With Shuddering Fall
A Novel

Genre: Literary Gothic Publisher: Vanguard Press Pub. Year: 1964 It was such a joy to find Joyce Carol Oates’ debut novel, “With Shuddering Fall.” She is an all-time favorite author of mine. Written in 1964, when the author was in her mid-twenties, the novel does not disappoint. In a previous review of......more

JCO’s first novel. I can see that she’s creating her unique voice but at times it was hard to follow. It was a good story but not an excellent one. I always find it interesting to read an authors early works. It was almost there but not quite.......more

This the first novel by Joyce Carol Oates. I read it once before in 1992 and judging from what I said about the book in my reading log, I had little idea what it was about except that the characters were like no one I had yet met in books or in life. Rereading it 27 years later I could hardly belie......more

With Shuddering Fall is out of print, and it must be hard to get. No Amazon reviews, no Library Thing reviews, and none on Goodreads to speak of. Almost makes me sorry I don't have more to say about it. It's Oates' first novel, and I think it shows. That said, it's got the twisted domesticity and got......more

This was Oates' first novel, published when she was 26 (interestingly, John Updike, Philip Roth, and John Irving all published their first books at the age of 26). The story takes place within the scope of about nine months; the sections are titled "Spring", "Summer", and "Fall". I still don't know......more