October 2023 - We Have Always Lived in the Castle

[Jayme, Moderator]

One of the group reads for October is We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson Please discuss the book in this thread.

Odette will be leading the discussion.

In order to receive a badge you must:
1. have read the book before or during October 2023.
2. discussed it in this thread. Discussion must be more than "I read the book and I liked it". Discussion requires something more substantial and analytical of what you read, for example, thoughts, opinions, impact it had on you, what was your favorite part, was it what you expected it to be like etc. You may also like to review the book and post a link to the review in this thread. Please refer to our group spoiler policy for further information.
3. Report that you have read AND discussed the book in the reporting thread (include a brief summary of what you thought of the book).

A note on discussion: Discussion must be more than "I read the book and I liked it". Discussion requires something more substantial and analytical of what you read, for example, thoughts, opinions, impact it had on you, what was your favorite part, was it what you expected it to be like etc.

In addition to this, the group reads are meant to be a "read along" so it is preferable that you discuss the book as you read rather than wait until you've finished the book.

And finally, discussion is not about just listing your thoughts. Please interact with the other group members, comment on their thoughts, and if they comment on yours, respond to them. This is what makes a good book discussion!

You may also like to review the book and post a link to the review in this thread.

Please refer to our group spoiler policy for further information.

General Rules:
1. Please mark your spoilers with the spoiler tags along with mentioning what stage of the book you are at so other's don't get a nasty shock. Chapter numbers/titles are generally best as they are the same across all formats and editions. See our spoiler policy
2. The book may be combined with the Year Long Challenge, Topplers, and Monthly Challenges.

Happy reading!

[Kristie, Moderator]

I read this one a while back and enjoyed it. I'll be checking in on the discussion.

[Jayme, Moderator]

I read this one also and was so taken with the writing and story that I read several other Shirly Jackson novels. I think she is the master of horror and suspense.
When I was a kid there was a short movie based on The Lottery that I saw in school (they would never show that movie today) and I still think of it when I pick up a lottery ticket even though it is not the same thing.

She has a collection of short stories called Dark Tales that I haven't read yet, but would be fitting for October. There is a silhouette of a cat on the cover and I will accept it as a black cat if any one wants to read it also for a stamp.

[Odette]

I am looking forward to this book. It should be an interesting read and discussion. I have been reading about Shirley Jackson, who is a new author for me.

[Katrisa]

I have read this one before and it is one of my favs for Halloween. I will be reading with you guys. I think this book will generate some good discussion.

[Vicki]

I am excited to read this one. I read The Haunting of Hill House with the group one year and loved it. All the copies were taken at my library but I found this one that's available: Novels & Stories: The Lottery / The Haunting of Hill House / We Have Always Lived in the Castle / Other Stories and Sketches I will definitely read "The Lottery" as well. Not sure if I'll have time for any others.

[Odette]

I have done some research, read the introduction and first chapter. It is Shirley Jackson's last book, written and set in 1962,

I have been looking forward to this book. I feel is going to be an enjoyable, but slow read for me as there seems to be a lot to absorb. I am planning to read a chapter every couple of days, do a short summary and put up a couple of questions to consider. As we all read at a different pace and start at different times, please add your thoughts as you progress.

In the first chapter, the village and the Blackwood family are introduced, told from the narrator's (Mary Katherine Blackwood known as Merricat) point of view, She begins her story, starting some time earlier (going back in time), on the day she brought home the library books that still sit on her shelf, long overdue.

(view spoiler)[Merricat reveals that all of her relatives are dead, except for her sister Constance.
It’s Merricat’s job to go into town for groceries, but she doesn’t like having to face the villagers, who are hostile towards her. The Blackwoods’ land is closed off from the outside world with a fence, and the villagers have always hated the Blackwood family. Merricat hates the villagers in return and often wishes them dead.
On her way home, Merricat goes into Stella’s café to show that she isn’t afraid. (hide spoiler)]

This chapter for me raised a number of questions, and am sure there are plenty of others.
Why does the village appear grey to Merricat?
Why does Merricat go into Stella's Cafe, when it is not a necessary task?
How does Merricat cope with the attitude of the villagers?
No doubt will find out later in the book why the villagers have this attitude.

