The Obscure Reading Group discussion

For October, 2021, a spooky little month, we'll be reading a spooky little book by a spooky little author. You know her as Shirley Jackson. And you'll know her better thanks to reading our October selection, The Sundial.



Thanks to the 29 members who voted in our poll. Results should now be visible if you click POLLS on the group's homepage.

This is not what I voted for, but I'm in. Great choice for October, and I love Shirley Jackson.

Not familiar at all with her work, but found an old Kindle version that works with my iPad, at a ridiculously cheap price, so I'm in.

Sorry, I deleted my last comment because I realize, in hindsight, it was a bit of a spoiler. I am looking forward to reading this book. It has been on my to-read list for a while. Great choice.

I also love Jackson and will begin to hunt down a copy of this, which I have not read before.

Looking forward to reading this! Thanks, Ken, for your generous moderating skills.

I've read some of Jackson's other works but not this one. My library has a copy. Looking forward to reading it.

I want to read more of Jackson. I plan to join in. I’ll read my choice later, maybe next year.

Great pick! I can't wait to join in with this. I loved the little mint Penguin collection they did of hers, 'The Missing Girl'. She's a masterclass in unsettling eerieness. My copy of this just arrived today--raring to go!

I downloaded the kindle version , so I can make the print larger.

I got a kindle version as well as picked up a paperback copy today at the bookstore. I wanted to start reading, but I have several other books I am reading now.

Per usual, I'll get mine through the interlibrary system, unless it's not available, in which case I'll buy it.

I'll start reading around Sept. 28th. Plenty to occupy me in the meantime!

Note: At a mere 245 pp., it looks like the reading schedule will be two weeks. I'll split it as much as I can down the middle. Once I have a copy and see how the chapters are laid out, I mean.

I'm hoping my interlibrary loan comes through as well, and will probably start it mid-month. I'm a bit slower than Ken, but don't want to have it all read before the discussion starts.

Looking forward to discussing again!

I had planned to buy the inexpensive copy of The Sundial and read it on my paper white. Silly me! I bought it for 99 cents and discovered it’s incompatible with that form of kindle. Guess I could try reading it on my iPad but that’s so much less kind on my eyes. Not sure if I will go for the book from the library or read it on the iPad. Beware if you are planning on that cheap edition.

Sue wrote: "I had planned to buy the inexpensive copy of The Sundial and read it on my paper white. Silly me! I bought it for 99 cents and discovered it’s incompatible with that form of kindle. Guess I could t..."

Isn't it maddening when you hit compatibility issues with this or that iteration of technology. You'd think the companies making these things (e.g. Kindle) would make sure that each new generation of the product is compatible with the last (which is compatible with the future).

Then again, you'd think a lot of things, but ultimately you'd be like the cheese and the cheese stands alone. (Allusion to a very deep literary ditty.)

I bought that 99 cent edition, too, Sue, and it seems to be okay in the kindle app on my iphone. Oh wait. I just now double checked that assumption and I see it's gonna be a pain to read it that way; enlarging the font makes the lines run off the screen instead of automatically adjusting the line breaks. Crap. Sigh. Guess I wasted a buck. Going to place an interlibrary loan hold right now; local library system doesn't have it.

I cracked and bought the 14.00 kindle. Shirley’s estate needs the money. And so does Bozo the Clown for his next adventure. Meh!

Carol wrote: "I cracked and bought the 14.00 kindle. Shirley’s estate needs the money. And so does Bozo the Clown for his next adventure. Meh!"

Spoken like a true friend of writers! (And their estates... and their ability to buy Omaha steaks.)

I started reading early so I'm not late like I was last time. Without giving too much away as this is a pre-discussion, I like this book so much better than the last one we read. The family dynamic is rather odd. I don't recall Jackson having such a dark and wicked sense of humor but she certainly does in this story. Ok that's all I will say for now.

Yesterday I discovered there’s a movie based on a novel based on the life of Shirley Jackson. “Shirley” stars Elizabeth Moss, of Mad Men and A Handmaid’s Tale fame. Available in the US on Hulu, which we don’t get but I’m tempted, out of curiosity. IMDB reports a pretty good metascore of 76.

As Ruth mentioned, the kindle copy is available on the app so I think I will try it for my iPad. I prefer reading on the kindle paperwhite for visual reasons but hey, 99 cents meets the cost need.

Yvonne! I saw that movie. Quite good I thought altogether a bit strange. But hey. It was about the Queen of the strange.

Sue wrote: "As Ruth mentioned, the kindle copy is available on the app so I think I will try it for my iPad. I prefer reading on the kindle paperwhite for visual reasons but hey, 99 cents meets the cost need."

Is Ruth in the house? I'm her #1 fan!

Duh! It was Yvonne. Ah, my eyes are deceiving me. Sorry Yvonne and Ken.

S'OK. I'm Yvonne's #1 fan, too. ;-)

But as I said, the formatting of the 99 cent kindle version makes the lines run off the right side of the page when you enlarge the font. Unacceptable in my book. Thinking about asking for a refund. Seriously.

Started reading this , and realized I read it years ago. It will be interesting to see what others take from it.

Hey, Ken. I just ordered your new book. Looking forward to reading it.

Sandra wrote: "Hey, Ken. I just ordered your new book. Looking forward to reading it."

Awesome, Sandra! (Those three sentences just happen to be in my Top 3!)

I’m in. I have not read any Shirley Jackson, she is unmapped territory for me.

Nick wrote: "I’m in. I have not read any Shirley Jackson, she is unmapped territory for me."

Get your new map ready!

I just ordered my copy of The Sundial. When it arrives, I will put up the reading schedule, though you can assume the first half (around 125 pp.) will be Oct. 1-6 and the second half (same-ish, depending on chapter breaks) will go from Oct. 7-14.

Picked up my interlibrary loan copy yesterday, so am ready to start reading after finishing one other first. Looking forward!

looking forward to reading this with you guys!

Looking forward to your input, Yvonne and Tom!

I'll start reading end of next week or so.

That’s my plan too.

I just started. For me, the dry humor and subtle scariness go together like peanut butter and jelly. Yum!

I am a huge fan of illustrations, but this is a bit too costly for me. But what a wonderful book to hold in a hand. The illustrator is Ms. Jackson's grandson.
https://www.arionpress.com/store/91-t...

Yikes! $500? Yikes.

I put a hold on the book at the library and it has been ready to pick up for several days now....but I can't get to the library because of my work hours. I am thinking I can walk up at lunchtime tomorrow, finally.

My job is killing me right now.

Ginny, that is literally awesome. 300 numbered copies, so selling like artwork. How fun for her grandson, and I bet Shirley would be proud!

Darrin, I feel for you. It seems September can bring an avalanche of work in many jobs. Hang in there.

I finally picked up a copy from the library and will start reading. My history with Shirley Jackson is minimal. As far as I remember the only Item I have read by her is the short story, The Lottery. That may have been in middle school but I am uncertain about that.

Darrin wrote: "I finally picked up a copy from the library and will start reading. My history with Shirley Jackson is minimal. As far as I remember the only Item I have read by her is the short story, The Lottery..."

As I taught it in middle school, my guess is yes.