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We Have Always Lived in the Castle
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February 2014 Group Read: We Have Always Lived in the Castle
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Nurse
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Feb 11, 2014 04:35PM
Have this on my TBR pile so will put it first over The haunting of hill house :)
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I got through this one pretty quickly, Mary's voice is subtle and yet very intriguing. I have to disagree with those who don't think this is horror--the more of Mary's world you see, the further the book goes on, the more horrific the story becomes. It becomes increasingly obvious that there is something terribly wrong with Mary, starting off with all the imagery of her wishing the townspeople dead, which at first seems totally justified, but when combined with her use of witchcraft and her going on and on about poisonous plants and mushrooms, becomes quite horrific. Uncle Julian's constant and objective regurgitation of the events of the night of the mass murder, as well as the moment where he states that she died during her sister's trial, takes the horror to a new level as well. The part where (view spoiler) was so chilling that I find it impossible to deny this is a book that falls within the horror genre.I loved it.
Maxine wrote: "I got through this one pretty quickly, Mary's voice is subtle and yet very intriguing. I have to disagree with those who don't think this is horror--the more of Mary's world you see, the further th..."Maxine, I completely agree with you.
Maxine wrote: "I got through this one pretty quickly, Mary's voice is subtle and yet very intriguing. I have to disagree with those who don't think this is horror--the more of Mary's world you see, the further th..."Totally! Merricat's lonely fantasies about the dead family are so sinister and sad all at once. Chilling.
It's totally a dark fiction read. There's the elements of american gothic, psychological, and horror genres - even magical realism, no? That's what's I love about a dark fiction read! No one can really go wrong because it's subject to open, thought-provoking interpretation.
I'm not participating in this group read, but I just wanted to add that I found this book to be outstanding. Everyone knows her for "The Lottery" and THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE, but some of her other works are wonderful too. This one, for instance.
Bailey wrote: ""Aric wrote: "But to me, this seemed like simply a different rendition of 'The Lottery', just told in a different way. "Hey, Aric. Great explanation! Thanks! I think you're totally right. Shirley..."
Hi Bailey. Looks like you've finished, so I'll ask you. I just got my copy, and it looks like maybe the last few pages were torn out. Have you finished? If so, can I send you a message (not on this thread) showing the last sentences I am showing in my copy of the book, and you can tell me if I'm missing any pages? ARRGGH!
I'm starting the copy I have, but if it's not complete, I want to get another one. Anybody who sees this, will you send me a note so we can compare the last line I have with what you have?
Katy wrote: "Hi Bailey. Looks like you've finishedy..."Hi, Katy. Sure! I've sent you a message with the last sentence of the book. Hope it helps. Let me know if you do need the full text of the last pages; I can send it over so you don't have to track down another copy.
Hi all:Maxine's description above is quite fascinating. I did not even entertain the idea of witchcraft being a theme regarding the book's characters. Reading the novel from this perspective makes me wonder if this was Jackson's intent.
Aric wrote: "Hi all:Maxine's description above is quite fascinating. I did not even entertain the idea of witchcraft being a theme regarding the book's characters. Reading the novel from this perspective make..."
The cat as her familiar, a knowledge of poisonous plants, breaking glass and other items to drive outsiders away, coveting objects and burying them or nailing them up, refusal to touch certain things, her magical group of secret words--it is fascinating when you start to wonder what it means in the context of the story.
I completely agree. Living across the street from the lead of the Blair Witch Project for so many years (in Hollywood), I can't believe I didn't think of this perspective. I love what you wrote Maxine.
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Maxine's description above is quite fascinating. I did not even entertain the idea of witchcraft being a theme regarding the book's characters. Reading the novel from this per..."
that's great! I did not think of that when I read the book!
Aric wrote: "I completely agree. Living across the street from the lead of the Blair Witch Project for so many years (in Hollywood), I can't believe I didn't think of this perspective. I love what you wrote Max..."This book has kept me thinking...