[Sharon]

I plan on starting this tomorrow. Looking forward to it!

[Sandra, Moderator]

Jayme wrote: "I read this one also and was so taken with the writing and story that I read several other Shirly Jackson novels. I think she is the master of horror and suspense.
When I was a kid there was a shor..."

The Lottery is one of the best short stories I have read in my life. So powerful and so short. Amazing.

[Grainne]

I have downloaded this book and I am going to join in the discussion.

[Katrisa]

I am also starting tomorrow. I already owned the audio but I saw it on kindle for like 2 bucks so I'm going to read it that way this time

[Grainne]

I have read up to chapter 1.
In the first pages, we meet Merricat who lives with her sister Constance. (view spoiler)[ I thought it a little unnerving that she lists the deathcup mushroom as one of her favorite things. (hide spoiler)]

(view spoiler)[ Her Uncle Julian isn't mentioned as someone who lives in the house in the opening line, and he is not mentioned as being alive when she says, "everyone else in my family is dead." Yet, she talks about him as though he is alive. I am not sure what is going on there. (hide spoiler)]

The village would appear grey to Merricat (view spoiler)[ and to anybody who had recently lost loved ones because she is feeling their absence. (hide spoiler)]

There's a strong tension between (view spoiler)[ the Blackwood family and the rest of the villagers with the exception of Stella. The Blackwoods are monied, not very inclusive, and hated by the villagers. The villagers are described as greedy, hate-filled, and hardened. (hide spoiler)]

[Sharon]

I have finished through Chapter 1. So far, I love the writing. It takes me back to The Lottery which is short but doesn’t seem to be. Jackson has such a marvelous way with language.

Mary Catherine (Merricat): (view spoiler)[ I wonder what has happened. I I agree it was a little unnerving to hear the children chanting about poison and Merricat’s favorite plant being the death head mushroom. And her whole family is dead…what has happened? (hide spoiler)] spoiler>

All the people are gray and without color (except Stella) (view spoiler)[ I agree that grief will make you unable to see color. Grief can be overwhelming and the beauty of everyday life is dulled. (hide spoiler)]

The game (view spoiler)[ I really liked the way that Merricat divided the chore of going to town into manageable bits. By playing a game in her mind, she could see progress, make sense of the scary or bad parts and know that she was nearing the end. I like to divide up difficult tasks or very long drives into parts to make it more manageable. I definitely identified with this. (hide spoiler)]

Bullies! (view spoiler)[ Lord, how I hate bullies. To be a bully to a child when you are an adult is despicable. I wanted to slap old Donnell and Dunham off the stools! (hide spoiler)]

[Odette]

Grainne wrote: "I have read up to chapter 1.

Grainie, I agree it is a very unnerving that Merricat (view spoiler)[likes death cap mushrooms. It is a very strange opening paragraph, where Merricat introduces herself and lists the things she dislikes and likes. (hide spoiler)]

In the next paragraph (view spoiler)[she mentions the library books on the kitchen shelf which are more than five months overdue, which I think sets the time between the excursion to the village (her last?) and her opening para. (hide spoiler)]

I am not sure about Uncle Julian. (view spoiler)[He is mentioned a few times in the chapter. "Constance never went past her own garden and Uncle Julian could not". Wonder why? (hide spoiler)]

One of the ways I think Merricat copes with the attitude of the villages (view spoiler)[is to retreat into her own world. She played a game in her mind, "where the board is marked into little spaces and each player moved according to a throw of the dice". (hide spoiler)].

This book is fantastic. There is so much to it and to discuss.

