![]() We can surmise, from what Mary Katherine divulges in her narrative, that the villagers do not like the Blackwoods – hate is the word she uses – and we can be sure that the feeling is mutual. As the story progresses, we are given more of the story, but never the whole all at once. We are kept guessing as to what the whole story is and how it came to be. Just when you think you may have figured out why the villagers are afraid of the Blackwoods, Mary Katherine lets slip some extreme oddity said or done by herself or the other two inhabitants of the Blackwood home. On one page you will feel empathy for the family and, on the next, a bit startled by the bits and pieces given. From the very first paragraph, we are met with an air of mystery as told by Mary Katherine Blackwood: "I like my sister Constance, and Richard Plantagenet, and Amanita phalloides, the deathcup mushroom. Everyone else in my family is dead." This is how Jackson hooks you – from the beginning and with intrigue. ![]() Known for her iconic short story, "The Lottery," I recommend you indulge in her wonderful writing. I love horror movies, but what I love most is good, old-fashioned horror books – most notably those by Jackson. Most recently I read her gothic tale W e Have Always Lived in the Castle, originally published in 1962. Shirley Jackson was truly a master of weaving suspense and humor in her work. ![]()
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