Sunday, March 1, 2009

We Have Always Lived in the Castle - 39/81

We Have Always Lived in the Castle, by Shirley Jackson - from LT or Good Reads category - category finished!

Mary Katherine Blackwood lives in an old home with her older sister Constance and Uncle Julian. They live a very isolated life. As they struggle to deal with the consequences of a recent tragedy, a stranger comes to visit - their cousin Charles. His arrival sets in motion a chain of events that will be even more shocking and dramatic.

It's hard to review this one, because I don't want to give away any of the big plot twists and ruin it for anyone. This was a quick read and I couldn't go to bed until I had finished it. Jackson is great at creating a slightly creepy, menacing feel to a seemingly normal atmosphere and then wrenching it into something even darker. It was hard to categorize this book too - psychological Gothic might be the best description. Highly recommended.

1 comment:

Mary said...

Congrats on finishing the category! You're certainly moving right along on your challenge. :-)