[Marnie]

I have read chapter 1. I am enjoying the writing. This is my first Shirley Jacksonbook and she conveys emotion very well. I was tense reading about Merricat’s trip into town and curious about (view spoiler)[ why the townspeople hate her and her family so much. It sounds like jealousy over their wealth but I’m sure there is more than that.

I’m guessing there will be accusations of sorcery but have nothing to base that on... but the hate is strong. Strong enough to bully which usually means fear. (hide spoiler)]

[Sharon]

Today, I read Chapter 2. (We are leaving on vacation tomorrow so my entries might be a bit sporadic this week.)

What an odd family! (view spoiler)[ I am still trying to figure out the characters. I think probably Constance and Merricat’s mother was a tiny bit snobbish as she didn’t want the village people using their property as a walk through. Then again, I might not either. (hide spoiler)]

Luncheon and tea: (view spoiler)[ So, we can surmise that Constance was the one suspected of poisoning the rest of the family. Why DID she wash out the sugar bowl before calling the police? Was she guilty or protecting Merricat? Merricat is a strange girl. It seemed over the top for her to break the milk pitcher and leave it for Constance to find. Because she was punishing her for agreeing with the visitors at tea? Or does it run deeper? Helen Clarke seemed a bit of a busybody. But Mrs. Wright was a bit over the top with her nosiness and insinuations. I wonder if Uncle Julian’s health problems can be traced back to the arsenic poisoning? So many questions! (hide spoiler)]

[Odette]

Sharon wrote: "Today, I read Chapter 2. (We are leaving on vacation tomorrow so my entries might be a bit sporadic this week.)

Sharon, have a great vacation.

I have just finished Chapter 2, which was a long chapter with a lot in it.

Merricat's mother (view spoiler)[does appear to be snobbish as she refers to the highway being built for common people. She was very fastidious and could not bear to see her drawing room untidy, where she had golden legged chairs and a harp. Now Constance and Merricat are keeping the room perfectly. I wonder what her story is, and what influence she had on the two girls Perhaps it will be revealed later in the book. (hide spoiler)]

Visit by Helen Clarke and Mrs Wright (view spoiler)[takes up most of this chapter. We get to meet Uncle Julian, and in the course of the afternoon tea there are a number of revelations. I need more time to think more about the significance of the milk pitcher incident, and the other issues. It is interesting that the severity of the poisoning correlates with the person's greediness for sugar. I am wondering if sugar has any significance? (hide spoiler)]

[Nistha]

I finished Chapter 1. Though this book looks like a short read, I think there is a lot to unpack. I think I will avoid reading spoilers as I want to get the scare out of the story. It has already started with a very spooky vibe.

[Marnie]

I read chapter 2 and wow was there a lot going on.

My opening assumptions were wrong (view spoiler)[ no sorcery but murder! So Charlotte was accused of poisoning her family and was acquitted. The story sounds bananas...

I like your point Odette about the greediness of the sugar eating to the amount of arsenic ingested. I’m looking forward to reading what really happened. (hide spoiler)]

[Katrisa]

I am through ch 2. (view spoiler)[I loved how when Merricat goes to the town she imagines her walk home like a game where you can lose turns and such - that is totally the kind of thing I would do when I was younger. There is certainly animosity between the villagers and the Blackwoods. Merricat seems youngish at times but hides a deep hatred. (hide spoiler)]

[Odette]

I have started on Chapter 3, which is much shorter.
The author is able to fit a lot into her writing Some things are not so obvious and are like clues that are not all relevant. A couple of more things in Chapter 2 caught my attention
1. Uncle Julian (view spoiler)[ revealed that on the night of the poisoning, Mericat had been sent to bed without dinner. This must have happened frequently as Constance says, "Merricat was always in disgrace, I used to go up the back stairs with a tray of dinner for her after my father had left the dining room". (hide spoiler)]
2. Mericat (view spoiler)[smashed a milk pitcher which had belonged to her mother while the visitors had been discussing Constance's return to society. It is an interesting relationship between the two sisters. Are they just looking after each other, or is one trying to control the other? (hide spoiler)]

[Katrisa]

I finished ch 3 (view spoiler)[Merricat's little rituals are kind of odd. She is trying to keep things from changing - good luck with that! (hide spoiler)]

[Marnie]

I have finished chapter 3 and have a question about Merricat.

