Such a cute, funny book, I laughed out loud at times, it was simply great. We've got a charming family with lots of books, cats and small children, we can see their everyday joys and problems and it was really delightful to read. Five stars. ( )

I’ve read two of Jackson’s classic “horror” tales previously: The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived In the Castle. So, I knew she was a talented writer. But I had no idea she had such a wicked sense of humor!

This collection of essays / vignettes is about Jackson and her family’s move to a small town in Vermont, where she and her husband settled into a large house and proceeded to fill it with children and books, a dog, two cats and “literally thousands of socks.”

It takes place in the early to mid 1950s, when women were typically homemakers, juggling all the aspects of running the household and raising the children, while their husbands went to work, read the newspaper, and occasionally played catch with their sons. The episodes includes a furnace on the blink, a rodent in the house, shopping for children’s clothes and shoes, everyone having the grippe, PTA meetings, shopping for and making family meals (not to mention LOTS of chocolate pudding) and learning to drive. Fueled by little more than coffee, cigarettes and a cocktail before dinner, Jackson dealt with it all with humor and a somewhat detached manner that preserved her sanity. ( )

Shirley's charm and wit shine through the pages. She paints a picture of a homemaker-writer who has to take care of her stoic husband, smart-mouthed children, multitude of pets, endless housework, and neighbors, among many, many other things.

She takes everyday experiences and transforms them into something delightful and meaningful. Her children are the stars of the show, with each having a clear, solid personality that draws you in. Her writing is chock-full of her trademark wit and humor. I especially loved the part where the family - both children and husband - respond nonchalantly to her pregnancy, as if it's something that happens from time to time.

What I'm more surprised by is how she had managed all of it. Raising multiple children and pets, handling an emotionally distant husband, housework that never ends, and her prolific writing career - I would've gone crazy, but she handles it like it's nothing!

Long live Shirley Jackson! Can't wait to read the sequel. ( )

I first read Shirley Jackson’s [The Haunting of Hill House] when I was 17 years old. We won’t go into how many years ago that was but even as a 17-year-old I couldn’t wait to read more of this delicious horror dished out by this author. It wasn’t until these many years later that I discovered that my “go-to” horror author at that time...also had a comical side. This little treasure tells an amusing story of life in chilly...often times, frozen Vermont. With this being my Shirley Jackson, there has to be a shiver underneath all the domestic goings-on. We meet a housekeeper that frosts her cookies with "Repent, Sinner" frosting. Another borrows a few bucks and flees town with her felon boyfriend. Let's not miss out learning about the kids that are all excited about their next visit to "Pudge" over the hill, where the children live beneath the water of the pond and an afternoon visit might take years. Shirley Jackson left her legacy to her readers before the age of 50... so I felt so fortunate to not only have her scary stories like [The Haunting of Hill House] and [We Have Always Lived in The Castle], but to visit this other lesser seen side of Ms. Jackson with this supremely funny little book. ( )

Wow, I have a hard time relating this light hearted memoir to the Shirley Jackson who wrote The Lottery. Also comparing to the recent movie about her also. But it was a delightful book and a nice snapshot of raising children in those simpler times. ( )