Today’s newsletter continues my review of Shirley Jackson’s less-known novels.

The non-fiction story of Sybil came to mind while I was reading this one. That book and the movie it inspired created a sensation during the mid-1970s and established Sally Field as a great actress. But The Bird's Nest predates Sybil by two decades. It's a fascinating tale and one of the first one to deal with multiple personalities.

Elizabeth Richmond is a colorless, repressed young woman with a meaningless clerical job. She lives with her Aunt Morgen, with whom she has a contentious relationship. Morgen constantly accuses Elizabeth of behavior she doesn’t remember. Matters come to a head when Elizabeth creates an unpleasant scene during a social occasion. A psychiatrist eventually places her under hypnosis to discover that there is more than one version of Elizabeth.

To avoid spoiling the fun, I will say only that there are several wonderfully crafted chapters that draw us into the mind of this character. It’s as much an adventure as it is a personal drama—for Elizabeth, her mercurial aunt, and the doctor. I especially enjoyed a beautifully detailed account of the patient’s trip to New York and an amusing scene in which she takes four baths within an hour. But there are also moments of horrific crisis and danger. Everything Elizabeth does seems logical, once we become familiar with the complexities of her mind. Jackson is a master at making us feel compassion for her characters, even when they are at their worst.

Although Jackson provides tantalizing clues to the cause of Elizabeth’s condition, she leaves them vague, perhaps because 1954 readers might have found them offensive. Still, I heartily recommend The Bird’s Nest with a warning that it contains occasional profanity.

Chevron Ross's novels include Weapons of Remorse, The Seven-Day Resurrection, and The Samaritan's Patient. Click here for more information.