Customer Reviews

We Have Always Lived in the Castle

5 star:		(71)
4 star:		(33)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I read this book in one sitting, silently turning page after page, totally caught up in the story.

The story is written in very simple format, unravelling like a favorite and somewhat familiar mystery, and though largely predictable, the slim tome sticks to your hands by some supernatural force, and doesn't release you until the last page is turned and the last word read.

Mary Katherine Blackwood, known as Merricat, the main character, lives with her reclusive sister Constance and their Uncle Julian, the surviving members of a large family that came to a sad end through the consumption of arsenic laced sugar.

The intriguing Merricat tells the story, regaling the reader with her rituals, talismans and magic, but these alone are not enough to counteract the interloper, who threatens her familiar lifestyle, and tries to destroy the strong family unit.

The conclusion was not quite was I was expecting, being of macabre humor and vivid imagination, but was fitting and satisfying.

A haunting but not chilling read.

A young woman, her older sister, and their uncle live as pariahs on a crumbling estate next to a small town. We first meet the girl on one of her tortuous and torturous bi-weekly excursions into town to get supplies. Something happened at the house on the estate seven years ago which devastated this once prosperous, leading family. The full story is not revealed until near the end of the book and Jackson deals out pieces of information through the main character's bizarre thoughts, the cruel actions of the town's people, and the interactions and rituals of the surviving members of the family in their spooky museum-like house. I doubt that a more insightful, compassionate exploration of madness has ever been written -compassionate without being maudlin or judgmental. The love between the two sisters is of a quality not suited to the world they live in. As in many other Jackson stories, the morals and sanity of small town America take a beating. Wonderfully paced, this is a psychological novel in the best sense of the word.

I strongly believe that this is the greatest, most powerful horror novel ever written, and I would go so far as to rank it among the top five pieces of literature the world has ever known. It truly is the most disturbing, original, heartbreaking story I have ever read. It is almost impossible to describe, as are the emotions I feel having read it--it taps virtually every emotion I know of. Merricat is the most unusual, utterly tragic heroine in the universe of fiction. She lives happily with her older sister Constance, her uncle Julian, and her cat Jonas. The rest of the family died several years earlier, murdered with arsenic during the family's evening meal. Although Constance was suspected of the deed, she was acquitted. Nevertheless, the three Blackwoods live in total isolation, and Merricat's twice-weekly trips into the village for groceries are horribly taxing on her because the villagers all laugh at her and tease her mercilessly about the family's tragic history. Merricat likes to bury things and play with her cat and hide near the brook; Constance is perfectly content cooking for her family and keeping the house immaculately clean, and Uncle Julian devotes himself to writing a book about the murder of most of his family. The strange trio is happy and safe in their self-isolation until a cousin shows up at the door and brings ruin, despite Merricat's magical safeguards. The interrelationships of the sisters and uncle is often nonsensical yet very real and adorable. Cousin Charles is a greedy beast, yet only Merricat seems cognizant of this fact initially. The really despicable people are the villagers, however. Never tiring of their constant teasing and harassment of Merricat on her few public appearances, the utterly black heart of the mob is vividly shown toward the end of the book. The end of the novel is incredibly emotional and touching and brought tears to my eyes. I wish I could truly describe this novel, but the only words that can accomplish that are those of this mesmerizing book itself.

On the back of my older copy of this novel, the book is described as an item of black magic that will cast a spell upon the reader; never were truer words written. The psychology underlying all of Jackson's fiction is deeply complex, unique in literature, and maddeningly compelling. But there is also much tenderness to be found here alongside the pain and horror of the Blackwood family story. This is tragedy surpassing even the best work of Sophocles. Anyone who reads this novel and is not deeply affected emotionally is simply not human. If I could have reached into this fictional world and pulled Merricat, Constance, Julian, and Jonas out, I would have done so. The powerlessness I felt as a reader, quite unable to protect and comfort the characters, was truly agonizing, and it was sometimes all I could do to keep myself from getting up and running around the room in exasperation. Anyone feeling at all depressed really should not read this book; it is a form of magic or a drug that can potentially threaten your very sanity. I know how silly this sounds, but I am quite serious. There is so much emotion stored in these pages that it really should come with a warning label.

I think I am just about the only person out there who had not read Shirley Jackson's, We Have Always Lived in a Castle. Well, now I have, and this 146 page book left me feeling a bit unsettled. Creepy, atmospheric and beyond clever, this is one book that will leave some of you scratching your head when you get to the end.
In brief, Merrikat, as she prefers to be called, begins narrating this story in this way:

"My name is Mary Katherine Blackwood. I am eighteen years old, and I live with my sister Constance. I have often thought that with any luck at all I could have been born a werewolf, because the two middle fingers on both my hands are the same length, and I have had to be content with what I had. I dislike washing myself, and dogs, and noise. I like my sister Constance, and Richard Plantagenet, and Amanita phallaides, the death-cup mushroom. Everyone else in my family is dead."

From the opening paragraph, I thought something is very strange about Merricat. She is eighteen and acts like a child. She is extremely superstitious, believing in signs and burying items in the ground to secure the property. She is also very protective of her sister. She lives with her sister and Uncle Julius, who on the surface appears to have some sort of dementia. The three of them live in a secluded mansion, and never leave the house, except for Merricat who ventures into town for necessities about twice a week. It is clear that the townspeople fear and dislike the remaining family members. The Blackwoods avoid the neighbors, preferring the security of seclusion. They even avoid the few who are friendly.

