Reviews with content warning for Child death - We Have Always Lived in the Castle

I am fascinated by how masterfully Shirley Jackson manages to create such an eery atmosphere, making you feel so much when so little happens. Merricat is a mesmerising heroine and I was equally intrigued by Constance and Uncle Julian. I found the last few chapters harrowing, more so than I had anticipated, mainly because of how deeply invested I was in Merricat and her feelings.

On a side note, I wasn't too keen on the analysis provided at the end of my edition, but it did not make me like the story any less.

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maresuju's review

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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theangelssing's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

it was an interesting book.
I really enjoyed reading it, and I found the writing style readable.

I still can't figure out why Mary Katherine put arsenic in the sugar and it makes me wonder if I didn't understand something in the book

I loved how the author played with the gothic genre and how she managed to let us enter Mary Katherine's mind and I truly appreciated how well-depicted the villagers were
A book you need to read!

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sas_lk's review

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Oof. I don't even know where to start... there are so many layers to this book that I really did not expect. In some parts it was incredibly hard for me to read - that dread of somebody snaking themselves into your life and turning those you love into somebody you do not know and trust anymore. The despair in this book was tangible; it still weighs heavily in my heart, and I suspect it will continue to do so for long. I feel so much for Mary, this little girl who's had her world thrown upside down, who simply wants a better life - a moon to live on, where everything is okay - and doing every thing she can to get to that moon. We Have Always Lived in the Castle is filled with the desperate need of a child to hold on to a world she can cope with. This novel was so heartwrenching and tragic... I feel as though nothing I could say would accurately describe the pure pain in this novel.
I'm going to need a long time to truly process this book I think, and I will probably find myself coming back to it again and again.

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