Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

44 reviews

vilmuska's review against another edition

dark hopeful mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Death of parent, Dementia, Confinement, Death, Terminal illness, Fire/Fire injury, Stalking, and Murder

Minor: Injury/Injury detail

torismazarine's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Death of parent, Confinement, Death, Dementia, Grief, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Classism and Panic attacks/disorders

fiz23_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying and Child death

Moderate: Classism, Dementia, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Confinement, Deadnaming, Cursing, Death of parent, Grief, Murder, and Violence

meliemelo's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Death, Death of parent, Child death, Bullying, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Murder, Dementia, Confinement, and Violence

jelenwalker's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death of parent, Death, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Dementia, Grief, Terminal illness, and Emotional abuse

my_a's review

dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

This wasn't the eerie haunting gothic novel that I had expected it to be. Next to no plot, felt lacklustre in its writing and plot. Cousin Charles seemed like a bolted-on afterthought, I was expecting him to advance the plot or flesh out the backstory but he may as well have not been there. I really did feel for the Uncle & would've like to have known more about him and his story.

The Afterword was interesting & I can see that there is much more going on under the surface. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Terminal illness

maresuju's review

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Violence

Moderate: Dementia, Bullying, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder

Minor: Child death

avasbookmark's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I guess I was waiting for something more to happen and it just never did? I don’t know I was pretty disappointed by this one.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Murder, Confinement, Violence, and Death

jmschnepp's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

We Have Always Lived in a Castle tells the story of Mary Katherine, Constance and Uncle Julian - the three remaining members of the Blackwood family. Mary Katherine narrates from her perspectives and experiences. The story begins with Merricat (Constance's nickname for her) in "the village". We learn that Constance hasn't left the yard since her family mysteriously died 8 years earlier. Its interesting to follow the train of Merricat's mind and the lengths to which she goes to maintain the life she believes she deserves.

The books was so well written, that I got caught up in Mary Katherine's story telling. She was authentic and transparent in her perspective of the world around her. However, not all that glitters is gold.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Mental illness, Confinement, Hate crime, and Murder

henriediosa's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I love Merricat's style of narration and how the two sisters look out for each other. If you're looking for a non-romantic version of a fucked up love story, this is it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Death, Child death, Death of parent, Murder, and Bullying

Moderate: Chronic illness, Confinement, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Emotional abuse and Child abuse

There is an unreliable narrator who engages in a lot of magical thinking and has her own sense of morality. She's prone to daydreaming and wishing death upon people.