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Top 350 Shirley Jackson Quotes (2026 Update)
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Shirley Jackson Quote: “Mr. Halloran had been crying, but this was not unusual; since he had been made to realize that he would not, now, be vouchsafed a second run at youth he cried easily and often.”

301. “Mr. Halloran had been crying, but this was not unusual; since he had been made to realize that he would not, now, be vouchsafed a second run at youth he cried easily and often.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “Some lives, ending as Miss Fielding’s would, leave a grain of memory, like a grain of sand, in the depths of another mind, a grain of sand which is like the constant irritation under an oyster’s shell, eventually to grow with coating after coating of disguising beauty into a pearl. Sometime this memory would be pried loose, in its rounded beauty, to stand by itself as an object of delight.”

302. “Some lives, ending as Miss Fielding’s would, leave a grain of memory, like a grain of sand, in the depths of another mind, a grain of sand which is like the constant irritation under an oyster’s shell, eventually to grow with coating after coating of disguising beauty into a pearl. Sometime this memory would be pried loose, in its rounded beauty, to stand by itself as an object of delight.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “I’ll tell them,’ she said, and the baby looked at me cynically.”

303. “I’ll tell them,’ she said, and the baby looked at me cynically.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “For one thing, it had suddenly come to Natalie that when people were sober they repudiated everything they had done when they were drunk, and when they were drunk they repudiated everything they had done when they were sober.”

304. “For one thing, it had suddenly come to Natalie that when people were sober they repudiated everything they had done when they were drunk, and when they were drunk they repudiated everything they had done when they were sober.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “It is not proven that Elizabeth’s person equilibrium was set off balance by the slant of the office floor, nor could it be proven that it was Elizabeth who pushed the building off its foundations, but it is undeniable that they began to slip at about the same time.”

305. “It is not proven that Elizabeth’s person equilibrium was set off balance by the slant of the office floor, nor could it be proven that it was Elizabeth who pushed the building off its foundations, but it is undeniable that they began to slip at about the same time.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “My name is Mary Katherine Blackwood.”

306. “My name is Mary Katherine Blackwood.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “Don’t be hypnotized by the sanctity of the superficial rhythm of humdrum life, Jackson warns, for under the surface of things, people change, sometimes irrevocably, and yet they may appear unaltered.”

307. “Don’t be hypnotized by the sanctity of the superficial rhythm of humdrum life, Jackson warns, for under the surface of things, people change, sometimes irrevocably, and yet they may appear unaltered.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “Would you think I ought to give up my painting just for a home and a couple of lousy children with running noses?”

308. “Would you think I ought to give up my painting just for a home and a couple of lousy children with running noses?”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “I dusted the wedding-cake trim with a cloth on the end of a broom, staggering, and looking up and pretending that the ceiling was the floor and I was sweeping, hovering busily in space looking down at my broom, weightless and flying until the room swung dizzily and I was again on the floor looking up.”

309. “I dusted the wedding-cake trim with a cloth on the end of a broom, staggering, and looking up and pretending that the ceiling was the floor and I was sweeping, hovering busily in space looking down at my broom, weightless and flying until the room swung dizzily and I was again on the floor looking up.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “Beneath the trees it was not dark as a room is dark when the lights are put out, the artificial darkness which comes when an artificial light is gone; it was the deep natural darkness which comes with a forsaking of natural light.”

310. “Beneath the trees it was not dark as a room is dark when the lights are put out, the artificial darkness which comes when an artificial light is gone; it was the deep natural darkness which comes with a forsaking of natural light.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “Ask your mommy can we have two chairs out here,” Billy said. “Then we can pretend the whole garden is our house.”

311. “Ask your mommy can we have two chairs out here,” Billy said. “Then we can pretend the whole garden is our house.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “She was well away from the city now, watching for the turning onto Route 39, that magic thread of road Dr. Montague had chosen for her, out of all the roads in the world, to bring her safely to him and to Hill House; no other road could lead her from where she was to where she wanted to be.”