(view spoiler)[ Why do you think she’s not allowed to handle the knives in the kitchen? She is allowed to go into town but not that? Seems Constance has rules for her which makes her seem younger but isn’t she 18?

Her outburst with the milk pitcher also made her seem younger or in need of extra care? (hide spoiler)]

[Odette]

Marnie wrote: "I have finished chapter 3 and have a question about Merricat.

Marie, that is an interesting question. (view spoiler)[Though Mericat is allowed to handle tools when she is helping Constance in the garden, she is not allowed to handle knives when helping her in the kitchen. So I do not think she wants to harm Constance. Perhaps Constance is worried about her harming herself or harming the villagers when she goes in to shop. Or else Constance sees her as a child who has to be kept away from danger. (hide spoiler)]

[Odette]

I have finished Chapters 3 and 4.

Chapter 3. (view spoiler)[Merricat fees a change is coming in their lives, so she chooses three magic words that will prevent it. Uncle Julian’s health seems bad, and after Dr. Levy comes to examine him, the sisters and Uncle Julian sit in the garden and talk more about the poisoning and family. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 4. (view spoiler)[Merricat and her cat, wander the property, checking on items that she has buried as magical protection. Later their cousin, Charles Blackwood arrives. Merricat is upset that Constance has let him in, so she spends the night in her hiding place by the creek with Jonas. (hide spoiler)]

As this is just a summary, I will add some more thoughts tonight.

[Marnie]

I have finished chapter 6

Charles (view spoiler)[ radiates evil and I worry what he will do to Merricat and Jonas. I’m ready to make up some Arsenic pie for him. Constance is also annoying me by not seeing his evil. (hide spoiler)]

[Odette]

Chapter 3 (view spoiler)[Main issue - Uncle Julian's unreliable memory and Merricat's concerning behaviour (hide spoiler)]
Chapter 4 (view spoiler)[Merricat's foreboding about the arrival of Uncle Charles
I still do not know what I think about the characters, so will just read on and find out (hide spoiler)]

[Vicki]

I have read chapter 1

I like what Grainne said about the grey (view spoiler)[ being the result of grief. We know something happened to her parents but what could have happened that the townspeople are so scornful and unsympathetic to the daughters left behind?
But it also seems that only the village is grey and her home is a happy place with colour. I am certainly intrigued. (hide spoiler)]

Re the game; I agree with Sharon and found that very relatable.

Merricat (view spoiler)[I'm sad that this is a name given by the horrible townspeople because I like the nickname and thought it clever (hide spoiler)]

Laughter(view spoiler)[ I wonder if Mary Kat is hearing correctly that ppl are laughing at her. Like Stella and the kids' mom. Neither gave the impression that they would laugh at Mary K I thought. (hide spoiler)]

[Vicki]

The Lottery.

I had planned to read this short story also but looking into it, it is part of of the anthology The Lottery or, The Adventures of James Harris and apparently the stories might have a connection. This James Harris makes appearances in a few of the stories and in chapter 1 of WHALITC we have mention of a Johnny Harris that made a hand print in the town hall and the (view spoiler)[children harrassing Mary K have the last name Harris (hide spoiler)] An Easter egg maybe?

