Title: A Major Disappointment
Review: A full-length analysis of Jackson's subtle, disturbing fiction is long overdue. Hattenhauer's book, unfortunately, is a major disappointment. His interpretations are limited and overdetermined, he completely pathologizes the admittedly troubled Jackson, and (perhaps most alarming, given Jackson's fierce, dark wit) he seems to have no sense of humor. Moreover, Hattenhauer's style is so jargon-ridden it almost comes across as a parody. (And yes, I do understand and support the idea that literary criticism, like all academic disciplines, needs and deserves its own technical vocabulary; I also understand that books intended for academic audiences need not be "readable" in the same way as books intended for the general public.) I look forward to a better book about this wonderful writer.
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