312. “She was well away from the city now, watching for the turning onto Route 39, that magic thread of road Dr. Montague had chosen for her, out of all the roads in the world, to bring her safely to him and to Hill House; no other road could lead her from where she was to where she wanted to be.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “There’s only one of me, and it’s all I’ve got.”

313. “There’s only one of me, and it’s all I’ve got.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “I told you that you would like it on the moon.”

314. “I told you that you would like it on the moon.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “We have got to get a bigger house,” I said. “Don’t be silly,” my husband said, reading. “There is no bigger house.” “A new house?” said Jannie. “Can I have a room of my own?” When I went down to the grocery the next morning the grocer said he heard we were thinking of moving.”

315. “We have got to get a bigger house,” I said. “Don’t be silly,” my husband said, reading. “There is no bigger house.” “A new house?” said Jannie. “Can I have a room of my own?” When I went down to the grocery the next morning the grocer said he heard we were thinking of moving.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “I want to say I’m sorry. I was wicked last night.” I was still and cold, looking at her and remembering. “I was very wicked,” she said. “I never should have reminded you of why they all died.” “Then don’t remind me now.” I could not move my hand to reach over and take hers.”

316. “I want to say I’m sorry. I was wicked last night.” I was still and cold, looking at her and remembering. “I was very wicked,” she said. “I never should have reminded you of why they all died.” “Then don’t remind me now.” I could not move my hand to reach over and take hers.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “I think it cannot be too firmly emphasized that in the writing of any kind of fiction no scene and no character can be allowed to wander off by itself; there must be some furthering of the story in every sentence, and even the most fleeting background characters must partake of the story in some way; they must be characters peculiar to this story and no other.”

317. “I think it cannot be too firmly emphasized that in the writing of any kind of fiction no scene and no character can be allowed to wander off by itself; there must be some furthering of the story in every sentence, and even the most fleeting background characters must partake of the story in some way; they must be characters peculiar to this story and no other.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “I think we are only afraid of ourselves,” the doctor said slowly.”

318. “I think we are only afraid of ourselves,” the doctor said slowly.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “It is most agreeable to be a writer of fiction for several reasons–one of the most important being, of course that you can persuade people that it is really work if you look haggard enough–but perhaps the most useful thing about being a writer of fiction is that nothing is ever wasted; all experience is good for something; you tend to see everything as a potential structure of words.”

319. “It is most agreeable to be a writer of fiction for several reasons–one of the most important being, of course that you can persuade people that it is really work if you look haggard enough–but perhaps the most useful thing about being a writer of fiction is that nothing is ever wasted; all experience is good for something; you tend to see everything as a potential structure of words.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “I have no way of knowing what we may be called upon to do for ourselves.”

320. “I have no way of knowing what we may be called upon to do for ourselves.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “When Mrs. Ferrier stepped inside our front door at one minute before three that afternoon it was perfectly clear to me without hesitation that we were not going to become fast friends.”

321. “When Mrs. Ferrier stepped inside our front door at one minute before three that afternoon it was perfectly clear to me without hesitation that we were not going to become fast friends.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “Essex made a face. ‘Ambrosia is not my drink.”

322. “Essex made a face. ‘Ambrosia is not my drink.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “When Luke and I are called outside, and you two are kept imprisoned inside – doesn’t it begin to seem – and his voice is very quiet – doesn’t it begin to seem that the intention is, somehow, to separate us?”

323. “When Luke and I are called outside, and you two are kept imprisoned inside – doesn’t it begin to seem – and his voice is very quiet – doesn’t it begin to seem that the intention is, somehow, to separate us?”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “A woman born for tragedy, perhaps, although inclined to be a little silly.”

324. “A woman born for tragedy, perhaps, although inclined to be a little silly.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “Eleanor felt, as she had the day before, that the conversation was being skillfully guided away from the thought of fear, so very present in her own mind. Perhaps she was to be allowed to speak occasionally for all of them so that, quieting her, they quieted themselves and could leave the subject behind them;.”

