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A review by isabelsdigest
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
4.0
One of those very round stories. Everything you need to know is in the first paragraph, and it still manages to keep you guessing.
Mary Katherine introduces us to her life living with her sister Constance, her cat Jones, and her Uncle Julian. They are the only survivors of the once aristocratic Blackwood family. Constance was the main suspect of murdering her family with arsenic, but without enough proof, her only punishment is to be hated by the rest of the town and to hide away in the Blackwood Farm.
They lived a happy life after almost 6 years from the tragedy until Cousin Charles comes for a visit, altering everything in a definitive manner.
I think We Have Always Lived in the Castle not only keeps you engaged, but it is also unapologetic about the subtle psychological terrors that keep throwing at you. I found myself hating the 'good' people from the village during the whole book, showing that a skilled writer can make you empathize with the characters without giving you too much about them (no motives were given nor explanation, which keeps your mind hungry)
Speaking of hungry, food takes such a big part of this book, and that is always something I appreciate.
Mary Katherine introduces us to her life living with her sister Constance, her cat Jones, and her Uncle Julian. They are the only survivors of the once aristocratic Blackwood family. Constance was the main suspect of murdering her family with arsenic, but without enough proof, her only punishment is to be hated by the rest of the town and to hide away in the Blackwood Farm.
They lived a happy life after almost 6 years from the tragedy until Cousin Charles comes for a visit, altering everything in a definitive manner.
I think We Have Always Lived in the Castle not only keeps you engaged, but it is also unapologetic about the subtle psychological terrors that keep throwing at you. I found myself hating the 'good' people from the village during the whole book, showing that a skilled writer can make you empathize with the characters without giving you too much about them (no motives were given nor explanation, which keeps your mind hungry)
Speaking of hungry, food takes such a big part of this book, and that is always something I appreciate.