The Bird's Nest (Arbor House Library of Contemporary Americana)

by Shirley Jackson

The unsettling story of a young woman's descent into mental illness, from the author of The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived at the Castle.

'An amazing writer' Neil Gaiman

Elizabeth Richmond is almost too quiet to be believed, with no friends, no parents, and a job that leaves her strangely unnoticed. But soon she starts to behave in ways she can neither control nor understand, to the increasing horror of her doctor, and the humiliation of her self-centred aunt. As a tormented Elizabeth becomes two people, then three, then four, each wilder and more wicked than the last, a battle of wills threatens to destroy the girl and all who surround her. The Bird's Nest is a macabre journey into who we are, and how close we sometimes come to the brink of madness.

Shirley Jackson's chilling tales of creeping unease and casual cruelty have the power to unsettle and terrify unlike any other. She was born in California in 1916. When her short story The Lottery was first published in The New Yorker in 1948, readers were so horrified they sent her hate mail; it has since become one of the most iconic American stories of all time. Her first novel, The Road Through the Wall, was published in the same year and was followed by five more: Hangsaman, The Bird's Nest, The Sundial, The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle, widely seen as her masterpiece. Shirley Jackson died in her sleep at the age of 48.

'The world of Shirley Jackson is eerie and unforgettable ... It is a place where things are not what they seem; even on a morning that is sunny and clear there is always the threat of darkness looming, of things taking a turn for the worse' - A. M. Homes

Shirley Jackson is unparalleled as a leader in the field of beautifully written, quiet, cumulative shudders' - Dorothy Parker

'Shirley Jackson is one of those highly idiosyncratic, inimitable writers ... whose work exerts an enduring spell' - Joyce Carol Oates

• ISBN10: 0141391944
• ISBN13: 9780141391946
• Publish Date: 27 March 2014 (first published 1 June 1954)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
• Imprint: Penguin Classics
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 272
• Language: English

Reviews

[Lianne]

I won a complimentary copy of this book courtesy of the publishers. My full review of the novel can be found on my blog, caffeinatedlife.net: http://www.caffeinatedlife.net/blog/2014/10/29/review-the-birds-nest/

The Bird’s Next introduces readers to the life of Elizabeth Richmond, a quiet girl who works at the museum. Her rather mundane life is turned upside down when her headaches and other odd occurrences become more frequent, until she is forced to see a doctor as to what’s going on. I felt really bad for Elizabeth; she’s just trying to live her life as best as she can and she has her aunt to deal with (who is more annoying than anything, at least in the beginning) as well as her strange condition. Her headaches and blackouts, especially when they occur in particular, social moments, are quite creepy and adds to the overall atmosphere of the story. The strange letters she receives are also quite creepy, and the fact that she keeps them, as opposed to chucking them out or whatnot.

I found the narrative to be quite intriguing: her job, while ultimately rather dull, is made interesting by Jackson’s writing. The switch to first-person with Doctor Wright’s narrative was also done quite nicely, the reader gains a sense of what kind of character and what kind of doctor Wright is through his notes and narrative. His perspective was also useful in that he’s an outsider observing much of Elizabeth’s condition and gradually getting sucked into her world and the madness that results.

As for Elizabeth’s condition…well, wow, that’s an interesting twist on the multiple personality disorder. I think the hallmark with this novel is how Jackson is able to provide these glimpses into the way the mind works and turns, the nuances and distinctions between the various personalities.

Overall, The Bird’s Nest was an intriguing read. Not downright horrific, but the psychological horror is enough to leave readers feeling unsettled. There were a few dull spots in my reading of the novel, but otherwise it left me wondering and waiting to see how everything was going to turn out for Elizabeth and the people around her.

Rating: 3.5/5