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

by Shirley Jackson

Kevin Wilson (Foreword)

Shirley Jackson's third novel, a chilling descent into multiple personalities

Elizabeth is a demure twenty-three-year-old wiling her life away at a dull museum job, living with her neurotic aunt, and subsisting off her dead mother’s inheritance. When Elizabeth begins to suffer terrible migraines and backaches, her aunt takes her to the doctor, then to a psychiatrist. But slowly, and with Jackson’s characteristic chill, we learn that Elizabeth is not just one girl—but four separate, self-destructive personalities. The Bird’s Nest, Jackson’s third novel, develops hallmarks of the horror master’s most unsettling work: tormented heroines, riveting familial mysteries, and a disquieting vision inside the human mind.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

• ISBN10: 0143107038
• ISBN13: 9780143107033
• Publish Date: 28 January 2014 (first published 1 June 1954)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
• Imprint: Penguin Classics
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 272
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780143107033

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