[Sharon]

I have just finished Chapters 4 and 5

Chapter 4: (view spoiler)[ Cousin Charles arrives. It doesn’t take me long to dislike him. Why is he there? Merricat leaves the house because she dislike him so. Does she have magic? She is visiting all of the things she buried to keep them safe and protected. She sees the arrival of Charles as a break in the magical protection she believes protects the house. Merricat sometimes seems “not quite right” to me although I am aware that most of her family died of poisoning. Who did it? (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 5: (view spoiler)[ Well, it’s for sure that Charles is not a good person. Why is Constance so blind about him, I wonder? I have finally connected the idea that when Merricat breaks something, she believes it helps the magic perform protection. Uncle Julian’s memory issues just break my heart. Was he having issues before the deaths of his loved ones? Is Charles out for money? That would be my guess. How presumptive he is to chastise Julian. I’m with Merricat. I wish he would go away. (hide spoiler)]

[Marnie]

I finished. There is a note after the ending that talked about the symbolism of this story etc. I did not see any of it while I was reading it so I’m feeling less academic now lol.

[Katrisa]

I just finished ch 7. (view spoiler)[I loved Julian's take-down of Charles! I am glad he used one of his more lucid moments to call out Charles. It is frustrating how Constance is letting him behave that way towards Merricat and Julian. The whole family has suffered trauma and made their own little tolerable world and he is just running roughshod over it. (hide spoiler)]

[Vicki]

Marnie wrote: "I finished. There is a note after the ending that talked about the symbolism of this story etc. I did not see any of it while I was reading it so I’m feeling less academic now lol."

Sometimes those can seem out to lunch though too. I bet some authors would be surprised to see what ppl dissect out of their books.

[Vicki]

Marnie wrote: "I finished. There is a note after the ending that talked about the symbolism of this story etc. I did not see any of it while I was reading it so I’m feeling less academic now lol."

I should add that I hope you will share some with us. I don't think my copy has any notes or introduction.

I have read Chapter 2 now and was delighted to get some answers
(view spoiler)[ Unfortunately I don't know what to make of it as the family was having such a laugh teasing Mrs Wright I don't know who poisoned anyone. It did make a lot more sense out of the grocery store scene and I admired Merricat emphasizing some things like the lamb and sugar to get reactions from the hated villagers. (hide spoiler)]

[Vicki]

Odette wrote: "Sharon wrote: "Today, I read Chapter 2. (We are leaving on vacation tomorrow so my entries might be a bit sporadic this week.)

Sharon, have a great vacation.

I have just finished Chapter 2, which..."

Sugar (view spoiler)[good point about the eagerness for sugar increasing the degree of poison. I'm still not sure who poisoned the sugar but I am wondering if it was the mother based on no real reason. Just that she did seem rather extreme. (hide spoiler)]

Milk(view spoiler)[ Smashing the milk pitcher is quite excessive. Couldn't they hear it? Seems even worse when they prize all their heirlooms so much. (hide spoiler)]

5 months (view spoiler)[ We know this is the last time they get a visit from Helen. I can only imagine that Constance is going to venture forth into the public and it is not going to go over well (hide spoiler)]

[Marnie]

Vicki wrote: "Marnie wrote: "I finished. There is a note after the ending that talked about the symbolism of this story etc. I did not see any of it while I was reading it so I’m feeling less academic now lol."
..."

Some notes from The Afterword

(view spoiler)[ Uncle Julian is “the reader’s surrogate asking questions for us readers like why was the poison in the sugar and not the rarebit?

Plus so many sexual overtones

“Sexuality is rarely present in the book and needless to say, sexuality is everywhere in its absense.”

“Constance is a kind of Emily Dickens drowning sexual yearning in her housework.”

“Charles represents the male principal and Uncle Julian is definitely emasculated and probably gay.”

The firemen represent sex “ pushing in and out” of the house.

I made none of these connections and think the note writer is reaching but it did make me laugh a bit. (hide spoiler)]

[Vicki]

Chapter 3 (view spoiler)[ I too was jarred reading that Merricat isn't allowed to handle knives. There were a lot of strange rules regarding tea also and I'm not sure if this is one sided self imposed rules Merricat makes for herself like all her other rules and superstitions. At the very least she over thinks everything.
I like how she makes the three random magic words and concedes that no words are safe around uncle Julian. And right away he starts talking of music I thought he would say Melody right away (hide spoiler)]

[Odette]

Marnie wrote: "Vicki wrote: "Marnie wrote: "I finished. There is a note after the ending that talked about the symbolism of this story etc. I did not see any of it while I was reading it so I’m feeling less acade..."

