The Road Through the Wall

By: Shirley Jackson, Ruth Franklin - introduction

Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell

The compelling novel that began Shirley Jackson's legendary career

Pepper Street is a really nice, safe California neighborhood. The houses are tidy and the lawns are neatly mowed. Of course, the country club is close by, and lots of pleasant folks live there. The only problem is they knocked down the wall at the end of the street to make way for a road to a new housing development. Now, that’s not good—it’s just not good at all. Satirically exploring what happens when a smug suburban neighborhood is breached by awful, unavoidable truths, The Road Through the Wall is the tale that launched Shirley Jackson’s heralded career.

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Ugh

It would be hard to overstate how much I hated this book. I like Shirley Jackson, and appreciate how she builds tension by creating a setting and cast of characters that are just a little bit off. This is good book, but not an enjoyable one, if that makes sense. The characters are awful people. I think I will stick to her short stories from now on.