Franklin has gathered four of Jackson's novels, with which she began her irreplaceable, all too-brief career. Originally published between 1948 and 1958, they are published here without change except for the correction of typographical errors. Within these stories Jackson explores the recessed concealed within the prosperous world of the postwar 1940s and 50s-- and withing our own unacknowledged selves. -- adapted from front flap and Note on the Texts, pages 842-843.
The Road Through the Wall explores the secret longings, petty hatreds and ultimate terrors that lurk behind the manicured lawns and picture-perfect domestic facades of a California suburb. In Hangsaman, precocious Natalie Waite grows increasingly dependent on a friend who may or may not be imaginary. The Bird's Nest pits four unforgettable characters against each other in a battle for control: the shy, migraine-prone young officer worker Elizabeth versus Elizabeth's other multiple personalities. In the Sundial, the eccentric Halloran clan, gathered at the family manse for a funeral, becomes convinced that the world is about to end and that only those who remain within the house will be saved!