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A review by clevermird
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
17-year-old Cassandra Mortmain lives in a crumbling castle with her family (it's a rental). Despite her father's literary genius, he suffers from writer's block and hasn't written anything since his first bestseller. The family is slowly slipping into poverty, but Cassandra makes the best of life and decides to start a writing career herself by writing down or "capturing" everything that happens to her in a journal. And just when all hope seems lost, a pair of new neighbors might turn the family's fortunes. . .
I Capture the Castle was charmingly written with sharp, amusing characterization and an insightful, witty narrator. The story itself was mediocre-to-good (I found the latter half dragged a bit), but the delight of reading the prose certainly made up for a lot and it has this nice sincerity to it. It might be a good book for a book club, or to read with a friend, as I think there's a lot to discuss regarding various characters' motivations, the interpretations of certain events, etc.
I read another review somewhere that described it as a somewhat more modern, less dense take on a Jane Austin novel, and that feels accurate.
I Capture the Castle was charmingly written with sharp, amusing characterization and an insightful, witty narrator. The story itself was mediocre-to-good (I found the latter half dragged a bit), but the delight of reading the prose certainly made up for a lot and it has this nice sincerity to it. It might be a good book for a book club, or to read with a friend, as I think there's a lot to discuss regarding various characters' motivations, the interpretations of certain events, etc.
I read another review somewhere that described it as a somewhat more modern, less dense take on a Jane Austin novel, and that feels accurate.
Content Warnings
Minor: Domestic abuse and Infidelity