325. “Eleanor felt, as she had the day before, that the conversation was being skillfully guided away from the thought of fear, so very present in her own mind. Perhaps she was to be allowed to speak occasionally for all of them so that, quieting her, they quieted themselves and could leave the subject behind them;.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “Some rose petals are poisonous.”

326. “Some rose petals are poisonous.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “Our house is old, and noisy, and full. When we moved into it we had two children and about five thousand books; I expect that when we finally overflow and move out again we will have perhaps twenty children and easily half a million books.”

327. “Our house is old, and noisy, and full. When we moved into it we had two children and about five thousand books; I expect that when we finally overflow and move out again we will have perhaps twenty children and easily half a million books.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “They made houses so oddly back when Hill House was built, she thought; they put towers and turrets and buttresses and wooden lace on them, even sometimes Gothic spires and gargoyles; nothing was ever left undecorated.”

328. “They made houses so oddly back when Hill House was built, she thought; they put towers and turrets and buttresses and wooden lace on them, even sometimes Gothic spires and gargoyles; nothing was ever left undecorated.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “Bow all your heads to our adored Mary Katherine.”

329. “Bow all your heads to our adored Mary Katherine.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “Remember, this – this is the end we have waited for so long.”

330. “Remember, this – this is the end we have waited for so long.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “It was not possible to communicate with her because she would not abandon her coffee cup.”

331. “It was not possible to communicate with her because she would not abandon her coffee cup.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “No one, she thought, can catch me now; they don’t even know which way I’m going.”

332. “No one, she thought, can catch me now; they don’t even know which way I’m going.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “She probably watches every move we make, anyway; it’s probably part of what she agreed to.” “Agreed to with whom, I wonder? Count Dracula?” “You think he lives in Hill House?” “I think he spends all his week ends here; I swear I saw bats in the woodwork.”

333. “She probably watches every move we make, anyway; it’s probably part of what she agreed to.” “Agreed to with whom, I wonder? Count Dracula?” “You think he lives in Hill House?” “I think he spends all his week ends here; I swear I saw bats in the woodwork.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “Some of these rooms are entirely inside rooms,” the doctor said from ahead of them. “No windows, no access to the outdoors at all. However, a series of enclosed rooms is not altogether surprising in a house of this period, particularly when you recall that what windows they did have were heavily shrouded with hangings and draperies within, and shrubbery without. Ah.”

334. “Some of these rooms are entirely inside rooms,” the doctor said from ahead of them. “No windows, no access to the outdoors at all. However, a series of enclosed rooms is not altogether surprising in a house of this period, particularly when you recall that what windows they did have were heavily shrouded with hangings and draperies within, and shrubbery without. Ah.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “She had done so much to preserve herself from this kind of captivity and had taken inevitably one of the many roads which would lead her to the same torment; she was helpless among people who hated her and showed it by holding her motionless until they should choose to release her.”

335. “She had done so much to preserve herself from this kind of captivity and had taken inevitably one of the many roads which would lead her to the same torment; she was helpless among people who hated her and showed it by holding her motionless until they should choose to release her.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “After all,′ said the old lady dreamily, with raindrops in her hair, ’we don’t always see ahead, into things that are going to happen.”

336. “After all,′ said the old lady dreamily, with raindrops in her hair, ’we don’t always see ahead, into things that are going to happen.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “How happy we all are, she thought, and how lucky that I came at last!”

337. “How happy we all are, she thought, and how lucky that I came at last!”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “It is almost silly to say that no one will read a story which does not interest him. Yet many writers forget it. They write a story which interests them, forgetting that the particular emotional investment they brought to the incident had never been communicated to the reader because, writing the story, they wrote down only what happened and not what was felt.”

