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miafenyak 's review for:
We Have Always Lived in the Castle
by Shirley Jackson
4/5 stars, audiobook by bernadette dunn
hmm. this read was really enjoyable throughout, and i'm glad i read it, but i wanted more out of it. i don't know if i've just read a lot of books like this with similar themes or not, but it left something to be desired for me. what was there, though, was incredible. this book is expertly crafted, written, and guided me through two of the most well executed characters. overall, i really did love it, but i also wanted more out of it at the same time. there was lots of great stuff on isolation and such that i appreciated, so i think maybe i need to sit with it a little more.
full breakdown below
things i didn't love so much:
-it felt very slow at times, unnecessarily. i think this may have just been my listening in the audiobook format though, where certain elements of the story sort of get lost because you're not reading it with your eyes. still i wonder if there were moments when the narration could have cut back on detail/departure from the plot
-i longed for more of a resolution at the end. which i suppose they give you in a sense, with one character's attempt to make amends, but still... i wanted some bigger greater end that left me content. again, i may just have to sit with it a little longer, but the ending did not stand out to me or leave me with a satisfied feeling.
things i loved:
-the narration!!! for every part that felt slow, there was an element of it that i loved. especially the beginning, when mary katharine talks about library books and walks you through their home. at certain moments her narration had such detailed descriptions that i found it made me laugh and enjoy the story even more. it gave a greater depiction of their life that serves the story well as the plot progresses. the narration also helped me to sort of understand their characters even more and sympathize with them, feeling as though they were my own sisters. i really appreciated that.
-the way this story progress. Jackson weaves this story together in parts, where at first the conflict doesn't feel obvious and is almost confusing, and then all at once it becomes clear and the reader can't help but feel drawn in and stunned. the way she told this story reminded me of another work of hers i've read, The Lottery, where you're not quite sure where the story is headed and then BAM....... loved this element of the book, really speaks to Jackson's style and the impact of a story told this way.
update: this has sat w me for a while, and now i must say i'm increasingly impressed by its genius.... this story is truly brilliant. i changed the rating i gave to 4, feels more accurate. (2/25/2021)
hmm. this read was really enjoyable throughout, and i'm glad i read it, but i wanted more out of it. i don't know if i've just read a lot of books like this with similar themes or not, but it left something to be desired for me. what was there, though, was incredible. this book is expertly crafted, written, and guided me through two of the most well executed characters. overall, i really did love it, but i also wanted more out of it at the same time. there was lots of great stuff on isolation and such that i appreciated, so i think maybe i need to sit with it a little more.
full breakdown below
things i didn't love so much:
-it felt very slow at times, unnecessarily. i think this may have just been my listening in the audiobook format though, where certain elements of the story sort of get lost because you're not reading it with your eyes. still i wonder if there were moments when the narration could have cut back on detail/departure from the plot
-i longed for more of a resolution at the end. which i suppose they give you in a sense, with one character's attempt to make amends, but still... i wanted some bigger greater end that left me content. again, i may just have to sit with it a little longer, but the ending did not stand out to me or leave me with a satisfied feeling.
things i loved:
-the narration!!! for every part that felt slow, there was an element of it that i loved. especially the beginning, when mary katharine talks about library books and walks you through their home. at certain moments her narration had such detailed descriptions that i found it made me laugh and enjoy the story even more. it gave a greater depiction of their life that serves the story well as the plot progresses. the narration also helped me to sort of understand their characters even more and sympathize with them, feeling as though they were my own sisters. i really appreciated that.
-the way this story progress. Jackson weaves this story together in parts, where at first the conflict doesn't feel obvious and is almost confusing, and then all at once it becomes clear and the reader can't help but feel drawn in and stunned. the way she told this story reminded me of another work of hers i've read, The Lottery, where you're not quite sure where the story is headed and then BAM....... loved this element of the book, really speaks to Jackson's style and the impact of a story told this way.
update: this has sat w me for a while, and now i must say i'm increasingly impressed by its genius.... this story is truly brilliant. i changed the rating i gave to 4, feels more accurate. (2/25/2021)