I Capture the Castle in Around the Year in 52 Books

Jan 13, 2013 Book Concierge rated it really liked it

Shelves: england, sisters, concierge, women-writers, library, classic, coming-of-age, british, jane-austen

This is a coming-of-age novel that pays homage to Jane Austen. Our narrator is Cassandra Mortmain, age 17, who lives in a dilapidated castle with her father (a once-famous author), stepmother (a Bohemian given to outdoor nudity), older sister Rose (a beauty who longs for change), younger brother Thomas (perhaps the most sensible of the lot), and Stephen (orphaned son of their late housekeeper). Trying to find a way out of their dire poverty, and coming up with no plan whatsoever, Rose makes a wi This is a coming-of-age novel that pays homage to Jane Austen. Our narrator is Cassandra Mortmain, age 17, who lives in a dilapidated castle with her father (a once-famous author), stepmother (a Bohemian given to outdoor nudity), older sister Rose (a beauty who longs for change), younger brother Thomas (perhaps the most sensible of the lot), and Stephen (orphaned son of their late housekeeper). Trying to find a way out of their dire poverty, and coming up with no plan whatsoever, Rose makes a wish by kissing a gargoyle in the kitchen; what can it hurt, and maybe something – anything – might happen! Enter two charming, wealthy American brothers, Simon and Neil Cotton, who have just inherited the nearby Scoatney Hall, and events – exciting and improbable – occur to change the family’s fortunes.

The strength of the novel is Cassandra’s first-person narrative. She is witty, naïve, intelligent, observant, an ordinary child and an extraordinary young woman. The way she “captures” her eccentric family and their exciting adventures (I loved when Rose was mistaken for an escaped circus bear), is nothing short of endearing. I will admit that the plot moves slowly. We are, after all, talking about a few months time-span, and much time is spent in expounding on the joys of their surroundings (for example, when they stopped to identify the smells and sounds they encountered on a country walk). But there was enough going on to keep me interested: Will father ever write again? Will Stephen become the next cinema heartthrob? Will one of the brothers propose (which brother and to which girl)?

It’s gentle, humorous and has some wonderfully lyrical writing. The setting – the barely-refurbished and mostly bare castle - is practically a character, it is so vividly described. Smith’s novel has endured because it contains some basic universal lessons about learning to love, dealing with adversity, being true to your friends (even when it hurts), and about growing up. Through Cassandra, for a time I was seventeen again – excited, anxious, enthralled, puzzled, and optimistic about my future. Like one of my favorite novels, the ending is ambiguous (“After all, tomorrow is another day!”), and rightly so. I love being able to imagine what will happen to these characters as they go through life.
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Oct 23, 2016 MichelleCH rated it really liked it

Shelves: classics, jane-austenish, fiction, historical-fiction, favorites

Now who doesn't like a quirky girl? Or even a quirky family for that matter. The Mortmains do everything differently and you love them even more for it. Cassandra Mortmain keeps a journal and shares her observations, desires and fears that make her oh so appealing to the reader. The wealthy Cottons, an American family, buy the property the Mortmains lease and quickly become part of of the chaos. A few things struck me about the novel, the first being the independence that Cassandra enjoys. She s ...more

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Dec 06, 2023 Holli rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: listened-to-it

3.8

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Oct 11, 2014 Nancy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, classics, still-owned

This is one of those books which everyone I knew raved about and now that I have read it, I can completely understand what the fuss was about. Cassandra is the most wonderful voice. I felt like I was listening to my best friend as she spoke. Although the story was simple, it was told so beautifully. I sat up until well into the night to finish it because I just had to know what happened. But I think what struck me most of all was that so many of the thoughts that Cassandra recorded matched my ow ...more

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May 24, 2012 Debbie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, first-visit-with-an-author, 2012

Written in the 1940s...engaging, enchanting and exasperating at the same time...dirt poor, living in a castle (yet only the "servant" is really trying to change the circumstances) and the rich American property owners move in "next door"... ...more

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Oct 26, 2013 Kaye rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 0fiction, authorfrom-britain

What a charming book! Although it sounds doubtful, it was highly reviewed on A Good Read, so I got a (used) copy. What a pleasant read it was. Interesting characters, well written.

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