The Sundial
by Shirley Jackson
Blurb:
Before there was Hill House, there was the Halloran mansion of Jackson’s stunningly creepy fourth novel, The Sundial. Aunt Fanny has always been somewhat peculiar. When the Halloran clan gathers at the family home for a funeral, no one is surprised when she wanders off into the secret garden. But then Aunt Fanny returns to report an astonishing vision of an apocalypse from which only the Hallorans and their hangers-on will be spared, and the family finds itself engulfed in growing madness, fear, and violence as they prepare for a terrible new world. For Aunt Fanny's long-dead father has given her the precise date of the final cataclysm!
My Reaction:
Hm. I think there's a reason this is one of Jackson's "forgotten" novels.
I started reading this one on the Kindle, but after a while, it was obvious that I was having trouble making progress with it, so I switched to audio format. That helped me finish it, but didn't really make me like it all that much more.
When you start reading a "lesser-known" novel by a famous author, it can be difficult to come to it with a completely open mind. After all, it's a pretty safe bet that it's not going to be a huge crowd-pleaser, else it wouldn't be lesser-known. Sometimes you may be pleasantly surprised, but in this case, maybe not. There are some amusing and creepy moments, but I had a feeling early on that the end would be disappointing, and I can't say that I was wrong. I just feel like shrugging, unfortunately.
I'm not sure if I'll ever bother with the remaining of the "lesser-knowns" that I've yet to read. Revisiting one of the stronger novels might be a better bet, if the mood strikes me.
