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njdarkish's review against another edition
3.0
Though the end of the novel definitely is in line with Jackson's sinister genius, most of the book felt fairly aimless, and featured a large cast that was very difficult to keep straight. The ending was definitely a gut-punch, though. You can see how Jackson's incredible later novels followed after this debut, so it's worth picking up if you enjoy seeing how a master develops over time.
chrisramos_readingrecord_2024's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0
kimberlyf's review against another edition
3.0
Welcome to Pepper Street: a small neighborhood in a small town of California in 1936. The residents of Pepper Street are rather uppity and think highly of themselves; they consider themselves the most upstanding citizens. And like any small rural neighborhood, the ladies love to gossip. In her first published novel, Jackson provides readers with a fly-on-the-wall-viewpoint into these residents’ lives, shining light on all of their faults, flaws, and prejudices (fatphobia, anti-Semitism, xenophobia, mental ableism).
If my math is right, over two dozen different characters are mentioned in the first five pages, all relative to where their houses are placed along Pepper Street. It can make for a confusing read if you allow it to but if, instead, you allow yourself to just go with it, all of the unnecessary sediment will fall to the bottom and the main characters will rise. Even still, having so many characters leaves one ultimately indistinguishable from the next and it would have been a better story if there were more focus on less characters.
If you are looking for Jackson’s best work, this isn’t the place to come. The writing is subpar, not yet having evolved in to the exquisite prose of Jackson’s later works and it is missing the classical touch of unease that Jackson is so good at creating in her stories. I wouldn’t go so far as to call this horror or gothic or really, honestly, even a mystery (the only mystery is on the last few pages). It’s a short book about the mundane every day life on a small street, where there’s drama, drama and everyone knows everyone’s business and everything—or nothing, really—builds to a very dramatic ending. Even with these critiques of mine, I didn't want to stop reading it and found it quite entertaining. I feel that in this work, you can see a talented writer blooming but you can tell that she is only just beginning.
I would recommend this if you are curious about Jackson’s early work, tend to be drawn toward “no plot, just vibes” books, and/or are looking for a brilliant character study. Themes on female companionship (typical Jackson), a society’s treatment of “outsiders” (again, typical Jackson), conformity, and family dysfunction.
If my math is right, over two dozen different characters are mentioned in the first five pages, all relative to where their houses are placed along Pepper Street. It can make for a confusing read if you allow it to but if, instead, you allow yourself to just go with it, all of the unnecessary sediment will fall to the bottom and the main characters will rise. Even still, having so many characters leaves one ultimately indistinguishable from the next and it would have been a better story if there were more focus on less characters.
If you are looking for Jackson’s best work, this isn’t the place to come. The writing is subpar, not yet having evolved in to the exquisite prose of Jackson’s later works and it is missing the classical touch of unease that Jackson is so good at creating in her stories. I wouldn’t go so far as to call this horror or gothic or really, honestly, even a mystery (the only mystery is on the last few pages). It’s a short book about the mundane every day life on a small street, where there’s drama, drama and everyone knows everyone’s business and everything—or nothing, really—builds to a very dramatic ending. Even with these critiques of mine, I didn't want to stop reading it and found it quite entertaining. I feel that in this work, you can see a talented writer blooming but you can tell that she is only just beginning.
I would recommend this if you are curious about Jackson’s early work, tend to be drawn toward “no plot, just vibes” books, and/or are looking for a brilliant character study. Themes on female companionship (typical Jackson), a society’s treatment of “outsiders” (again, typical Jackson), conformity, and family dysfunction.
codenameivy's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
i’m so disappointed…
for 75% of this book, absolutely nothing happened.
you can definitely tell this was her first novel ever. you will find traces of the bone-chilling, atmospheric writing style that shirley jackson has (and that i adore!) but i just feel there wasn’t enough substance.
too many characters thrown at you in the first few pages; long, painfully detailed descriptions of the street and each house on it…
i’m just so sad that i went into this book expecting too much, and that left me very disheartened.
for 75% of this book, absolutely nothing happened.
you can definitely tell this was her first novel ever. you will find traces of the bone-chilling, atmospheric writing style that shirley jackson has (and that i adore!) but i just feel there wasn’t enough substance.
too many characters thrown at you in the first few pages; long, painfully detailed descriptions of the street and each house on it…
i’m just so sad that i went into this book expecting too much, and that left me very disheartened.
dietsmarrissjohnson's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
sjw_creates's review against another edition
challenging
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
revisorium's review against another edition
5.0
One of my favourite books! Jackson does an amazing job at setting up the middle class Pepper Street, and whilst nothing major happens until the end, i never found myself getting bored. I was totally wrapped up in the lives of the children and their parents!
thefellowshipofthebooks's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
2.5
I decided to start with Shirley Jackson’s first novel, after reading so many good things about her other stories.
However, this one wasn’t for me. There were too many characters to follow and a convoluted story line that had an unappealing ending.
I will give her other novels a try but this one just wasn’t for me.
However, this one wasn’t for me. There were too many characters to follow and a convoluted story line that had an unappealing ending.
I will give her other novels a try but this one just wasn’t for me.
raraeaves's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
a gripping portrait of American suburban paranoia.