The Sundial [Mass Market Paperback]

Shirley Jackson (Author)

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 1 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (April 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140083170
• ISBN-13: 978-0140083170
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,536,340 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Shirley Jackson was born in San Francisco in 1919. She first received wide critical acclaim for her short story 'The Lottery', which was published in 1948. Her novels--which include The Sundial, The Bird's Nest, Hangsaman, The Road through the Wall, We Have Always Lived in the Castle and The Haunting of Hill House--are characterised by her use of realistic settings for tales that often involve elements of horror and the occult. Raising Demons and Life Among the Savages are her two works of nonfiction. Come Along With Me is a collection of stories, lectures, and part of the novel she was working on when she died in 1965.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "must" for Shirley Jackson fans!, July 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Sundial (Hardcover)

Why is Shirley Jackson so often miscast as a horror writer? "Sundial" is a rich, tapestried, multi-layered work by an enormously versatile author. Those new to Ms. Jackson will be mesmerized by her characterizations, rich narrative, and subtle, unnerving detail. Those familiar with her work will recognize in "Sundial" the "undercurrent of desperation" found in her best stories, supernatural elements a la "Hill House," the complexity of "Bird's Nest," the quirkiness of "We Have Always Lived in the Castle," and the wit (and laugh-out-loud humor) of "Life Among the Savages."

"Sundial" succeeds on so many levels that a cursory summarization would be an injustice to the book. I myself am going to cogitate on its existential aspects; that is, a group of people who grate on each other forced to spend their lives together (Sartre's "No Exit").

As the character of the schoolteacher says, "This is a real real real real real real real real adventure!" It is also a must must must must read for Shirley Jackson fans!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not to be Missed, March 16, 1999

By 

Bradley Cooper - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sundial (Hardcover)

I am a life-long fan of Shirley Jackson and, especially, "The Haunting of Hill House." It is only recently that I have had the opportunity to read many of her works which, for some unknown reason, are out-of-print. "The Sundial" is, at the same time, psychologically unnerving and immensely humorous. It is quite disturbing to read about the rantings of Aunt Fanny and the schemes of Fancy. But, at the same time, to imagine this handful of awful people who hate each other unendingly having to spend eternity with one another is incredibly funny. I must admit, I was a little disappointed when the book ended, but I realize that it must have been in the master plan of the author to leave the reader without the information which would have unnecessarily cleared up questions which will instead linger on the mind.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It's the end of the world as we know it, April 7, 2002

By 

Daniel Jolley "darkgenius" (Shelby, North Carolina USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sundial (Hardcover)

Even as great a writer as Shirley Jackson has to have a worst book (worst being a relative term, of course), and The Sundial would seem to be Jackson's. The story never had a strong Jackson feel to it because the characters were fairly shallow and unworthy of this reader's sympathy. As an outcast myself, I expect to find at least one troubled soul with which to identify and commiserate when I read Jackson. I initially had trouble distinguishing between the different characters because none of them were very deeply developed. While the occasional gripe or maudlin sentiment caught my attention, I found that I did not care for or about any of the dozen or so individuals described here. The Sundial is basically a weird end-of-the-world novel; the young Mr. Halloran has just died, and his mother now assumes the coveted role of head of household (due to her own husband's infirmities). As she begins to assert her authority and basically throw a few people out of "her" house, old Aunt Fanny encounters the ghost of her father, who warns her that the world is about to end, but that he will protect everyone who stays in the house. As several people begin to believe the truth of the premonition (including Mrs. Halloran), everyone is allowed to remain there. The number is increased by an obnoxiously loud friend of the Mrs. Halloran's and her two daughters, a strange girl sent by her father for temporary housing, and a gentleman whose background escapes me. These people, as might be expected, do not get along with each other very well at all. Mrs. Halloran, born of a low station, increasingly annoys her companions by assuming a dictatorial air, eventually insisting on wearing a crown. The novel leads up to the fateful day when the prophecy is supposed to be fulfilled.

While there are elements of humor in the conversations and interactions of characters who dislike one another as much as these do, there is no deep psychological meaning to be gleaned from the story. No character strikes me as real or more than remotely human, and the general attitude expressed as to the imminent end of the world is a much different reaction than I would expect of anyone. I have been reluctant to see other Jackson novels end, but I had no trouble putting this book down once I turned the final page. For someone wondering what Shirley Jackson is all about, I would not suggest reading this novel as an introduction; this one really does not fit the mold of her other major works. A Jackson fan such as myself will want to read The Sundial, of course, simply because Shirley Jackson wrote it, and it is quite likely that some will get more out of this book than I did.