Marnie, thanks. I also did not make those connections. The kindle version has an Introduction but no Afterword. (view spoiler)[I had another look at the introduction, in which there is mention that the novel represents some elements of the author's own life. For example the severity of her own upbringing and her feeling of being persecuted as a newcomer in a village. Also the same reference to sexuality. (hide spoiler)].
The introduction makes more sense reading it afterwards.

[Odette]

Vicki wrote: "Odette wrote:


In Chapter 2: (view spoiler)[Smashing the pitcher is like a temper tantrum of someone much younger. Though acting impulsively, no doubt she has her own reasons, one of which could be fear.
Overall, I think Mericat is a very complicated personality who has suffered mistreatment. (hide spoiler)]

[Odette]

I have now read Chapters 5, 6 and 7.

It took me a while to get into the book and now finding it easier reading.

Cousin Charles: (view spoiler)[ I agree that he is not all likeable. What are his motives for moving in? He seems to be very determined and is taking over the possessions and personality? of his uncle John, the girls' father. He charms Constance but not Mericat, who hates his intrusion into their lives (hide spoiler)]

[Sharon]

We had a long drive home today, so I finished the book, including the afterward. When I got to a certain point, I couldn’t put it down.

(view spoiler)[Goodness! Charles was awful. He obviously just wanted the money, Julian gone, and who knows what he would have done with Merricat! I spent a good few minutes worried that he would kill Jonah, the cat. Then when Merricat put his burning pipe in the trash, so many of the puzzle pieces fell in place.

I did kind of suspect her early on as being the poisoner. She obviously has some issues, to put it mildly. The whole scene in the summerhouse where she was thinking about her family fawning over her was very disturbing. I had forgotten that she was 18 as stated in the introduction. She certainly acted much younger!

I thought it so sad that the villagers came to the fire and victimized them for what had previously happened by breaking things not destroyed by the fire and terrorizing the girls. It was cruel and hard to read. It didn’t surprise me that they took refuge in what remained of the house and locked themselves in forever. The villagers providing food in order to beg forgiveness, and from fear, was an easy path to getting food which would have run out. Both girls are deeply damaged by the events and are now living in a fantasy world. I felt most sorry for Constance.

Charles’s reappearance finally got Constance to see his true self. It did seem like he was simply used in the plot to further along Merricat’s wish to safeguard them in their own world…”on the moon”. I was glad when he ended up with nothing.

I did read the afterward. I did not know that some of Jackson’s past, namely her severe upbringing and her treatment as a newcomer to a small village, influenced her writing so heavily. I agree with Marnie that the author of the afterward read a lot into the story. I am really glad that I read this. I loved The Lottery and have been wanting to read this awhile. (hide spoiler)]

[Odette]

I have finished the book now, (view spoiler)[which was enjoyable and different from what I usually read. It is a short book with a lot going on with various possible interpretations. I am pleased to have read it and have a copy of the short story, The Lottery to read now. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 8 - (view spoiler)[I found very hard to read, especially when the villages act as a mob and vandalize what is left in the house. I am not sure if Merricat premeditates setting a fire, or does not understand that the pipe will set the newspaper on fire. Perhaps she was too focused on getting rid of things that belonged to Charles, and evidence of his presence in the house. (hide spoiler)]
Chapters 9 and 10 - (view spoiler)[It was sad to hear about Constance Mericat's living arrangements after the fire. They were confined to a couple of rooms of which the kitchen was the focus. It must have been dark and depressing with the windows boarded up and barriers beside the house. They had each other and lived in their own world. To the outside world it was as though the house was only inhabited by ghosts. (hide spoiler)]

[Grainne]

