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Title: We Have Always Lived in the Castle (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)
ISBN: 0143039970
Author:
Shirley Jackson
Publicate Date: 2006-10-31
Publish: 2006-10-31
List Price: $15.00
Average Customer Rating: 4.5
Format: Paperback
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $8.30
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $6.00
Amazon Merchant Price: $10.20
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| Customer Review: |
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1: All-Time Favorite
I first read "We Have Always Lived in the Castle" in moody puberty and have returned to it time and again as I approach the half-century mark. This is far and away my favorite of Shirley Jackson's books and stories and one of my favorite books ever. The writing from beginning to end is quietly brilliant and creates a vivid if strange world. Every detail tells, from the jewel-like jars of preserves in the cellar, put up by generations of Blackwood women, to the narrator's refusal to accept cream or sugar in her coffee in the village cafe, but no detail dates the book. The pace never flags. The characters are compelling. Reading this book is like taking a journey to a hidden fort in the woods with only your wildest imagination for company. A stunning example of the writer's craft and art.
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2: Jackson's Best
Having gone through all of Shirley Jackson's writings that I could get my hand on, I have to say that "We Have Always Lived in the Castle" is my favorite. On one hand it is a tale of murder, poison, obsessions and isolationism. On another it is about the bond between sisters and the power of fear. Jackson does her signature twist with the end and, although you may see it coming, it is still jarring. Instead of leaving us with the twist, however, she continues on to make a comment on guilt and the aftermath of mob mentalities. What remains with you after you have finished, though, is an intense sense of family and, considering the actual premise of the novel, this is no small feat for Jackson to have accomplished. Jackson's writing is, as always, simple and believable with such an attention to detail that the characters seem to pop off the page. In my opinion, this novel is truly her best.
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3: Enjoyed it very much!
I read this book in about two or three sittings as the pages flew by. And although I guessed the main surprise, I still loved the way it all unraveled. It made me laugh at times (especially with Uncle Julian) and it made me feel sorry for the characters at times. Merricat was an excellent narrator and I was kind of sad when the book ended. Recommended to those who like a quick read with three dimensional characters.
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4: Fair
Although it explores some creepy psychological depths, "We Have Always Lived In the Castle" never really rises to great storytelling - or great story, for that matter. It's a very inward, and at times repetitive, tale about a family that has, for better or for worse, become isolated from its own community. One problem is that after a short while, it generates little interest in the reader for people living in this doomed, backwards household - nor of the people living outside it.
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5: A DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY CARRIES ON...
This story revolves around a family that has sustained a major tragedy. Apparently, most of the family was murdered at supper one day via the introduction of arsenic into their food. Only three family members survive, sisters Constance and Mary Catherine Blackwood, and their elderly Uncle Julian. Constance, who always cooked for her family, was charged with their murder but aquitted at trial. The surviving three Blackwoods now live in splendid isolation in their mansion, as they are reviled by the villagers.
Mary Catherine, the younger sister known affectionately as Merricat, is a strange girl. Bright, imaginative, and compulsive, she has an assortment of rituals that she carries out in her daily activities, which are somewhat limited. She rarely ventures beyond the curtilage of her stately home, except for trepidaciously entering the village to get necessary supplies. Her sister Catherine, however, never ventures beyond the immediate perimeter of her home, though this is clearly something that she wishes to do. Uncle Julian is an invalid, living out his remaining days trying to figure out the mystery behind what had happened to his family that caused them all to be poisoned.
They are truly alone, except for the rare visitors who knew their family prior to the tragedy that took place. Even these few visits are almost too much for them. Still, Constance does her best to entertain them, although Merricat clearly wishes they would not come. Their highly structured world, however, is slowly torn apart, when Charles, a cousin, comes to visit them. He inveigles and tantalizes Constance with visions of having a normal life. Needless to say, Merricat and Charles do not get along, as she perceives him to be the enemy, seeking to disrupt her orderly, though dysfunctional, world.
The writing style is spare, taut, and, at times, quite compelling, as well as darkly humourous. Still, what happens to Constance and Merricat is no real surprise. What is problematic is one never really understands what makes Constance tick nor what makes Merricat do what she does. There is no resolution in the book, leaving the reader to fill in the blanks.
While I admit that I am in the minority, as I found this book to be a little disappointing, I do I find it hard to believe that Time magazine, at one time, had named it one of the ten best novels of the year. While this a moderately enjoyable work, readers would do better to seek out Ms. Jackson's dazzling story, "The Lottery", a much better, and more satisfying, book.
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