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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.
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
Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Incest
readingduckling's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Amazing story sadly somehow relatable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Gaslighting
Minor: Grief
swinevenus's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Grief, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
perth_is's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexism, Violence, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Classism
lakea's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Slavery and Stalking
elizabeth_henry's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Classism
teganbeesebooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
By every right I should love Shirley Jackson's books. I loved THE LOTTERY and the ideas of all of her books sound amazing, but they just never do it for me like I want them to. I really just wanted MORE, I guess.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Violence, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
aserra's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This was the second story of Jackson's I've read and it was solid all around. Jackson has assessed what buttons she can push in a person and her characters and the treatment of the protagonists pushes emotional buttons without apology and to great effect. Outrage was the primary emotion that accompanied me through the read, and fear derived from that rage as cruelties stacked up against the protagonists.
Additionally, I called the plot twist and predicted another one of the book's major events within the first 18 pages. Regardless, the story was incredibly effective for me, which testifies to the strength of Jackson's craft.
If I had to ask anything more of this book, I would ask for a prequel book focused on the Blackwoods (infeasible, as this was Jackson's last novel), and I think Charles could've been a few degrees creepier with incredible results. I want to describe Charles as unequivocally sinister but, instead, I feel he's more plaintive, entitled, and irritating. I can understand why he wasn't taken to that level, though, and think this is an indication of preference rather than quality of the book.
For a quick, tense, gothic read, consider picking up We Have Always Lived in the Castle.
Additionally, I called the plot twist and predicted another one of the book's major events within the first 18 pages. Regardless, the story was incredibly effective for me, which testifies to the strength of Jackson's craft.
If I had to ask anything more of this book, I would ask for a prequel book focused on the Blackwoods (infeasible, as this was Jackson's last novel), and I think Charles could've been a few degrees creepier with incredible results. I want to describe Charles as unequivocally sinister but, instead, I feel he's more plaintive, entitled, and irritating. I can understand why he wasn't taken to that level, though, and think this is an indication of preference rather than quality of the book.
For a quick, tense, gothic read, consider picking up We Have Always Lived in the Castle.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Death, Grief, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Violence, Murder, and Classism
omair's review against another edition
dark
sad
slow-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? It's complicated
4.25
A story where the mystery isn't a mystery and the absurd is treated as creepily mundane... and yet I found myself enjoying it. The juxtaposition for what I was feeling to what Merricat was feeling or saying was handled brilliantly that I can only assume it was intentional. If I were to plant myself in this world, I would almost certainly see things the way the villagers do, yet reading from the POV we have, I want to side with our main characters... which an insane thing to say about a pair that are made of quintuple murderer with little remorse and a no-hesitation accomplice!
And yet in such a short space, powerful themes of gender roles, sexual identity, family trauma, possibly abuse, and severe mental illnesses are liberally sprinkled in along with commentary on individuality, agoraphobia, societal norms, greed, maturity (and familial responsibility in raising a child), and so much more. So much of what happens is left with such vague motives that the answers feel simultaneously obvious and yet impossibly absent.
The deeper I found myself into the book,the more the reliability of the narration came into question , and the more I felt a need to re-read sections to convince myself I didn't misunderstand or even completely miss details. Sympathizing with our protagonist even as her twisted world and controlling mannerisms became more crystal clear felt as confusing as the plot - in a good way - for me. I can certainly understand why this would not be the right cup of tea for everyone, but it was one I thoroughly enjoyed... even though I certainly wouldn't take mine with any sugar.
And yet in such a short space, powerful themes of gender roles, sexual identity, family trauma, possibly abuse, and severe mental illnesses are liberally sprinkled in along with commentary on individuality, agoraphobia, societal norms, greed, maturity (and familial responsibility in raising a child), and so much more. So much of what happens is left with such vague motives that the answers feel simultaneously obvious and yet impossibly absent.
The deeper I found myself into the book,
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Ableism, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Abandonment
Minor: Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Eating disorder, Gun violence, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
chananya's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, and Death of parent