Reviews

Dark Tales by Shirley Jackson

dil's review against another edition

3.0

Scary? Not really. But they are unsettling, creepy, some of them thought-provoking. I particularly liked The Possibility of Evil, Paranoia, What a Thought, and The Bus.

millslike2read's review against another edition

adventurous dark lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing fast-paced

4.0

nouhcake's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.0

‘Dark Tales’ is the first selection of Camp Merricat (A Horror Book Club Summer Series by Two Friends Books)

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“She has a mystifying knack for illustrating the horrifying uncertainties around the basic laws of reality.”

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I was extremely excited to read more from Shirley Jackson, as I love ‘The Haunting of Hill House’. The forward by Ottessa Moshfegh is so incredibly fascinating and hooked my attention immediately. There is no doubting the Jackson is a masterful horror writer. Unfortunately, most of the stories kind of fell flat for me; there are very few that I can even recall. A short list of notable stories from this collection:

-Paranoia

-The Story We Used to Tell

-What A Thought

-The Man in the Woods

-Home

cranberry__sauce's review against another edition

4.0

shirley jackson is the QUEEN of horror, so i wanted to read some more of her short stories.

"The Possibility of Evil"
the final line of this story is one of the most haunting things i've ever read.
rating: 4/5

"Louisa, Please Come Home"
a creepy story about a girl who runs away from home and what happens when she is forced to go back.
rating: 4.5/5

"Paranoia"
rating: 4/5

"The Honeymoon of Mrs. Smith"
rating: 3/5

"The Story We Used to Tell"
rating: 4.5/5

"The Sorcerer's Apprentice"
rating: 3/5

"Jack the Ripper"
rating: 2.5/5

"The Beautiful Stranger"
rating: 4.5/5

"All She Said Was Yes"
rating: 5/5

"What a Thought"
rating: 4.5/5

"The Bus"
rating: 4/5

"Family Treasures"
rating: 3/5

"A Visit"
rating: 4.5/5

"The Good Wife"
rating: 4.5/5

"The Man in the Woods"
rating: 4/5

"Home"
rating: 4/5

"The Summer People"
rating: 3.5/5

kimberlyds's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

tiffanymae2022's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

evie_p's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense

3.75

kerrymh's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

lzcvgdn's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

booksofautumn's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0