E asked Robert Dunbar:

among the works of James and Jackson,which one is your favorite??

Robert Dunbar Does anyone above the age of ten actually have a “favorite” book? (Or symphony? Or painting?) Certainly, there is much to admire in the works of Henry James. (I’m assuming that’s who you mean, rather than M.R. James.) More than any other single work I can think of, his novella THE TURN OF THE SCREW helped established the conventions of the modern, psychological ghost tale. Still, I’ve always been more of a THE ASPERN PAPERS man myself, which despite the spooky atmosphere lacks a supernatural component. (Some of the same themes emerge in James’ story THE REAL RIGHT THING, this time with a ghost.) Among Shirley Jackson’s excellent novels and stories, I’m guessing people generally select THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE as their favorite novel, just as I’m sure THE LOTTERY comes up fairly often. Personally, I’m not sure I don’t prefer WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE. It’s a haunting novel, rather than a novel about a haunting… seductive and disturbing.

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