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salma__m 's review for:
We Have Always Lived in the Castle
by Shirley Jackson
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Shirley Jackson is an expert at crafting a perfectly gothic atmosphere. In both Hill House and this, the house and the land feel like real characters through the narrator’s description.
This little book sucked me in pretty quickly. The strength of this book is definitely the characters and the setting. The mystery behind the Blackwood family, their deaths, and the strained relationship between them and the villagers. Jackson was able to bring the Blackwood family to life (no pun intended) through her vivid descriptions, a feat that some authors fail to do over a series of novels not 150 pages. Merricat is such an exceptionally crafted character with a very unique voice. Everything she did and said I can perfectly conjure up in my mind.
However, despite its many strengths, I wish we would’ve explored the mystery aspects of this book more. I suppose, it was so engrossing that I just wanted more of the mystery and more of the Blackwoods. But Jackson definitely knows what she’s doing by keeping this short and sweet.
This little book sucked me in pretty quickly. The strength of this book is definitely the characters and the setting. The mystery behind the Blackwood family, their deaths, and the strained relationship between them and the villagers. Jackson was able to bring the Blackwood family to life (no pun intended) through her vivid descriptions, a feat that some authors fail to do over a series of novels not 150 pages. Merricat is such an exceptionally crafted character with a very unique voice. Everything she did and said I can perfectly conjure up in my mind.
However, despite its many strengths, I wish we would’ve explored the mystery aspects of this book more. I suppose, it was so engrossing that I just wanted more of the mystery and more of the Blackwoods. But Jackson definitely knows what she’s doing by keeping this short and sweet.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder