Hangsaman - Shirley Jackson

Written by Shirley Jackson
Read by Julia Whelan
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 64 Kbps
Unabridged

Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group
Release date: October 19, 2021
Duration: 08:41:32

Shirley Jackson’s chilling second novel (1951), based on her own experiences and an actual mysterious disappearance

Seventeen-year-old Natalie Waite longs to escape home for college. Her father is a domineering and egotistical writer who keeps a tight rein on Natalie and her long-suffering mother. When Natalie finally does get away, however, college life doesn’t bring the happiness she expected. Little by little, Natalie is no longer certain of anything—even where reality ends and her dark imaginings begin. Chilling and suspenseful, Hangsaman is loosely based on the real-life disappearance of a Bennington College sophomore in 1946.

The Strange Disappearance of Paula Jean Weldon in the Bennington Triangle…
The “Bennington Triangle” is a name given by paranormal author Joseph A. Citro to denote an area of southwestern Vermont within which as many as ten people have disappeared between 1920 and 1950. This “mystery triangle” centered around Glastenbury Mountain, includes some or most of the area of the towns immediately surrounding it, especially Bennington, Woodford, Shaftsbury, and Somerset.

“Julia Whelan narrates a tale of psychological terror and suspense from one of the genre’s greatest writers…As Whelan’s performance complements Jackson’s writing and the surreal horror of the book builds, the listener will feel like a fish not sensing the hook until it’s too late. Natalie and the unreliable narrator that dictates her thoughts feed off each other and blend together until the listener feels as lost as Natalie does. Whelan’s eager narration works to throw the listener off-balance with a bizarre story that is better heard than read.” — Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award � AudioFile 2022