From the Bookshelf of EVERYONE Has Read This but Me - The Catch-Up Book Club…

We Have Always Lived in the Castle

Shirley Jackson

Start date: November 1, 2025

Finish date: November 30, 2025

Discussion: UPCOMING READS

Why we're reading this: November 2025 - Classics

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What Members Thought

Feb 27, 2011 Kasia rated it it was amazing

I'm no stranger to the genius of Jackson's mind after reading The Haunting and she certainly didn't disappoint in this novel, there is strength but also perfect restraint that keeps it from being gauche. The writing is simply exquisite as it skillfully wraps the reader like a cozy blanket, sometimes when I read it I felt as if I was struck by a moment so beautiful that it made time stop, I would re-read it again and picture it in my head almost smelling the heady swaying grass and the sun shimme I'm no stranger to the genius of Jackson's mind after reading The Haunting and she certainly didn't disappoint in this novel, there is strength but also perfect restraint that keeps it from being gauche. The writing is simply exquisite as it skillfully wraps the reader like a cozy blanket, sometimes when I read it I felt as if I was struck by a moment so beautiful that it made time stop, I would re-read it again and picture it in my head almost smelling the heady swaying grass and the sun shimmering in the morning breeze as Mary Katherine Blackwood and her feline companion wandered through the beautiful nature surrounding their decaying house. This book was written in the sixties but it's still felt refreshing in its own refined way, it's a literary treasure that should be read about and discussed because it's simply wonderful and it reads a bit like a period piece but it only adds to its charm ( and it's definitely easy to read). I love gory horror books but this was just as good as the most intense and popular thrilling read from the past few months, so trust me, this is a good book!

The Blackwood house is no longer the social gathering of great minds but a leftover with living ghosts, people who were once a part of a family until a fatal dinner laced with arsenic put the end to the festivities leaving behind a handful of surviving family members. Sick and ailing uncle Julian, his niece Constance her younger eighteen year old sister Mary Kate (playfully called Merricat) and her black cat. They are left to their own way of life taking it one day at a time which means going into town only when they find it absolutely necessary and they are not bothered by what is happening in the world. The Blackwoods are busy eating delectable things in the privacy of their own garden as they seem to have dropped out of the society and time itself by living a suspended life on their own terms with their own secrets and ceremonies, especially those upheld by Merricat. Normal in general form doesn't hold place in the Blackwood mansion, people who live in it do whatever they want anytime they please, perhaps that is why the arrival of handsome cousin Charles stirs the household so hard of its axis, his family connections enable him to get in but when the wants to take over the fortune his future isn't too bright when it comes to accomplishing it, Merricat is a smart kid and she won't let anyone even if they are admired by older Constance to take over her world no matter what! People form the near by town want to know what is going on in the mysterious house at the same time as old demons come to the surface and that final arsenic laced dinner rears it's ugly head again revealing the mystery behind the strange deaths. The struggle between different worlds is apparent and the conclusion is incredible, anyone reading this will have their favorites and their villains and will probably be surprised to see who they end up rooting for. A great tale that takes it to another lever that is sure not to be missed, I loved it!

- Kasia S. ...more

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Mar 27, 2015 lethe rated it liked it

Shelves: p-owned, d-20th-c, c-record-correct, a-adult, l-eng, g-crime, r-rip, t-health, s-autumn, o-page-turners

My review for the R.I.P. Challenge #3:
I had expected this to be really scary, but it wasn't at all, probably because it was a thriller and not a horror story, as I had thought. It was full of suspense and creepy, but not in a "leaving me wanting to sleep with the lights on" kind of way. In fact, when I rolled into bed after finishing it at 1.30 a.m. I slept like a baby.

I did enjoy it. Jackson writes very well, she knows how to create an atmosphere and a sense of foreboding, and while reading I t ...more

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Aug 30, 2012 Amanda Roper rated it it was amazing

Listened to the audio this time (my third time enjoying one) and it was excellent!

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Mar 01, 2022 Amber Lea rated it it was ok

Shelves: horror, fiction

I keep seeing this described as a supernatural thriller. To me, this just kind of reads like an entire family being held hostage by mental illness. It seemed drab and depressing rather than spooky and exciting even though some crazy stuff happens.

I imagine this is the kind of thing Wednesday Adams might read. That's about the vibe it has.

But I also felt like the characters were more interesting than the plot. So I maybe wouldn't say, "Oh, if you like dark stuff you'll love this." And I felt like ...more

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Sep 19, 2019 Sarah5 rated it really liked it

Quite brilliant! Creepy and atmospheric, a tale of two sisters and a mystery surrounding the rest of the family who have been murdered. Definitely a modern classic and well worth a read.

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Nov 02, 2020 Kim Sasso rated it really liked it

Shirley Jackson's "We Have Always Lived in the Castle, was far more entertaining to me than her more-famous The Haunting of Hill House, and at least as thought-provoking as her short story, The Lottery. "Castle" frequently appeared on school reading lists presented to me in my bookseller days, and I can understand why. The book is excellent fodder for literary discussion! I hesitate to express too much here, lest I ruin the effect of Jackson's narrative style and the way she concludes the tale i ...more

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Jul 10, 2022 Nicole Meadows rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ownacopy, denton, classics, contemporary-literature, barnesandnoble

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 19, 2020 Chanie rated it liked it

Shelves: classics

I had high hopes for this book after I read its great opening line. Sadly, it didn’t deliver. There wasn’t much of a plot, and the characters were hard to sympathize with. The book does, however, linger after on your tongue, so I have to admit it has some creepiness factor. The characters were disturbed and I’m finding that disturbing. Why write this novel? Who am I meant to sympathize with? I didn’t know from page one, and the last page didn’t make it any clearer.

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Feb 20, 2013 Barb rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ebook, kindle, horror

What a great book. This is creepy and mysterious without being overly gruesome or disturbing. I love how the details were revealed a little at a time. This is different than anything I've read--and even better than The Haunting of Hill House which I also enjoyed very much. ...more

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