Scan barcode
aksmith92's review
- 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
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.
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
thursdd4y's review
- 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
Graphic: Chronic illness, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Violence, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
peasandpancakes's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.5
At first I was a bit confused with the kind of sudden ending, but I have come to appreciate it. This will definitely be a book that I will think back on from time to time!
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Mental illness
perth_is's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexism, Violence, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Classism
lakea's review against another edition
- 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
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
deathmetalheron's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Unfortunately I feel as though the high points of this book are few and far between and the majority of the book is caught between these moments repeating a lot of the same dynamics over and over. For a 145 page book, it took me a while to get through because each page is dense. The story outline is great and the overarching themes are there, but the vehicle to get them to the reader is not worth the trip.
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Emotional abuse and Sexism
_lily_'s review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Death and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Dementia
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
omair's review against another edition
- 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
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,
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
- 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
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
jomjom's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Incest