Cousin Charles arrives on the scene, interested in money that may have been left behind, and although he is an unlikable character, he is the only one who seems to be somewhat normal. How the other family members died is revealed as you read on.

So where is this story going? Well, before long it is very clear that Merricat is emotionally disturbed and not a reliable narrator, and that everything is not as it may have appeared early on. For a 142 page book, this one took me several days to complete as it was creepy, really kept my brain engaged searching for clues, and in the end left me wondering about Shirley Jackson, and what her life was like. I know that I will be interested in reading more by this fascinating author. Don't Miss This One!

I had to read "The Lottery" in high school; I'll always recall the impression that story had one me, with its ending of pure surprise. I had never read anything else by Shirley Jackson, and this novel's premise sounded interesting, and so I picked it up.

And I couldn't put it down. The narrator, Mary Katherine Blackwood is an eighteen year-old girl who behaves like a much younger child. She lives with her sister Contance, who years before was tried and acquitted of murdering almost the whole family by putting arsenic in the sugar bowl.

This novel is at once a mystery of what happened that one night when the family died, and a suspense thriller of what happens when cousin Charles comes to visit and seems as if he doesn't plan to leave, unless with the family fortune.

But, the most driving and irresistable part of the book is the quirky and creepy voice of Mary Katherine; she's child-like, naive, scheming and malicious all in one twisted voice. This novel is every bit as satisfying as "The Lottery."

While certainly not as well-known as her famous short story "The Lottery", Shirley Jackson's novel "We Have Always Lived in the Castle" is still a great work in its own right; one worth reading and savoring. A word of warning however; this is not a who-dunit or a psychological thriller, as some readers might think. Don't expect shocking plot twists, morally-grounded characters, or a neatly resolved ending. This is, instead, a powerful and hauntingly beautiful exploration of madness, culpibility and family dysfunction closer to Patricia Highsmith and Lovecraft (see "The Outsider" and "The Tomb") than Agatha Christie. At the center of it all is the wildly disturbed, and strangely likable, Mary Katherine ("Merricat") Blackwood, whose psyche is gradually revealed to the reader throughout the novel. At times loving, cruel, innocent, hateful, tender and controlling, Merricat is above all facinating. Jackson definitely shows true literary genius, balancing reality and fantasy to create an unforgettable story. If you prefer interesting characters, real psychological tension and a rich gothic atmosphere over the conventions of the suspense/thriller genre, read this book.

If you enjoy this novel, be sure to check out "The Haunting of Hill House" as well.

In the aftermath of the murder of family, Mary Katherine "Merricat" Blackwood attempts to carry on her life on the family estate with her sister, Constance, acquitted of putting the arsenic in the sugar bowl that killed the family, and her uncle Julian, the only member to survive the poisoning, although with great physical and mental damage. With Merricat as her narrator, Shirley Jackson tells the tale of a family conscientiously living apart from the world, as Merricat uses various magicks to protect her surviving relatives from the outside world, particularly from the villagers who hate the Blackwood family. Constance cooks and cleans and Uncle Julian flits in and out of reality, to the satisfaction of all. That is, until their estranged cousin Charles appears to assert his will over Constance and what he sees as his rights in the Blackwood estate, all the while meeting resistance from Merricat.

Shirley Jackson, best known for "The Haunting of Hill House," weaves a macabre tale in "We Have Always Lived in the Castle." Although, this book isn't exactly a "tale." Jackson sets up many enticing plot threads: who did poison the family? ; why do the villagers hate the Blackwoods so much? ; and why has Charles come and why does he exert such influence over Constance. The most important issue Jackson raises is the character of Merricat: how trustworthy is this girl who buries things in the grounds around the house in the belief that doing so will keep out harm? However, when these issues are resolved (and, truthfully, not all of them are), they are anticlimactic. Indeed, it more likely than not that, upon reaching the last page, the reader will probably be disappointed with the overall plot of the novel, and perhaps feel that the novel is a little pointless.

I suspect that this initial response was part of Jackson's intent. For upon further reflection, the reader may realize that this is not really a novel interested in plot but rather in character and mood. And even then, the novel is concerned with WHAT people do, but cares not a whit for WHY they do these things. Merricat is an excellent vehicle for Jackson's exploration. When we first meet Merricat, she is shopping for the household in a town full of people who hate her for the family she belongs to. Nonetheless, she is strong, defiant, and sympathetic as she takes abuse but is not cowed. As the novel progresses, the reader's sympathy and trust in Merricat as a narrator erode simultaneously. Merricat is childish, narcissistic, and paranoid. She reports events, but her interpretations of these events are suspect. The more Merricat reveals of herself, the reader cannot help but wonder if so much of the misery hanging over the Blackwoods stems from Merricat's efforts to keep the world out, and that her indulgent sister is doing her no favors.

Mood is the other critical element in this book. The inevitability of tragedy hangs over every word and deed. It draws the reader along, keeping us firmly entrenched in Merricat's unhealthy mind until the very end. It should come as no surprise that Jackson provides no satisfactory answers. As long as the Blackwoods refuse to come to terms with the cancer within, they cannot be happy.

"We Have Always Lived in the Castle" is a peculiar book. It is simultaneously substantial and elusive. While the plot may not be completely gratifying, the unhappy character Merricat Blackwood is a powerful draw, and plays on the reader's mind long after the book is done. Thus, Jackson has created a creepy tale of family despair.