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Shirley
Shirley: A Novel | Susan Scarf Merrell
17 posts | 8 read | 20 to read
Two imposing literary figures are at the center of this captivating novel: the celebrated Shirley Jackson, best known for her short story The Lottery, and her husband, Stanley Edgar Hyman, a literary critic and professor at Bennington College. When a young graduate student and his pregnant wifeFred and Rose Nemsermove into Shirley and Stanleys home in the fall of 1964, they are quickly cast under the magnetic spell of their brilliant and proudly unconventional hosts. While Fred becomes preoccupied with his teaching schedule, Rose forms an unlikely, turbulent friendship with the troubled and unpredictable Shirley. Fascinated by the Hymans volatile marriage and inexplicable drawn to the darkly enigmatic author, Rose nonetheless senses something amisssomething to do with nightly unanswered phone calls and inscrutable accounts of a long-missing female student. Chillingly atmospheric and evocative of Jacksons own classic stories, Shirley is an elegant thriller with one of Americas greatest horror writers at its heart.
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GidgetsTreasures75
Shirley: A Novel | Susan Scarf Merrell
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2-25-21: My 22nd finished book of 2021! In the fall of 1964, a graduate student and his wife, Fred and Rose, spent a year with the famous Shirley Jackson and her professor husband, Stanley Hyman. This was a fascinating novel showing the friendship between Shirley and Rose and the magnetic spell Shirley and her husband held over all who came into contact with them. I highly recommend the show based on this book on Hulu. 👍🏼📖#️⃣2️⃣2️⃣⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Chab256
Shirley: A Novel | Susan Scarf Merrell
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I received and read this book as an ARC back when I was still blogging. I had forgotten a movie had been released this year based on the novel until I was browsing Hulu today. Watching it now because I love Shirley Jackson and because I haven't been able to focus on reading in a few weeks.

*Update: Elizabeth Moss is fabulous in this! I really liked it!

33 likes1 stack add
review
sarahljensen
Shirley: A Novel | Susan Scarf Merrell
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Pickpick

I really want to know what Ruth Franklin would think of this book. It was interesting, but it doesn't connect precisely with my understanding of who Jackson was. I think I get what Merrell was doing, giving us an unreliable narrator with some similarities to some of Jackson's main characters, but I'm not sure it worked completely. As a Jackson fan, I did enjoy the book though.

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Mitch
Shirley: A Novel | Susan Scarf Merrell
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Ooo.... cant wait to see this - no UK air date yet though... 🌟

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/jan/26/shirley-review-elisabeth-moss-liter...

Cathythoughts Oh that‘s interesting news ... must look up the book 👍🏻❤️ 5y
kroberts Looks interesting... 5y
65 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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biblio_ginger
Shirley: A Novel | Susan Scarf Merrell
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"She was happiest, I thought, when she could let words patter down around her, landing and glancing off her upturned face." ? I feel like this sometimes!

readordierachel Love that image! 6y
biblio_ginger @readordierachel thank you! 😄 I can't tell you how many times I had to start over because I messed it up! 6y
biblio_ginger @readordierachel just realized you probably meant the image from the quote 😂 sorry dense moment! 6y
25 likes3 comments
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RhiannonAdmidas
Shirley: A Novel | Susan Scarf Merrell
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Weaponxgirl
Shirley: A Novel | Susan Scarf Merrell
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I went to the coast today and came back with this little haul from some charity shops. The tagged book is my name and I couldn't resist it.

LeahBergen I have Love Lessons (and Hons and Rebels, and Eileen) waiting on my shelves. 😆 7y
Weaponxgirl @LeahBergen they all looked so good! I've ran out of shelves, I'm now hiding books in corners of my house 7y
41 likes2 comments
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kyraleseberg
Shirley: A Novel | Susan Scarf Merrell
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So exciting!! 🙌

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The.Intentional.Reader
Shirley: A Novel | Susan Scarf Merrell
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Small book haul from the weekend. Both look pretty interesting. Anyone read either of these?

review
kyraleseberg
Shirley: A Novel | Susan Scarf Merrell
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Pickpick

Beautifully written with a strong narrator and interesting plot surrounding a winter in the life of Shirley Jackson within a fictional novel. The mystery of a missing college student pulls you in, a small ripple on an otherwise routine account of daily life. It makes you uneasy, wondering what happened, as small pieces of information are left for the reader to gather (as in a real Jackson story). Sadly that plot goes cold which frustrated me.

19 likes1 stack add
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kyraleseberg
Shirley: A Novel | Susan Scarf Merrell
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Grabbed this from the TBR stack the other night before bed and am kind of surprised how quickly it drew me in.

JoeStalksBeck This is a strange book 8y
MrBook 😁👏🏻 8y
kyraleseberg @JoeStalksBeck Yes!! The author does a great job of starting with just a ripple on the surface of an ordinary story that makes you think something creepy is occurring without you knowing exactly what, like most of Shirley Jackson's stories! I'm half way through and waiting for all the crazy to be unleashed! (edited) 8y
kyraleseberg @MrBook If you read it, let me know what you think! 👍 8y
25 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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kyraleseberg
Shirley: A Novel | Susan Scarf Merrell
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Today's $1 find! 📚📖

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JoeStalksBeck
Shirley: A Novel | Susan Scarf Merrell
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Found this today on Hoopla. It's very atmospheric and gives you a feeling of foreboding.

MCYmermaid Fascinating-- how does it compare to more traditional bios? 8y
JoeStalksBeck @MCYmermaid I don't think it's a bio. It doesn't read like one. From what I gathered it's just a novel. 🤔 gonna have to research it more 8y
101 likes2 comments
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balletbookworm
Shirley: A Novel | Susan Scarf Merrell

Deal alert! This weird twisty novel about a couple who start living in Shirley Jackson's house and then weird things happen (surprise!) is $1.99 on ebook platforms right now.

tysephine This sounds like one of those concepts that plays out really well or really badly. 8y
tysephine And by that I mean I must buy it and find out 🙃 8y
19 likes1 stack add2 comments
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KrisConstantReader
Shirley: A Novel | Susan Scarf Merrell
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This book looks great. Lots of excellent reviews on Goodreads. Ebook on sale now.

Odd-Job-Librarian Ooh! Might look into this 😊 8y
amywithbooks Omg this sounds great! Thanks!! 8y
respekt1111 What!!! 8y
KrisConstantReader @respekt1111 what what??? Lol 8y
59 likes6 stack adds4 comments