Jackson expertly makes you doubt what's real and what's not throughout the story. Already through the children's incessant rhymes, there is an air of myth about the murders and the two sisters. With one sentence from 'crazy' Uncle Julian, the reader begins to question whether Merricat is even alive--is she really a ghost? The reader can quickly define that she is not a ghost, but in the back of our minds we believe that she is some sort of ghoul. A young girl, a child at the time of the murders, with a voice so innocent and unassuming that we as readers are left wondering: is she mentally ill or is she a witch? Or is she something in between? She's murdered her family and yet remains with a voice of innocence and simplicity, almost a naivety, such that the reader begins to see her as some sort of odd, witchy creature who is scared and afraid of anything outside of the immediacy of her sister and the estate. As a reader, I hated the townspeople, until I really began to wonder: are they truly just a vile, cruel bunch or are they all picking up, innately, on an evil that is terrifying, not for its violence, but for its innocent and therefore pure expression through Merricat?
Bailey wrote: "Maxine wrote: "I got through this one pretty quickly, Mary's voice is subtle and yet very intriguing. I have to disagree with those who don't think this is horror--the more of Mary's world you see,..."This one was disturbing and chilling.
I enjoyed reading this book. This sort of genre (psychological thriller?)seem to have been popular in the late 50's, early 60's. In my opinion it can be compared with the movies "The Bad Seed," and "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane."When reading this book, you do have to consider Aric's comment about the "perfect world" projected to society in the 50's and early 60's. Remember, not only did segregation exist in those days, but anyone who did not fit in "normal" society was ostracized.
Maxine wrote: "Aric wrote: "I completely agree. Living across the street from the lead of the Blair Witch Project for so many years (in Hollywood), I can't believe I didn't think of this perspective. I love what ..."The book does linger with one far after reading it. There are certain images that have held my imagination. Like you said Maxine, the nursery rhymes, was just one. I also particularly liked the image of the book in the forest nailed to the tree.
Anna wrote: "I enjoyed reading this book. This sort of genre (psychological thriller?)seem to have been popular in the late 50's, early 60's. In my opinion it can be compared with the movies "The Bad Seed," and..."Definitely. When putting it on the same 'shelf', so to speak, as Baby Jane and the Bad Seed, all of the works seem cut out of the same 'ostracizing society' mold.
Aric wrote: "Maxine wrote: "Aric wrote: "I completely agree. Living across the street from the lead of the Blair Witch Project for so many years (in Hollywood), I can't believe I didn't think of this perspectiv..."The narrator was very hard to pin down. She seems to shift, sometimes real, sometimes almost a shadow. The fact that cousin Charles could see her was one of the things that convinced me she was real and not just a split personality of Constance's.
She shifts over the course of the story. In the beginning, she appears an innocent, trying hard to keep herself safe, making a game of the terrifying ordeal of getting through town. Later she not only admits to the murders, but uses the names of the poisonous mushrooms to scare people.
I had a hard time figuring out who or what she was. In the end, she seemed happy dressed in that tablecloth, living in the burnt shell of the house with Constance.
The way she made talismans was interesting. I thought the method of whispering words into a glass, then drinking from the glass was wonderful.
I liked the 30-odd pieces of silver (twenty or thirty)she had buried that Charles found. Of course, he was interested in selling anything he could. He seemed to be able to find a lot of her buried treasures, though, which made me wonder what he was, in addition to greedy.
There are any number of fascinating elements to this story. Here's one I haven't seen mentioned yet: (view spoiler)In the introduction to the 2006 Penguin edition, Johnathan Lethem noted that the town was a thinly-disguised version of North Bennington, VT where Jackson and her husband encountered strong "reflexive anti-Semitism and anti-intellectualism," so Jackson may well have been channeling her own experiences, to some degree, as regards Mary's with the townsfolk.
I also thought it was interesting that (apparently) Jackson based Constance and Mary very loosely on her own two daughters (though Constance's agoraphobia appears to derive more from Jackson herself.)
Walter wrote: "There are any number of fascinating elements to this story. Here's one I haven't seen mentioned yet: [spoilers removed]In the introduction to the 2006 Penguin edition, Johnathan Lethem noted that..."
The townsfolk were interesting. Although they were gray and threatening, and the children sang their nursery rhyme, there were a few who stood out. There was the one doctor who tried to be the voice of reason with the crowd, and also put up with Uncle Julian.
Then there was Helen Clark, who seemed intent on taking the girls home with her. But that didn't seem entirely friendly to me. It's was like she would take them home and convert or maybe "tame" them somehow? Though I think Constance was considering rejoining the town, or at least coming out, before the attack on the house.
