly weaves fantasy into her works, such as in an essay called “Good
Old House” where she talks about her house’s need to adjust to her family or in
“Here I Am, Washing Dishes Again,” about the way her kitchen appliances feel
about one another. Many of the works in this collection also have the psychological
twists and unease that is so prominent in her other works.
The stories frequently don't have
conclusive endings, which doesn't bother me a bit because I like being able to
have that range of speculation as a reader.
My favorite story
of the bunch was “Mrs. Spencer and the Oberons,” which is about a mysterious
family called the Oberons who “intrude” upon Mrs. Spencer’s perfect world offering
some rather interesting and revealing commentary on the search for perfection.
One other delightful thing about
this book is that there are a smattering of Jackson's sketches
throughout.
To sum it all up…
As I said, one of my favorite
books from last year and definitely one I’ll be revisiting on a regular basis.
If you are already a fan of Shirley Jackson, like imaginative and weird stories, or funny lectures
on books and writing then give this book a try! ♥
