Did I just choose another book that got adapted into a film? You bet. Is it going to be creepy? It better be! Does it star Elisabeth Moss? Of course. I respect horror on film and in writing, and yes, I’ve read a few Shirley Jackson works in my time, but I was drawn to this fictional novel, Shirley, because it was a more subtle thriller delivered from the perspective of an outsider looking into the Hyman/Jackson home.
While this book was alright, I feel like this is one that will benefit from being adapted to the screen. The book is told from the perspective of nineteen year old, Rose, who is married to Fred. The two of them move into the Hyman/Jackson household because Fred is going to be teaching at the same university as Stanley. Rose doesn’t really do much besides sleep and help out with the chores. She’s too young to really know anything, let alone have a baby (which she does anyways).
Shirley and Stanley are odd, but I would assume that most writers are (at least a little bit). And based off of what I know about Shirley Jackson’s personal life, she’s a bit blunt and fantastical. Rose is enamored with Shirley and wants nothing more than to be her friend, but can never just outright say it to her. That fact is endlessly frustrating. And Stanley seems like a supreme asshole, or at least like someone I would never want to spend time with.
He’s loud and opinionated, and is all for open relationships. Fred, too dumb to form his own path in life, follows Stanley’s lead like he’s God’s greatest gift to earth, and therefore, cheats on Rose. Even though Rose took him back, she at least didn’t make it easy. It might have been the most adult thing she did throughout the whole story. Either way, Rose and Fred lived in the house and we’re just such a small and strange extension of the life that lived there.
Ultimately, I found all of the characters rather irritating. I also thought the story was hard to follow at times. The narration was poor, and from the least interesting perspective. I assume Rose was chosen to tell the story since she spent the most time at the house and around Shirley, but what an uninteresting girl. Really, after finishing this book, I didn’t totally understand why it needed to be written. I think adding two fictional characters to a life that was really lived by two literary legends was totally unnecessary. I was also expecting something more intense to happen based on the blurb this book provided. Here’s hoping the movie takes some more creative liberties.