And finally! I am one novel short of finishing my quest to read all of Shirley Jackson’s novels, having completed The Bird’s Nest, her 1954 novel about a young woman with multiple personality disorder (which I believe has been renamed, but it’s probably best to keep in mind that the book was published 70 years ago and is presumably working off the understanding of multiple personality disorder current at that time).
I do love how Jackson makes everything her own. Aunt Morgen is a wonderful character, too, even if the doctor is quite dated (but still good). The bit with the mud in the toothbrush and coffee and fridge, AUGH....and then when they question her, who did it? Who did it? the "I did it" is chilling. The triumphant integration at the end is much more convincing than in Hangsaman. (Merricat kind of starts out where Elizabeth-Beth-Betsy-Bess winds up, I think.)
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I do love how Jackson makes everything her own. Aunt Morgen is a wonderful character, too, even if the doctor is quite dated (but still good). The bit with the mud in the toothbrush and coffee and fridge, AUGH....and then when they question her, who did it? Who did it? the "I did it" is chilling. The triumphant integration at the end is much more convincing than in Hangsaman. (Merricat kind of starts out where Elizabeth-Beth-Betsy-Bess winds up, I think.)