This post is coming in a little later than I planned because I've been super busy with birthdays, my wedding anniversary and home renovations. But wait no longer! The post for The Sundial is here! Shirley Jackson is also the author of The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle.
The book follows a wealthy family and their 'friends' as they navigate a world in which they know is ending after one of the company has a vision warning of an apocalypse. Each character deals with the knowledge in a different way and the book highlights these ups and downs and in some cases ridiculous events all with a Gothic horror overlay.
First off, I thought this book was very weird and is not a book I would pick to read myself normally, but I did like it. It was character driven rather than plot driven which was a big change from many of the other books we've read for book club this year. Elissa, it was her pick, said it made her really want to see it as a screenplay or a play because the flow and writing of the story would translate really well, and I agree!
The overall rating for the book from the club was a 7 out of 10, with Elissa giving it the highest rating of the group with an 8. We all agreed that the first part of the book was the funniest, with the party at the end being a close second if mostly because of Essex's rumour-mongering of the guests.
There was a part of the book that stuck out to each reader which was really interesting to discuss. For me it was the scene with Aunt Fanny in the maze and the scene with Julia in the car with man. Carmen agreed with the Julia in the car scene, while Jane and Elissa noted the scene with the Captain and the cheque and the furniture in the attic scene. None of this is spoilers because its all out of context!
We also discussed major themes in the book, the first being that the majority of the main characters were women. This was of particular note because The Sundial was written in 1958 during the start of the women rights movement of the 60s, and in it the men are specifically designated for breeding in the overall story of the novel. Other themes included 'live in the now', the material world vs. family and seeing all the vices that people have an how they're affected by them.
The ending has a twist that I didn't see coming and it was fun to discuss that with the club. My initial prediction was Richard, but after re-reading the ending I agree more with Elissa's assessment of it being Fancy. If you're curious what this is about then you need to read the book. One thing I can say about the ending is that I was disappointed that it ended on a bit of a cliffhanger. Jackson leaves the reader wondering and speculating at what could come next.
I would recommend this book to fans of Gothic horror who are looking for a little laughter with their intrigue and uneasiness. Jackson definitely checks all the horror genre boxes: fog, ominous feeling, tension, a haunted house with a dose of intriguing characters on top.
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