davidrb 's review for:

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

5.0

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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DAMN. Shirley Jackson is a master of dread: the entire book is a slow build to one disaster interrupted by another, and the entire time, your hair is on end. You don't know exactly what is going to happen, but also, don't you? Perfect despairing horror.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Incest, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury

When it comes to the incest warning

it's debatable, but it was enough to make me uncomfortable. However, I wouldn't say it's viewed in a positive light beyond Merricat herself being the narrator and thinking all of her actions and thoughts are justified.