abby_lake's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
silver_valkyrie_reads's review against another edition
This is the wrong kind of dark story for me. I love Dracula and Jane Eyre, where the darkness is offset by hope and a struggle to be good and to conquer evil.
This is story is dark, but also bleak, and in a very quiet way, wallows in the darkness instead of fighting it. It was very readable (or in this case, listenable) and I was interested in the slow, quiet, disturbing lives of the characters, but I also never really wanted to pick it up again because I felt disturbed every time I listened to it.
This is story is dark, but also bleak, and in a very quiet way, wallows in the darkness instead of fighting it. It was very readable (or in this case, listenable) and I was interested in the slow, quiet, disturbing lives of the characters, but I also never really wanted to pick it up again because I felt disturbed every time I listened to it.
deejmgee's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.5
pages_blanches's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
tjwallace04's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
What a delightfully bizarre and creepy little story! Merricat is one of the most interesting unreliable narrators I have ever encountered. I couldn't decide if I liked her or was repulsed by her, if I found her charming or despicable. The whole story pulls you slowly into what feels like psychosis. Are you going crazy while reading about the craziness? Possibly.
Premise: 18-year-old Merricat lives with her nurturing sister Constance and her ill Uncle Julian at isolated Blackwood House. The rest of their family are dead. Constance and Uncle Julian never leave the house, while Merricat navigates the fraught relationship between her family and the local townspeople, who seem to despise her. What is the mystery of the Blackwood family? How did the rest of the family die? And what will happen when their carefully-orchestrated life is interrupted by an outsider?
I am a scaredy-cat, and I did not find this story difficult to read at all. There are sinister and twisty elements but nothing outright frightening, really not even any suspense. I was riveted but not scared. It is impressive how much story is packed into a brief 146 pages. I would have loved more, but also the restraint was part of what made the story so compelling. I am dying to know what the parents and brother were like...were they cruel, were they indulgent; what sparked the murders? But I understand that not having that particular piece of information is why I will be thinking about this story for a long time.
I recommend "We Have Always Lived in the Castle" to anyone who enjoys grim fairytales, dark humor, gothic atmosphere, odd childlike narrators, and, oh, a touch of commentary on class conflict for funsies.
Premise: 18-year-old Merricat lives with her nurturing sister Constance and her ill Uncle Julian at isolated Blackwood House. The rest of their family are dead. Constance and Uncle Julian never leave the house, while Merricat navigates the fraught relationship between her family and the local townspeople, who seem to despise her. What is the mystery of the Blackwood family? How did the rest of the family die? And what will happen when their carefully-orchestrated life is interrupted by an outsider?
I am a scaredy-cat, and I did not find this story difficult to read at all. There are sinister and twisty elements but nothing outright frightening, really not even any suspense. I was riveted but not scared. It is impressive how much story is packed into a brief 146 pages. I would have loved more, but also the restraint was part of what made the story so compelling. I am dying to know what the parents and brother were like...were they cruel, were they indulgent; what sparked the murders? But I understand that not having that particular piece of information is why I will be thinking about this story for a long time.
I recommend "We Have Always Lived in the Castle" to anyone who enjoys grim fairytales, dark humor, gothic atmosphere, odd childlike narrators, and, oh, a touch of commentary on class conflict for funsies.
ritasotero's review against another edition
challenging
dark
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
jsuispoesie's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I wasn't sure about giving this book 3 stars, because after finishing it I realised I didn't have what I was looking for (a romantic/gothic ghost story). However after reading and watching some reviews of the book I can finally appreciate it more, and fully understand its significance: the contraposition between the time in the house and the exterior time of the town, the feminist subplot (role of the woman/mother/housewife in the 50s-60s), the use of certain words to anticipate the emotional state of the narrator...
So what can I say? It is a good book, perfect for Halloween, but I don't find it astonishing. To describe it in two word I would say "dream like", or better, "nightmare like".
So what can I say? It is a good book, perfect for Halloween, but I don't find it astonishing. To describe it in two word I would say "dream like", or better, "nightmare like".