'It's a little too candy-box pretty for me', George said with that wonderful wit of his, narrowing his eyes with glee, adjusting his driver's seat and lowering his voice into a comical growl. 'Yes', he continued 'for behind these quiet houses often lurks evil in the heart of mankind'. George, one of my weekend guests and I, were exploring a village in New England on a spring day, a small community which has long become a tourist draw for New Yorkers along the shore of the Connecticut River. Chuckling, I glanced out the window at the sleepy Main Street early at dawn, and his comment brought to mind one of my favorite books, first read with great enchantment when published in the early 60's. It was: "We Have Always Lived in The Castle", by the late author Shirley Jackson.
This short novel is about a young girl Merricat now eighteen when the story begins, and her older sister Constance Blackwood, the sole survivors of their intimate family circle, and their elderly Uncle Julian, a now addled invalid confined to his chair, busy with his papers documenting the purported crime that his niece Constance was accused of, that of polishing off her family with a serving of berries and arsenic-laced sugar. Merricat, thirteen at the time of the tragedy, had been sent to her room without supper for some infraction and thus survived; their Uncle Julian only barely, having asked for a modest sprinkling of sugar on his dessert. Constance was acquitted after the trial was over and the case was closed, but the village people remain hostile to her and the house, and she rarely ventures outdoors. Merricat has to go once a week to the the village for groceries, attracting hostile stares from the locals and meeting up with the village bully, Jim Donell, an arrogant man who enjoys his attempts to rattle and tease her.
Occasionally some young boys from the village on a dare, creep up at night and throw stones at the windows of the Blackwood house, chanting their little mockeries before running away as fast as they can and this local legend continues to grow among them. And, then one day a cousin of the family, Charles, a first-time visitor shows up in the midst of their quiet existence, moves into the house, courts Constance and starts to make changes with a firm agenda in mind. Havoc ensues as a result of this intruder.
Merricat narrates the story, and after I finished this mysterious, magical and dark delight, for that was my interpretation at a young age, I wanted to join her as a playmate, and her intriguing unusual voice in the telling of her adventures and forays into nature drew me in right away. Merricat in fact will remain forever thirteen.
Many years later when I picked Jackson's novel up again, it was with finer clarity and a more mature and experienced eye. Words such as creepy, depressing and weird are some of the comments one finds among new and younger readers today and while they all carry validity, to my mind the word 'sinister' comes to the forefront. It is not the gentle Constance, nor the troubled Merricat, nor their ailing Uncle Julian, who are the sinister ones here, it is the collective cruelty of people banding together that is frightening. A theme which the author Shirley Jackson knew about first-hand, and addresses in this memorable and psychological masterpiece of hers, Jackson was to return to this topic in some of her other important works.
There are several defining moments that stood out on this second reading: when circumstances reach an explosive edge, Uncle Julian comes out of his reality from the past, and in a moment of rare if fatal lucidity, joins his two nieces protectively against Charles, the dangerous and manipulative trespasser. There is a tinge of unexpected conviction laced with pathos to be found here. The turning point in the story, however, is perhaps when the leader of the village, Jim Donell, after removing his professional hat, picks up a rock as a sign to the pack of malicious onlookers to have fun, and the destructive party begins.
A tragedy? Reflections on the subject of collective shame? A horrifying tale? All of the above, and more perhaps. Some of the reviewers are able to articulate it better. On a side note, the author Eric Hoffer was to say that he was doubtful about 'collective shame' on the basis that association with others is almost always felt as an association with one's betters, and to sin with one's betters cannot be productive of a crushing shame. And, yet Shirley Jackson goes on to show that there are such cases as the above in this famous novel of hers.
One might feel, after reading this classic, like joining the village people in the aftermath of their actions, in leaving a pot of jam, or some fresh bread, a small token of some kindness on the door-steps of this household now at peace while moving quietly away again. There are slight tinges of redemption to be found here as well. Known for her extraordinary Gothic novels, Shirley Jackson was also a fine psychologist of the human condition, and her own life, by all accounts, was not always a happy one although she could be wicked and witty at times especially when it came to her own family anecdotes and her short stories.
To D. Friedlander, moderate and steady in his views, yet passionate in spirit; his wry humor and fine perception; his reasoned clarifications on important life issues, the many laughs and complexities we experienced over the years, and for explaining to me why Shirley Jackson's enduring short story "The Lottery", best remembered of all her writings today, caused such a furor among people when published in 1948. She will always be a favorite of mine
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Reviews with images
Due to the success of the TV adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s, ‘The Haunting of Hill House’...
