I usually read a Shirley Jackson in October; well, I have the last two years. However, this year it moved to November as my choice for the prompt: ‘a book published before 2000’.
Shirley Jackson novels are always strangely compelling, if not a little weird. And ‘The Sundial’ is no exception. In fact, it is a clever study of human nature, especially in strange times. The Holloran family are told, by the long dead original patriarch, that the world is about to end and only those in the house will survive. This throws the occupants of the house into a strange ‘world’ of preparing for this event.
It has all of Jackson’s favourite things: a family with secrets, a house of secrets, and all the spooky vibes. It was a real page-turner and even though at points, I was not entirely convinced I fully understood what was going on, I still enjoyed reading every single page.