Reviews with content warning for Chronic illness - We Have Always Lived in the Castle

Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

32 reviews

aksmith92's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I began this book around Halloween, and while it wasn't jump-scary or terrifying in general, it had an odd element that was fitting for the season.

The Setup: We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson is a dark, atmospheric novel that blends psychological horror with themes of isolation, familial bonds, and societal prejudice. The story is narrated by 18-year-old Mary Katherine, or Merricat, Blackwood, who lives with her sister, Constance, and their uncle, Julian, in an eerie, secluded mansion on the edge of a small village. The townspeople shun the Blackwoods after a family tragedy involving the poisoning of Merricat's parents, which many believe was committed by Constance.

Somehow, Jackson creates a sense of claustrophobia and dread as Merricat reveals her disturbed inner world and the strict routines she imposes to keep her family safe. Her rituals and superstitions hint at an unstable mind, while her fierce loyalty to Constance emphasizes their inseparable yet complex bond. The arrival of their estranged cousin Charles disrupts their fragile peace, setting off a series of events that force the sisters to confront their past and dependence on each other.

What I Liked: This was an eerie story! It wasn't scary, and I wouldn't define it as horror (even psychological horror) like the summary states, but it sure was creepy. This novel had a considerable mystery element, making me continuously guess about the story. I like stories like this because they keep me highly engaged (which I was the entire time). The sisters and Uncle were quite peculiar; you wanted to know more about them and the family. I thoroughly enjoyed Jackson's writing style - a mix of lyrical prose and haunting simplicity; overall, the premise was quite enticing.

What Could Have Been Better: For a mystery, the reveal of the "plot twist," if you can call it that, was quite anticlimactic. I had guessed the reveal for a bit, and while I don't mind when I guess it right, I generally like seeing how it all plays out, which was done poorly here. I understand why Jackson did it this way - it weaved well with the characters, but overall, I was disappointed. Additionally, while the prose and premise were great, Jackson shared much without showing you a lot. Jackson did phenomenally with psychological depth with Merricat, our unreliable narrator, but so many things dragged on that weren't needed. Since it was such a character-driven story, I didn't let that impact my rating too much, but there were times when various "acts" were so long, while the mysterious reveal was barely a page. I'm sure all of it was done intentionally - Jackson was a fabulous writer, but I didn't love it here.

However, overall, this was a great book for the season, and I did enjoy it. I'm currently in the midst of moving, meaning my reading schedule is in a bit of flux, so this took me longer than anticipated, but I think this would be a great quick read, especially during the fall around Halloween or even winter.

Content Warnings

24carrotgay's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This book completely took me by surprise! I was expecting the kind of horror that involves descriptive murder and builds to a horror-movie-esque climax of gore and, well, horror. Instead, the unsettling vibes and theories (including one that Merricat was actually a ghost) turned out to be directed at the wrong people.

Okay, yes, Merricat committed mass murder of her family and caused Uncle Julian's permanent disability and Constance took the wrap for it while supporting Merricat and her murderous tendencies but, like, the villagers were worse!! When they started leaving food for them at the house though? Emotion. Tears. Crying.

God, We Have Always Lived in the Castle is a rollercoaster in the dark - ups and downs, twists and turns, and you have absolutely no idea where it's gonna go next.

The content, pleasant ending was my second favorite part. My first was when Charles thought Constance wanted him and Constance had to hold back her laughter before wishing him dead

Content Warnings

llewellareads's review against another edition

Go to review page

mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Content Warnings

thursdd4y's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Content Warnings

otterforce's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This is a story about so much and so little, and that’s the least of the conflicting or opposing elements involved. If you like character driven stories with a side of mental health issues and some darkness, this story will serve you well.

It’s a story where no one is innocent and no one escapes unchanged, but whether the end is happy or tragic is left up to you.

Content Warnings

lia_mills's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Strangely makes me want to take up cooking.

A classic for very good reason — does an excellent job of getting you to understand a unique and (at least to some extent) unlikeable protagonist. The extent to which it’s ultimately a psychological horror vs. a psychological drama story depends largely on how you respond to Merricat’s perspective (I for one was very much drawn into it), but it’s a compelling tale either way.

Works (1) this made me think of: Sharp Objects (2018 miniseries) — also based around a wealthy family in a small, unloveable American town, also focuses heavily on psychologically unhealthy women, and has a similarly strong ghost-story-despite-not-having-literal-ghosts kind of atmosphere.

Content Warnings

aduqu's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

I think I would have rated this book higher if I wasn't going into it looking for horror. It's good enough, but it didn't shake me the way I wanted it to.

However, I loved Merricat's interesting system of "magic" and rules she's developed. Her narration was endearing and whimsical, and only becomes disturbing when you remember she's an adult woman and not a child.

Content Warnings