I came across this book over the weekend. I was familiar with much of Shirley Jackson's other work but had never read this one. It's astoundingly good (and the cover art of this edition is pretty awesome, too) In some ways I identified with the eccentric narrator, Merricat, and her strange ways and sympathetic magic - I often did the same as a child. With her conscienceless-ness and affinity for murder, not so much. But the state of being outcast and suffering harassment at the hands of the villagers is easy enough to understand, probably is for many who live in small towns.
I did have a struggle with the story though. It was extremely triggering to me - nothing to do with the madness or death or cruelty like one would imagine, but the elements of agoraphobia and fear of intruders made it difficult to read without panicking at times. This isolation and fear of certain people, I understood all too well. Watching, waiting, checking the locks on doors, being terror stricken at the sight of a visitor or sound of a knock - this is the sort of fear I live with. It was so vibrantly described that it was almost intolerable.
After I'd finished (and as I said before, it's an excellent book) I decided to see what literary critics had had to say about it. I had not known much about Shirley Jackson's life, except that she had died relatively young. I was surprised to find out that Jackson had suffered intense agoraphobia toward the end of her life. This had indeed been reflected in the book. Jackson had done what I can't bear to do - look directly at the thing that frightened her.
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