Brought to you by Penguin. A darkly funny account of family life from the author of The Haunting of Hill House and The Lottery 'Sometimes, in my capacity as a mother, I find myself sitting open-mouthed and terrified before my own children' As well as being a master of the macabre, Shirley Jackson was also a pitch-perfect chronicler of everyday family life. In Life Among the Savages, her caustically funny account of raising her children in a ramshackle house in Vermont, she deals with rats in the cellar, misbehaving ...
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Brought to you by Penguin. A darkly funny account of family life from the author of The Haunting of Hill House and The Lottery 'Sometimes, in my capacity as a mother, I find myself sitting open-mouthed and terrified before my own children' As well as being a master of the macabre, Shirley Jackson was also a pitch-perfect chronicler of everyday family life. In Life Among the Savages, her caustically funny account of raising her children in a ramshackle house in Vermont, she deals with rats in the cellar, misbehaving imaginary friends, an oblivious husband and ever-encroaching domestic chaos, all described with wit, warmth and plenty of bite. 'Jackson's family chronicles have a genuinely subversive aspect ... Read today, her pieces feel surprisingly modern - mainly because she refuses to sentimentalize or idealize motherhood' The New York Times Book Review 'Comic masterpieces, laced with hints of the discontent that lies beneath' Guardian (c) Shirley Jackson 1953 (P) Penguin Audio 2020
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Add this copy of Life Among the Savages to cart. $2.45, fair condition, Sold by Goodwill of Colorado rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, UNITED STATES, published 1997 by Penguin Group.
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Fair. This item is in overall acceptable condition. Covers and dust jackets are intact but may have heavy wear including creases, bends, edge wear, curled corners or minor tears as well as stickers or sticker-residue. Pages are intact but may have minor curls, bends or moderate to considerable highlighting/ writing. Binding is intact; however, spine may have heavy wear. A well-read copy overall. Please note that all items are donated goods and are in used condition. Orders shipped Monday through Friday! Your purchase helps put people to work and learn life skills to reach their full potential. Orders shipped Monday through Friday. Your purchase helps put people to work and learn life skills to reach their full potential. Thank you!
Add this copy of Life Among the Savages to cart. $3.76, good condition, Sold by Goodwill Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Hillsboro, OR, UNITED STATES, published 2015 by Penguin Books.
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Add this copy of Life Among the Savages to cart. $3.81, very good condition, Sold by Solr Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Skokie, IL, UNITED STATES, published 2015 by Penguin Books.
Add this copy of Life Among the Savages to cart. $3.95, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Brownstown, MI, UNITED STATES, published 1990 by Academy Chicago Publishers.
Add this copy of Life Among the Savages; Raising Demons to cart. $3.99, fair condition, Sold by Seattle Goodwill rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Seattle, WA, UNITED STATES.
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Add this copy of Life Among the Savages; Raising Demons to cart. $4.00, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Ruby rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1998 by Quality Paperback Book Club.
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Add this copy of Life Among the Savages; Raising Demons to cart. $4.00, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Diamond rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1998 by Quality Paperback Book Club.
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Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Life Among the Savages; Raising Demons to cart. $4.00, very good condition, Sold by HPB Inc. rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1998 by Quality Paperback Book Club.
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Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
I was reading The Haunting of Hill House when I discovered that Author Shirley Jackson also wrote humorous short stories about her life in Vermont raising four children in the 40's and 50's. The stories were originally printed in popular magazines and collected in two books, Life Among the Savages and Raising Demons.
I am amazed that an author I love for her incredi-creepy, low key horror stories could also write such funny commentary on being a parent. From her son's daily stories about a naughty kid named Charles at school to her daughter's imaginings of being the second Mrs. Ellenroy who has 7 step-daughters all named Martha, the tales are cute and very entertaining. They are definitely tales from a different era, with Jackson talking about smoking a cigarette while in labor with one of her babies, lamenting her bad luck when hiring household help, and the necessity of purchasing demitasse cups to be a proper host. Her stories of the gigantic old house they rented in Vermont, conversations over bridge with friends, the antics of her children, and her failings as a housekeeper are light and funny. It was a perfect Sunday read for me. I smiled at her tales of household chaos while doing laundry, housework and getting ready for the new week in my own crazy house. :)
Jackson's sense of humor in this book reminds me of Erma Bombeck. She pokes fun at her family because sometimes laughter is needed to maintain sanity. One of my favorite parts of this book is when Jackson's husband is sitting on the sofa alone reading The Wizard of Oz to one of his daughter's imaginary friends, while his daughter is up in her room. Jackson asks her daughter why she isn't downstairs listening to the story. The little girl replies that she got bored so she left...but her friend stayed to listen. Too cute!
Even though they were written decades ago, I think most moms would identify with these stories. I certainly did!