Ken’s Comments (group member since Jan 21, 2020)

Ken’s comments from the The Obscure Reading Group group.

I made the big push and finished. I'll save my comments for Discussion #2.

P.S. Thank you, Sandra.

Diane wrote: "For my part, I am choosing to read this as a farce, so that I can enjoy the circus without worrying about what Shirley Jackson intended. I am very curious about the second half of this novel, and w..."

In all the confusion of characters and plot holes, I forgot all about the opening moments where references are made to Lionel being pushed down stairs. In the beginning, I thought that was the mystery to unwind. Maybe not.

Yvonne wrote: "Hi all, just arrived at chapter six and I decided that’s far enough along to indulge in reading your observations. Everything I’ve thought about it so far has been named, and I agree, except that m..."

I'm not sure which passage you mean, Yvonne. Could you quote up a few lines?

In the spirit of parts winning BIG over whole (so far), here's a part I chuckled over -- the initial description of Mrs. Willow, an otherwise unbelievable character who is accepted in unbelievable ways by Mrs. Horror-an.

"Mrs. Willow was a large and overwhelmingly vocal woman, with a great bosom and an indefinable air of having lost some vital possession down the front of it, for she shook and trembled and regarded herself with such enthusiasm that it was all the casual observer could do at first to keep from offering to help."

"'And you have gotten older, Orianna,' she said, entering, 'how glad I am! The older we get ourselves the more we like to see it in our friends,' and she smiled amply around the room, as though prepared with only the faintest encouragement to gather them all to her bosom, that repository of lost treasures, and cherish them for having grown older every minute since they were born..."

Ginny wrote: "Ken wrote: "What does the book remind you of?..."

Perhaps Lewis Carroll? Laugh-out-loud social satire, mixed in with truly terrifying scenes and characters. Even a couple of "through the looking g..."


Illustrations like that can deck out any book in style. Love it!

Re: the characters. I've noticed that certain characters will seem to rev up as "key" (e.g. Fancy), then almost disappear entirely. It's odd and makes one wonder: "On purpose or just sloppy?"

I am enjoying the dark humor, the tongue-in-cheek (where else?) stuff, but admit that I, too, am put off by the excess and, to my mind, unnecessary characters.

Though it's too soon to say, I also sense that something is lost in not being more serious about the possible "scary" angles. All of that is usurped by Aunt Fanny's ridiculousness and the equally ridiculous reaction to it by others.

Weirdly, I'm sensing subtlety in the humor aspects and a lack of subtlety in plot development, which seems hamfisted, as if the author doesn't much care.

So... at this point I'm enjoying some of the lines and descriptions more than the story itself, which borders on silly.

In the first half of the book, what struck you about the plot? the characters? the writing?

Is this genre writing or genre-bending?

What does the book remind you of?

And where do we go from here in the second half of the book?

(These are just a few starter questions. Feel free to add your own "What the -- ?" questions, or be bold and make a few pronouncements about this sunny book.)

Alan! Good to see you in this obscure neck of the GR woods.

Darrin wrote: "I finally picked up a copy from the library and will start reading. My history with Shirley Jackson is minimal. As far as I remember the only Item I have read by her is the short story, The Lottery..."

As I taught it in middle school, my guess is yes.

Looking forward to your input, Yvonne and Tom!

We will discuss Shirley Jackson's lesser-known novel in two installments. You do not have to have the whole book finished by October 1st -- only Chapters 1-7. The remaining chapters will be discussed the following week.

Happy Reading!


Start Date: Friday, October 1st

Discuss Chapters 1 through end of 7


Start Date: Thursday, October 7th

Discuss Chapters 8 through 16 (end of book)

I just ordered my copy of The Sundial. When it arrives, I will put up the reading schedule, though you can assume the first half (around 125 pp.) will be Oct. 1-6 and the second half (same-ish, depending on chapter breaks) will go from Oct. 7-14.

Nick wrote: "I’m in. I have not read any Shirley Jackson, she is unmapped territory for me."

Get your new map ready!

Sandra wrote: "Hey, Ken. I just ordered your new book. Looking forward to reading it."

Awesome, Sandra! (Those three sentences just happen to be in my Top 3!)

S'OK. I'm Yvonne's #1 fan, too. ;-)

Sue wrote: "As Ruth mentioned, the kindle copy is available on the app so I think I will try it for my iPad. I prefer reading on the kindle paperwhite for visual reasons but hey, 99 cents meets the cost need."

Is Ruth in the house? I'm her #1 fan!

Nidhi wrote: "Thank you Jean and Ken. I like this group’s rule of reading four ( three?) books a year. A nice, luxurious way to enjoy a book."

Yes, three books a year: February, June, and October. If you don't belong to other reading groups, the rest of the year is dedicated to your own reading projects (also known at the towering TBR pile throwing an immense shadow).

Welcome to the Group, Nidhi. I hope you enjoy Abigail as much as I did!

Carol wrote: "I cracked and bought the 14.00 kindle. Shirley’s estate needs the money. And so does Bozo the Clown for his next adventure. Meh!"

Spoken like a true friend of writers! (And their estates... and their ability to buy Omaha steaks.)

Sue wrote: "I had planned to buy the inexpensive copy of The Sundial and read it on my paper white. Silly me! I bought it for 99 cents and discovered it’s incompatible with that form of kindle. Guess I could t..."

Isn't it maddening when you hit compatibility issues with this or that iteration of technology. You'd think the companies making these things (e.g. Kindle) would make sure that each new generation of the product is compatible with the last (which is compatible with the future).

Then again, you'd think a lot of things, but ultimately you'd be like the cheese and the cheese stands alone. (Allusion to a very deep literary ditty.)

Per usual, I'll get mine through the interlibrary system, unless it's not available, in which case I'll buy it.

I'll start reading around Sept. 28th. Plenty to occupy me in the meantime!

Note: At a mere 245 pp., it looks like the reading schedule will be two weeks. I'll split it as much as I can down the middle. Once I have a copy and see how the chapters are laid out, I mean.