Title: We Have Always Lived in the Castle
Author: Shirley Jackson
Goodreads Summary: Merricat Blackwood lives on the family estate with her sister Constance and her Uncle Julian. Not long ago there were seven Blackwoods—until a fatal dose of arsenic found its way into the sugar bowl one terrible night. Acquitted of the murders, Constance has returned home, where Merricat protects her from the curiosity and hostility of the villagers. Their days pass in happy isolation until cousin Charles appears. Only Merricat can see the danger, and she must act swiftly to keep Constance from his grasp.
Rating: 2.75-3/5 stars
Review:
After so many rave reviews of Shirley Jackson's novels, in particular this one, I was left pretty disappointing with this book that is just 'fine' at best. It's an unsettling piece that explores a deeply disturbed narrator and dysfunctional family, but I don't think Jackson went far enough into the potential of this premise. I wanted it to get creepier and weirder but it kept too much in the realm of predictability. But, in saying that. I obviously did enjoy some things.
I liked how screwed up the main character was and that Jackson never tried to dull that and the weird yet endearing relationship she had with her sister. The inclusion of Cousin Charles definitely upped the weird scale of the family dynamics but I thought it was gonna get a little worse than it actually did. I enjoyed how the last portion of the book veered into a more whimsical tone and how the story was wrapped up.
Overall, it isn't the worst book, I was just hoping to be more impressed and more creeped out. But this did kick off my spooky reads for October. Like many others, I'm using this month to stack up on the scary stories in the lead up to Halloween. Let me know down below your thoughts on this book or tell me if you're reading some spooky reads this month and what they are!
Until next time!
- J, xxx
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