The Possibility of Evil

Shirley Jackson's Dark Tales (2016) is a collection of short stories. These seventeen tales were originally published in the 1950s and 1960s, appearing in The Saturday Evening Post, Ladies Home Journal, Vogue and elsewhere.

I picked up Dark Tales as I wanted some good short stories to read to get me back in a reading groove. I often find that when I have a lot on my mind, or I have fallen into a reading slump (after reading a big novel or one I did not enjoy), that short stories are just the refresh I need to put me back on a reading path. Dark Tales did not disappoint, with stories of the perfect length to read before bed. 

For me, the collection highlights are:

• 'The Possibility of Evil' about an elderly woman in a small town who prizes her roses and has very strong views on her fellow townsfolk.
• 'The Honeymoon of Mrs Smith' in which a woman knowingly marries a man who is going to kill her. 
• 'Louisa, Please Come Home' about a young woman who runs away from home, and when she seeks to return three years later is unable to.
• 'The Summer People' about a retired couple who stay at their cottage past Labour Day.
• 'The Story We Used to Tell' about two friends who get trapped by a disturbing painting.
• 'Family Treasures' about an unpopular girl in a college dormitory who has a secret. 
• 'The Good Wife' in which a man suspects his new wife of having an affair.
• 'All She Said was Yes' about a girl who is taken in by her neighbours when her parents die.

With any short story collection, there are always a few that don't resonate. In Dark Tales, I found it hard to enjoy 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice' or 'Jack the Ripper'. Some of the stories reminded me of tales from the Twilight Zone, like 'The Bus' in which an elderly woman is trying to get home but has troubles with the only bus company that can take her there. I am not a big fan of horror or supernatural, but I do like stories that are eerie, creepy and unnerving like many of those found in Dark Tales.

Shirley Jackson is best known for her gothic mystery and supernatural horror stories including The Lottery and Other Stories (1949),  Hangsaman (1951), The Haunting of Hill House (1959) and We Have Always Lived in the Castle (1962).  I look forward to exploring more of her work.