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A review by omair
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
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