So, I'm late. I read this book specifically so that I could post a review about it on Halloween (not to mention it's been on my TBR list FOREVER) and I'm late. I tried really hard, but just... life.
Anyway, I have wanted to read this book for a really long time, ever since I heard the title of it. If I'm being honest, I wanted to read this based entirely on the title alone, it was just a bonus to find out it was something of a chilling, suspenseful book.
Author: Shirley Jackson Publisher: Pascal Civic
Publication Date: September 21, 1962
Genre: Gothic, Horror, Mystery
My Rating: 5/5
Warning: This post may contain spoilers.
Overview: Taking readers deep into a labyrinth of dark neurosis, We Have Always Lived in the Castle is a deliciously unsettling novel about a perverse, isolated, and possibly murderous family and the struggle that ensues when a cousin arrives at their estate.
So, the novel begins with the reader experiencing the situation as Merrikat, a young girl that we learn is 18 who is quirky and at times, downright strange. She has some dark thoughts which lead us right away to know that something is off about her. The villagers outwardly dislike Merrikat and her sister Constance due to a tragedy where the rest of the family died and the villagers are left believing that Constance was the culprit.
Merrikat and Constance, perhaps because of the stress of everything that has happened in their lives and seeking a way to be in control, strive for a very regular routine: cleaning the sitting room once per week, having Mrs. Clarke over for tea on Saturdays, and trips into the village on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Nearly everything is regimented and whenever Merrikat begins to feel out of control, she either retreats into her own mind and into her sanctuary in the trees or speaks of going "to the moon."
I think what sets this novel apart from others, even other suspenseful, gothic novels is the voice. It is rare to come across a book that nails a specific voice so well, especially that of a young girl with a troubling past and tendency toward fantastical thoughts. Despite this, the readers still sympathize with her and I personally found myself rooting for her and wanting what she wanted throughout the novel, despite any strangeness she may have.
Overall, I highly recommend that anyone who is a fan of gothic novels pick this one up- you won't be disappointed.
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