We Have Always Lived in the Castle [Hardcover]

shirley jackson (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: M. Joseph; First UK Edition edition (1963)
• ASIN: B002779V2W
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (122 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,601,549 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

128 of 142 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars IN ONE AFTERNOON, MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH BOOKS CHANGED FOREVER, February 25, 1999

By 

Annika ([e-mail]) (Pittsburgh, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: We Have Always Lived in the Castle (Paperback)

He pressured me into reading this book. "No, no," I objected, "I know about this Shirley Jackson; she's the one writes those scary books. I'd like to sleep tonight, thank you." Finally I gave in and picked it up. I didn't put it down until I had read the last word, and then only for long enough to get a glass of apple juice and demand to know why there wasn't more of it. Two weeks later, as I was reading it for about the ninetieth time, he suggested perhaps I ought to get some sleep, or some fresh air, or at least, if it wasn't too much to ask, a different book. "Fine," I snarled, "I'll try this HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE." But that's another review, and I still haven't gotten around to why I loved this book so much. It's been said, I believe, that Shirley Jackson was incapable of writing a bad, or poor, sentence. More accurate, I think, would be to say that she cannot (could not) write an imperfect one. Every word of every sentence on every page of WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE drew me in, captivated me, and made it impossible for me to not believe everything I was reading. It was as if, while reading the words of Merricat Blackwood, I was her; her "madness", if that is the word for the way she thought, felt, and acted, consumed me and I thought as she did. I cannot imagine a more magical book, a more fascinating story. I urge you to read this book if you care one shred for literature. It is, truly, a masterpiece.

32 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This novel is a twisted tale that should be treasured, March 18, 2001

By 

Adam Days (Castle Rock, Maine USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: We Have Always Lived in the Castle (Paperback)

This novel is a wonderful, delicous tale that only the late Ms. Jackson could possibly bestow on her fans. This novel is a deep journey into the psychological powers of us all. Merricat is a very real character, one that will and should be treasured by future generations as a wonderful priceless work of art. This is so much more than words on paper, this novel is a eerie lingering taste of true horror. Not the horror that authors such Stephen King or Anne Rice would write, not Shirley Jackson. This is another superb master-piece of psychological horror that can only be described as cryptic and beautiful. I HIGHLY recommended that you read this novel, it will teach you how to view circumstances and events in a different perscpitive...the Shirley Jackson perscpitive. I would love to rate this book with at least eight stars. ******** Wonderful, you won't be sorry if you read this. Constance is such a caring person, and Uncle Julian is so real that you actually begin to feel sorry for him. And Charles you will not like Charles. But Merricat, she is a divine work, a sweet little niave girl who wishes to live on the moon with Constance and Jonas, her cat. Breath-taking saga that only Shirley Jackson can create.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent novel, but not for everyone, December 28, 2000

By 

Ashley (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: We Have Always Lived in the Castle (Paperback)

I am a big fan of Shirley Jackson. I first became interested in her after stumbling across a collection of her short stories, and since then, I have been hooked. We Have Always Lived in the Castle is my favorite Shirley Jackson novel. The Haunting of Hill House has generated much more speculation and interest world-wide than did We Have Always Lived in the Castle, but in my opinion, there is much more to be said for this book. There is much more to this novel than it seems when you first start reading it. Many things throughout the book will appeal to you, and simultaneously tear your heart in two, like the villager's hatred of Merricat (the narrator and main character) and their horrible, shameful treatment of her.

This is a complex novel. It is not for everyone. It is a difficult read, because if you aren't into the book, then you won't understand what's going on. It reminds me of J.D. Salinger's. His books, especially if you've read his short stories, are to be puzzled over, yet never completely understood.

The story is about Merricat and Constance, two sisters who live isolated on the edge of town at Blackwood Manor. They seldom venture out of their home, and when they do are subjected to abuse at the hands of the villagers, who particularly enjoy throwing rocks at Merricat and calling her names. Readers come onto the scene of the story years after a poisoning during supper at Blackwood Manor, which killed most of the family. For years Merricat, their uncle, and Merricat's older sister Constance have lived in solitude until Charles, a distant cousin, comes calling. He plays upon Constance's desire for a normal life, telling her how unnatural her life is at Blackwood Manor, while at the same time displaying to the reader a strong interest in the family fortune. Merricat sees him as a threat to her lifestyle of comfort and solitude, away from those who revile her and her family. Merricat is also disturbed by the way Charles seems to be tantalizing Constance with visions of how her life could be if they left Blackwood Manor. Suddenly everything important to her is threatened.

I felt particular sympathy for the character of Constance. She was locked in a world she couldn't get out of. She loved her sister Merricat, (even though Merricat was strange and a bit crazy) and didn't want to desert her, but at the same time, as demonstrated by her quickness to come around to Charles's way of thinking, she wished to have a normal life. She didn't want Merricat to be so wild, and she strove for normalcy at every turn. She was constantly doing motherly activities like baking and cleaning, and generally taking care of everyone around her.

What I liked most about the book was that it left me with the same feeling I got from reading Jackson's famed story "The Lottery". It leaves you with that kind of horror at humanity "The Lottery" did with such deftness.

All this book needs is someone who is willing when he or she sits down with it to take the time to figure out what's REALLY going on here, and to understand the characters and their plights. If you read this book, go into it with an open mind. You will be rewarded for it.

This novel is not for everyone. But it may be for you.