...and with Halloween just around the corner, Jackson’s 20th century horror classics are making a comeback, and ‘We Have Always Lived in the Castle’ is no exception.Eighteen year old, Mary Katherine Blackwood (Merricat), her older sister Constance, their Uncle Julian, and cat Jonas, happily co-exist together in their isolated mansion on the outskirts of town, shut away from the outside world in their own private, protective bubble. The gates are kept locked, and the Blackwoods receive few visitors, and Merricat’s weekly excursion into town to buy food, is her only contact with the villagers.They have lived this way for six years – since that fateful dinner where four members of the Blackwood family were poisoned via arsenic in the sugar bowl (Shirley Jackson’s 1962 far more drastic solution to the anti-sugar campaign). That is until, estranged cousin, Charles Blackwood knocks at their door, and changes their lives irrevocably…Even though I tagged this as horror, it wasn’t essentially scary, a gothic horror tale sums it up nice and neatly. Although there was one scene that raised the hairs on my arms, and if you think too much about the specifics of the Blackwoods demise – I mean one of the family members was a 10 year-old boy, then that’s pretty horrific.I really loved Merricat, Constance, and Uncle Julian – all three had such distinct and varied personalities. Our narrator, Merricat, had an imaginative, insane innocence, and her thoughts were as wondrous as they were disturbing. Constance was the one in charge, carer and protector, crippled with agoraphobia. Because she prepared the final meal, Constance was the one arrested of the crime, later acquitted. She was often lonely, and at least a part of her wanted to rejoin society, which meant she was eager and excited, as well as the most vulnerable, over Charles’ visit. Julian (who consumed a small amount of arsenic that day which left him paralysed) was obsessed with his family’s deaths, living that day over and over in his head, writing detailed accounts of what he recalled, desperate to make sense of it all.Ignorance, intolerance, and fear of anyone who is different, as well as lack of understanding in regards to mental illness, was a prevalent theme throughout. The very existence of the Blackwoods frighten the villagers because they are viewed as strange, odd, and anti-social, and such people do not belong in their town. On top of that, they know that at least one of them is a mass murderer. The three Blackwoods are just as scared of the villagers, live in constant terror that one, or worse a group, will invade their property, and all they want is to be left alone, and live a quiet live in peace and security.Light spoiler ahead!The mystery isn’t who poisoned the Blackwood family (I think that’s pretty much a given), but the why is left purposely ambiguous, and not knowing the reason, or what lead up to it, freaked me out even more. I had my theories of course, but will never know for sure.The close of the book will leave you feeling unsettled, haunted, and saddened, yet touched. An eerie, poignant read for Halloween, perfect for those who don’t like to be too scared, as well as a must read for hardcore horror fans.
Top reviews from other countries
Robert
It's so pretty!!!
Reviewed in Mexico on August 23, 2021
Robert
Reviewed in Mexico on August 23, 2021
It's a naked hardcover bound in a vibrant green colored paper with blue and silver foil-stamping and I'm so happy this is the edition of my first Shirley Jackson book
This might be undesirable for some but, the cream colored pages are not completely opaque so you can see the text behind it on the blank spots but this doesn't really affect the legibility of the text on the front
The only true criticism I have for this book is one that has been raised countless times for Penguin. PENGUIN please stop putting stickers on the back of your pretty books! They ALWAYS leave a mark and no one likes it!
Still, this is a great buy (if a little overpriced: 26 USD for a book with 160 pages) that deserves five stars
Ps: I've added 3 pictures showing the wear of the foil printing after reading the book, or roughly 8 hours (it's a short novel but I kept getting interrupted while reading it in the outside world) of handling it without much cares.
That said, I think this is totally readable in one sitting without excessive touching of the covers so your copy might fare better. Personally I don't mind the exterior wear and in this particular case there's something incredibly charming about the blue sugar bowl on the cover wearing out in a shape reminiscent of the sugar printed in the back page guard (seen in one of my last original pictures)
:)
Images in this review
Noirita Das
Chilling.
Reviewed in India on March 28, 2023
Noirita Das
Reviewed in India on March 28, 2023
Cousin Charles asked questions.
Cousin Charles wanted to separate Constance and Merrycat.
Cousin Charles undermined Uncle Julian.
Cousin Charles reminded them of Father.
But the most horrible thing that he did, was punish Merrycat.
Othered by the villagers who spread cautionary tales about their family, Merrycat had found herself a little solace in her world. The family did not rely on social interactions, but were bound with their superstitions and their strict routines as if any kind of disruption would ruin the balance of their world. And quite eerily it does. Charles' overbearing presence creates a disharmony in the house and it results in an acrimonious fate for the family.
Jackson's prose is like a rancid tenderness that shouldn't exist but it does. And it bewitches.
Rating: 4.5/5⭐
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