Mini-Review: We Have Always Lived in the Castle, by Shirley Jackson

Rating: ★★★★★

Genres: Fiction, Gothic

Goodreads

We Have Always Lived in the Castle tells the story of Mary Katherine and her sister Constance, who live their Uncle Julian in the old mansion  where the rest of their family died. The villagers hate them, but they’ve managed to have a quiet life despite the animosity. This will all change once Cousin Charles decides to pay a visit…

This book was such a deliciously whimsical, Gothic read! I loved it so much. Mary Katherine is one of the best characters I’ve read in a while, smart, a bit wild, and definitely up to no good. The atmosphere of the book so tense you always feel like it will all fall apart. Constance is a bit of an enigma to me, so kind and lovely but her involvement in the murders is not clear, so you always have a suspicion about her sweet temperament – did she or didn’t she? I loved also that there is so much talk about food in this book – there is something ritualistic about the way so much of their lives go around the meals they will have, especially considering the way their family died.

This short novel is full of mystery, witty dialogue and it’s such an entertaining read! If you’ve never read anything Gothic before, I think it’s a great place to start.