The Road through the Wall; Hangsaman; The Bird's Nest

by Shirley Jackson

This volume encompasses Shirley Jackson's first three novels. The first, The Road Through the Wall, is an unpleasant look at suburbia. Based on her affluent hometown of Burlingame, California, the novel centers around two young women, both outsiders in a neighborhood teeming with hypocrisy and evil... Jackson's second novel, Hangsaman, came out in 1951. In it she explored her own adolescence, following a sensitive, brilliant girl from her parents' home off to college and through her descent into schizophrenia. Considered by many to be Jackson's best novel, The Bird's Nest was published in 1954. Less autobiographical than the other two, this book was based on an actual 1906 case of multiple personality disorder.

Genres: Fiction, Horror, Classics, Literature, Gothic

834 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Shirley Jackson was an influential American author. A popular writer in her time, her work has received increasing attention from literary critics in recent years. She has influenced such writers as Stephen King, Nigel Kneale, and Richard Matheson.

She is best known for her dystopian short story, "The Lottery" (1948), which suggests there is a deeply unsettling underside to bucolic, smalltown America. In her critical biography of Shirley Jackson, Lenemaja Friedman notes that when Shirley Jackson's story "The Lottery" was published in the June 28, 1948, issue of The New Yorker, it received a response that "no New Yorker story had ever received." Hundreds of letters poured in that were characterized by, as Jackson put it, "bewilderment, speculation and old-fashioned abuse."

Jackson's husband, the literary critic Stanley Edgar Hyman, wrote in his preface to a posthumous anthology of her work that "she consistently refused to be interviewed, to explain or promote her work in any fashion, or to take public stands and be the pundit of the Sunday supplements. She believed that her books would speak for her clearly enough over the years." Hyman insisted the darker aspects of Jackson's works were not, as some critics claimed, the product of "personal, even neurotic, fantasies", but that Jackson intended, as "a sensitive and faithful anatomy of our times, fitting symbols for our distressing world of the concentration camp and the Bomb", to mirror humanity's Cold War-era fears. Jackson may even have taken pleasure in the subversive impact of her work, as revealed by Hyman's statement that she "was always proud that the Union of South Africa banned The Lottery', and she felt that they at least understood the story".

In 1965, Jackson died of heart failure in her sleep, at her home in North Bennington Vermont, at the age of 48.

Reviews

[Vivienne Strauss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three novels contained in this book, each extremely unsettling in their own way. The Road Through the Wall, wow - great portrayal of suburban banality ending in horror. Hangsaman left me feeling so bereft at times for the impossibility of ever making the right choices but ended on a hopeful note at least. The Bird's Nest was so well written, you can't help but question the sanity of all characters at different times and eventually even your own perception of reality begins to shift along with the characters.

[Darrin Doyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm rating The Road Through the Wall, which is one of the three Jackson novels included in here (along with Hangsaman and The Bird's Nest). Road Through the Wall is excellent -- probably one of the earliest depictions of the dystopic reality of suburban life. She handles multiple characters and storylines with ease, and I am always in admiration of her unadorned yet striking prose.

[Daniel Klawitter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty experimental stuff for American literature in the 1950's. Jackson is very good at dialog and especially the conversation of children and teenagers. And her subject matter of mental illness, suburban superficiality, etc. was rather ahead of its time.

[Lori Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love Shirley Jackson. She has a way about her that makes you feel slightly creepy, slightly apprehensive, with a lot of anticipation thrown in.

These are Jackson's first three novels. "The Road Through the Wall" is a disturbing/creepy/sad view at small-town suburbia and the things that can happen when everyone knows what everyone else is doing. "Hangsaman" takes a trip with Jackson's own her experience heading off to college and the beginning of her schizophrenia. It was sad, disturbing, and made me afraid to send my child to school because there's just nothing you can do to fix mental illness, especially when your loved one is away from home.

While the first two books were more autobiographical, the third book, "The Bird's Nest", is based on an actual case of multiple personality disorder. I found this one the most fascinating.

You're either going to to love Shirley Jackson or be completely turned off by her. I love her. I hope you do, too

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, a Shirley Jackson story actually has a "happy" ending! All of these were really amazing, though it was sometimes hard to read through certain descriptions when the winding prose got going. Beautiful language, but hard to read for me with my brain on "pause" most of the time. I'm glad I took time to get through these, though. I think The Bird's Nest is my favorite, but The Road Through the Wall was excellent as well. I just wish I was SURE who did it--curse you, Shirley Jackson, for making us always wonder about these things!!

[Janice Hovis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Averaging the 3 books to 3 stars: The Road through the Wall 3, Hangsaman 2, The Nest 4. I love Shirley Jackson's writing style almost stopped reading halfway through Hangsaman because I got bored , but I found the ending more interesting.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of the 3 books in this collection, The Bird's Nest is by far the best. The Road through the Wall takes a while to get going as it begins with lengthy descriptions of the families living on a particular street in a California town. A quote from the back cover calls it an "unpleasant look at surburbia, written at least partly to get back at her parents". The second, Hangsaman, is better, describing the descent into schizophrenia by a college freshman and is based somewhat on her own experience. The Bird's Nest is based on a 1906 case of multiple personality disorder and is fascinating.

I read a review of a recent biography of Jackson in The Economist and remembering her astonishing story, The Lottery, I found this collection in my library.

[Isadora Wagner]

Recently purchased this and am REALLY excited to start reading it!

[Kat]

Got to the third book and sort of lost my steam.

[Sharon]

eh