338. “It is almost silly to say that no one will read a story which does not interest him. Yet many writers forget it. They write a story which interests them, forgetting that the particular emotional investment they brought to the incident had never been communicated to the reader because, writing the story, they wrote down only what happened and not what was felt.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “Elizabeth watched him: this is Robbie, she was thinking, I know what he’s going to do and what he’s going to say and what tie he’s going to wear every day in the week, and for eleven years I have known these things and for eleven years I have been wondering how to say things to make him understand; and eleven years ago we sat here and held hands and he said we were going to be successful.”

339. “Elizabeth watched him: this is Robbie, she was thinking, I know what he’s going to do and what he’s going to say and what tie he’s going to wear every day in the week, and for eleven years I have known these things and for eleven years I have been wondering how to say things to make him understand; and eleven years ago we sat here and held hands and he said we were going to be successful.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “But some of us go around hoping.”

340. “But some of us go around hoping.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “If I am not the legal resident of the apartment you cannot evict me. You cannot evict Mrs. Tuttle, who is the legal resident of the apartment, because she is not living here. Unless you accept my check you are not going to receive any rent for the apartment at all because you cannot rent it to anyone else while I am living here because you cannot evict me so they could move in. Mrs. Tuttle will not pay the rent because she is not living here. Sincerely, Marian Griswold.”

341. “If I am not the legal resident of the apartment you cannot evict me. You cannot evict Mrs. Tuttle, who is the legal resident of the apartment, because she is not living here. Unless you accept my check you are not going to receive any rent for the apartment at all because you cannot rent it to anyone else while I am living here because you cannot evict me so they could move in. Mrs. Tuttle will not pay the rent because she is not living here. Sincerely, Marian Griswold.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “No one even noticed me, she thought with reassurance, everyone who saw me has gone by long ago.”

342. “No one even noticed me, she thought with reassurance, everyone who saw me has gone by long ago.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “I was thinking that you might make a gingerbread man, and I could name him Charles and eat him.”

343. “I was thinking that you might make a gingerbread man, and I could name him Charles and eat him.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “The wet raincoat smell was exciting, carrying with it remotely the institutional smells of the college, a faint echo of a cologne Natalie had never worn in her life; near the pocket was a cigarette burn she had not made; the raincoat was in itself a symbol of going and coming, of wishing and fearing, or, precisely, the going out of a warm, firelit house into the heartbreaking cold.”

344. “The wet raincoat smell was exciting, carrying with it remotely the institutional smells of the college, a faint echo of a cologne Natalie had never worn in her life; near the pocket was a cigarette burn she had not made; the raincoat was in itself a symbol of going and coming, of wishing and fearing, or, precisely, the going out of a warm, firelit house into the heartbreaking cold.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “Some inner integrity had preserved their shop from being a shoppe.”

345. “Some inner integrity had preserved their shop from being a shoppe.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “I could fasten him to a tree and keep him there until he grew into the trunk and bark grew over his mouth.”

346. “I could fasten him to a tree and keep him there until he grew into the trunk and bark grew over his mouth.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “The road to hell is very likely paved with my notes for stories and books and articles.”

347. “The road to hell is very likely paved with my notes for stories and books and articles.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “We had three more attics, but one of them was full of old lumber and bricks left over from the various additions that had been built onto the house, and one of them was full of bats, and the last could only be reached by climbing through a trapdoor in the ceiling of the next-to-the-last attic and even if I could get past the bats and through the lumber and bricks I did not think I could keep taking the baby up and down through a trapdoor.”

348. “We had three more attics, but one of them was full of old lumber and bricks left over from the various additions that had been built onto the house, and one of them was full of bats, and the last could only be reached by climbing through a trapdoor in the ceiling of the next-to-the-last attic and even if I could get past the bats and through the lumber and bricks I did not think I could keep taking the baby up and down through a trapdoor.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “All right, folks.” Mr. Summers said. “Let’s finish quickly.”

349. “All right, folks.” Mr. Summers said. “Let’s finish quickly.”

— Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson Quote: “Let us have a little more brandy,′ the doctor said, ’and I will tell you the story of Hill House.”

350. “Let us have a little more brandy,′ the doctor said, ’and I will tell you the story of Hill House.”

— Shirley Jackson

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