Readalongs with Karen discussion

Here we can discuss our thoughts on finishing Dark Tales by Shirley Jackson. What stories did you enjoy/dislike?

I enjoyed the book. It took me a little while to understand and appreciate the flow of the writing, so I enjoyed some of the later stories the most. I enjoy short stories in general and I liked this one because they were a bit different in style.

I liked this book better than The Haunting of Hill House. It was a mixed bag - two of the stories had me laughing out loud at the crazy endings. Most stories seemed to end too soon. I think the last story was my favorite. I really enjoyed this collection though and I’m a new fan of short stories.

Karen Michele wrote: "I enjoyed the book. It took me a little while to understand and appreciate the flow of the writing, so I enjoyed some of the later stories the most. I enjoy short stories in general and I liked thi..." Hi Karen, thanks so much for joining in. Do you have a favourite story from the collection?

Mariann wrote: "I liked this book better than The Haunting of Hill House. It was a mixed bag - two of the stories had me laughing out loud at the crazy endings. Most stories seemed to end too soon. I think the las..." Hi Mariann, I'm so happy you enjoyed this collection of spooky stories. I think it's fair to say Shirley Jackson definitely had a great imagination !

Jen wrote: "Just finished and Ive really enjoyed it! my faves were Louisa please come home, what a thought, the bus & the summer people. my least fave were jack the ripper and the man in the woods. I always st..." Hi Jen, thanks so much for joining in. I've nearly finished the collection and have to agree that 'Jack the Ripper' is my least favourite too. I'm looking forward to reading more of her novels in the future. I highly recommend We Have Always Lived in the Castle

Jen wrote: "Karen I hope its ok to mention here that some Shirley Jackson ebooks are on special at the moment.

The haunting of Hill House $0.99 on Kobo. (the Steppenwolf Press edition)
We have always lived in..." Hi Jen, that's great, thanks for sharing : ) Let me know what you think when you've read them

I love Shirley Jackson. Her writing is so unsettling! It would be hard to choose a favorite story from this collection-- I liked them all, and I liked the variety in the storytelling. If I had to choose, I probably liked Paranoia and The Visit best.

Suki wrote: "I love Shirley Jackson. Her writing is so unsettling! It would be hard to choose a favorite story from this collection-- I liked them all, and I liked the variety in the storytelling. If I had to c..."
Hi Suki, I loved this spooky collection too. My favourite stories: Paranoia, The Bus, Home and The Summer People. What a fantastic imagination she had.

This was my first Shirley Jackson read, and I'm sad to say that I just didn't click with this collection! I did appreciate the simplicity and subtleness of the 'horror' but at times for me it just all felt a little too flat and too basic.

Karen wrote: "This was my first Shirley Jackson read, and I'm sad to say that I just didn't click with this collection! I did appreciate the simplicity and subtleness of the 'horror' but at times for me it just ..." Hi Karen , I recommend We Have Always Lived in the Castle thanks for joining in and sorry the collection wasn't for you :/

Karen wrote: "Karen wrote: "This was my first Shirley Jackson read, and I'm sad to say that I just didn't click with this collection! I did appreciate the simplicity and subtleness of the 'horror' but at times f..."

Ooh will hunt out Lived In The Castle then! thanks for the recommendation and I loved taking part! Such a great way to discover books off my radar!

Karen wrote: "This was my first Shirley Jackson read, and I'm sad to say that I just didn't click with this collection! I did appreciate the simplicity and subtleness of the 'horror' but at times for me it just ..."

After reading two of her books, I would say that is just Shirley Jackson’s writing style. I’m not really a fan of her writing either but I’m glad I’ve been introduced to her through GR and Litsy since her books are classics.

Mariann wrote: "Karen wrote: "This was my first Shirley Jackson read, and I'm sad to say that I just didn't click with this collection! I did appreciate the simplicity and subtleness of the 'horror' but at times f..." Hi Mariann, I appreciate you joining in : )

Mariann wrote: "Karen wrote: "This was my first Shirley Jackson read, and I'm sad to say that I just didn't click with this collection! I did appreciate the simplicity and subtleness of the 'horror' but at times f..."

oooh very glad to hear that that Mariann - I thought I was missing something! Like you, I'm always appreciative of discovering new authors and classic books!

I enjoyed Dark Tales. Shirley Jackson’s short stories with their paranoia and unexpected twists were great spooky reading. My favorites were Louisa, Please Come Home; What a Thought; and Home; but it was hard to choose, and I think the fact that so many different stories were picked by readers as favorites shows how strong the collection is as a whole.

Susan wrote: "I enjoyed Dark Tales. Shirley Jackson’s short stories with their paranoia and unexpected twists were great spooky reading. My favorites were Louisa, Please Come Home; What a Thought; and Home; but ..." Hi Susan, I agree, a great spooky collection that is perfect for this time of year. I loved Home too.

Susan wrote: "I enjoyed Dark Tales. Shirley Jackson’s short stories with their paranoia and unexpected twists were great spooky reading. My favorites were Louisa, Please Come Home; What a Thought; and Home; but ..."
Hi Susan, I often wonder if anyone came and rescued Mr and Mrs Allison from the story 'The Summer People' !

Karen wrote: "Susan wrote: "I enjoyed Dark Tales. Shirley Jackson’s short stories with their paranoia and unexpected twists were great spooky reading. My favorites were Louisa, Please Come Home; What a Thought; ..."

:D. I don’t know....maybe they are still sitting there