Paul’s review of I Capture the Castle > Likes and Comments

I was very disappointed in this novel as well

too many calories for me.

I read this years ago and thought it was charming. I particularly loved the part (view spoiler)[ where they trapped the father in the dungeon/basement and would not let him out until he wrote something. (hide spoiler)]

oh my gosh thank you for this. I am so tired of all the reviews saying how utterly GENIUS this book is. I found it, at best, to be completely mediocre. I think the author was trying to hard to be clever, just ended up being pretentious IMO

I read this book exactly a year ago and it was such fun reading your review of it!

Maybe it read more ... freshly in 1934. I loved this book, it's completely fantastical but that's part of the point. Maybe not being English helps too ;)

One more book I needn't read.

More! More!

Tell us what happened to the faux-turtle!!!!

No - this madness must end!

I bet they all went to Italy and met enchanted april.

Good one, Sketchbook!

Oh thank God--I gave up on this book halfway through, and was under the impression that it was my failing, rather than that of the book. Now I feel vindicated!!

I thought it was going to segue into a wide sargasso bath for a moment!

a parody for a different day.... is Jean Rhys even parodiable?

Haha, if she can do it, so can you!

The more I think about it, the more I realize Cassandra Mortmain could be totally BFF'd with the Bella Swan in Brian's review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

A Proposal for all of you former Celebrity Death Match aficionados - BFF Mash-ups

Cassandra and Bella
Stephen Dedalus and Marcel from Swann's Way
Scout Finch and Holden Caulfield (puppy love)
Nearly any two Victorian young ladies who made bad marriages
Emily Dickinson, Sylvia Plath, and Anne Sexton for a tragic poetess threesome

I think you get the idea...

Have at it ladies and gents. We really need a new time-consuming past-time, to waste time across times...

Those were the days, my friend
We thought they'd never end

I think this is probably more appealing if you're a teenage girl from a sheltered background, or at least have memories of being one. ;)

Cecily wrote: "I think this is probably more appealing if you're a teenage girl from a sheltered background, or at least have memories of being one. ;)"

Which category do you fall in, Cecily?

Jess wrote: "oh my gosh thank you for this. I am so tired of all the reviews saying how utterly GENIUS this book is. I found it, at best, to be completely mediocre. I think the author was trying to hard to b..."

Me too! I thought there was something wrong with me, because everyone else had it on their favorite-books-ever lists! I was totally underwhelmed.

Ian wrote: "Which category do you fall in, Cecily?"

Ha! I have memories of such a childhood (but NOT in the 1930s!), and know plenty about my mother's, which was a closer match.

While I really enjoyed this book, your review made me laugh and I totally get why you didn't like it. Well done.

Great review. I did like the book though, saccharine overload aside.

You guys and your sweet tooths.

Thank you...I was forced to read this book when I was 12 and even then I thought it was completely self indulgent and I ended up hating Cassandrs

I was meh about this but enjoyed the imitative A Brief History of Montmaray, perhaps because it had less romance and more Nazi invasion.

Perhaps you may find A Woman in Berlin an interesting comparison to that one - it has the Nazis being invaded and even less romance if a lot more actual sex.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Sounds interesting, but not at all similar.

I have to say, I found your review more entertaining than the entire book!

thanks !

I agree, mostly, with your critique of the first half of this book, but I think there is a significant tone shift that really deepens and richens it, and to overlook that is to overlook the entire thing.

i loved this book. i also love this review.

thanks Erin - parodies are fun for all the family!

Thanks for your well written, insightful review! This sounds like my kind of book! I can't wait to read it!

Thanks for guysplaining this book you appear to have misunderstood. I hope your facetious, poor mimicry doesn't end up putting anyone off.

Hi Nick - see messages 4, 5, 12, 20, 22, 23, 25 and 32 above.

Yes, what about them?

They read the book, some of them enjoyed it, but still quite liked the parody.

I liked the book but I also like your review!

belatedly thanks Alex!

Shame she didn't have Facebook. Could have sent pics of all the boring details!

There's at least one Facebook account with that name!

Thanks for this - one of the funniest reviews I have read on Goodreads. I read this book 30 years ago and liked it

thanks Ray! I appreciate that

I've just finished a book I've got a suspicion you might love - The Quest for Corvo: An Experiment in Biography

Thanks, it does look v interesting - Hadrian the 7th makes a lot of "Best 100 novels" lists, so I will need to read that first, which I already wanted to do. You know I like a nice intriguing biography! (Rebecca West is up next in that department.)

I have to say, Paul, your reviews always make me laugh!!! I haven't read this book, nor do I have any plans to do so in the near future. Not because it sounds like might be a let-down, but whilst it takes place in a part of history I do love, I am not sure it would capture me....and I do like to be captured. Meanwhile, your review does fill that void...
I do so love your reviews :)

That is brilliant and spot-on. I read the book and it goes as you say. I recently watched the movie and it was well cast and entertaining. Did not last as long as the book fortunately. Stephen was desperately hot as he should be.

This is the BEST review of this fucking book! I was FURIOUS at the end that I'd wasted my time on this tripe!

I had to stop half way. Couldn't...go...on...too...much...cuteness....