I have read up to chapter 2

Uncle Julian (view spoiler)[ is alive and he is a real person. I don't know why I thought otherwise. His mobility is an issue, so he lives downstairs and knows an awful lot about poisonous plants. What a curiosity! (hide spoiler)]

The dialogue between (view spoiler)[ Uncle Julian and the ladies who visit from town, Mrs. Wright and Helen Clarke was very interesting. I wondered at first if they interested in him but it seems to be Constance who they want to draw back into society. I wonder if they will succeed. Also, I have to ask why they want her to come and socialize with them because she didn't seem very friendly to them, and I don't think I'd like to eat anything she cooks! The tension between the family and the villagers has grown in this chapter. I am curious where it will lead to next. (hide spoiler)]

[Grainne]

That's an interesting idea that Sharon has about the game. (view spoiler)[ It definitely helps her to pass the time more enjoyably and I probably do that as well sometimes when I break more daunting tasks into manageable goals. I just hadn't viewed it that way when I read it the first time. (hide spoiler)]

Odette's comment about the sugar made me think of the nursery rhyme (view spoiler)[ "sugar and spice and all things nice that is what little girls are made of." I learned that so long ago I can't believe I still remember it. I wonder if the girls were expected to be nice and civil to the point where they swung the opposite way? I get rebellious vibes from the both of them. People pleasing can be a poison and Constance is described as the cook for the family. Did Mom overkill the nice factor in both of her girls? (hide spoiler)]

Vicky, I like the nickname too. I think it's very clever and maybe suggests that the local villagers (view spoiler)[ don't speak proper English as they might have just been trying to actually say her name. (hide spoiler)]

I didn't really have any views on the milk pitcher until I read all of your spoilers up to chapter 2. (view spoiler)[ There's no use crying over spilled milk was Merricat's message to her sister Constance and I believe words that were ingrained in the girls by their mother whose voices echoes from the grave from the destroyed heirloom. All based on assumption on my part. I want to know more about the mother and her relationship with the girls in particular. (hide spoiler)]

[Nistha]

I finished it today.

(view spoiler)[

I really liked the creepy atmosphere of the book and some embedded themes of masculinity, discrimination etc. I felt really bad for the sisters at the end.

I expected the book to be more sinister and a bit more plot-heavy. Maybe I did not understand all the underlying metaphors/themes. The book got really engaging once Charles came into the picture - never liked him one bit.

(hide spoiler)]

[Katrisa]

I finished the book.
(view spoiler)[The mob scene is disturbing. It's crazy how little it can take for civility to break down - especially when we paint some as "others". The villagers dropping food by as penance doesn't really excuse what they did but at least it's something. I like how the girls just adjust to their new lives. I wonder why Merricat poisoned the family. It is clear that she sometimes takes extreme actions when the world doesn't conform to what she wants, but I do wonder what Merricat sins the family committed that she wanted to end their lives. (hide spoiler)]

[Vicki]

Finished chapter 5
(view spoiler)[ I'm not sure if it is because I'm seeing events through Merricat but there is something sinister about cousin Charles. And who does he think he is coming into their house and disrupting their lives, being so rude to uncle Julian who is obviously ill. (hide spoiler)]

[Vicki]

Uncle Julian and Merricat(view spoiler)[ I've noticed that uncle Julian never seems to acknowledge Merricat, he never speaks to her to the point I wondered if Merricat was a ghost. But Constance speaks to Merricat so I dismissed that idea.
Also Merricat is always chastising herself to be kinder to uncle Julian yet she never really interacts with him at all. I wonder what, if anything, is going on between them or if there's a history. Or does Julian dismiss her as a child since he is stuck in the past. (hide spoiler)]

[Odette]

Katrisa wrote: "I finished the book.
[spoilers removed]"

Merricat (view spoiler)[I also wonder why she did it. Maybe it is the same reason as starting the fire in Charles's bedroom. She was treated badly and punished by her parents, when sent to her room without dinner. Also Charles seemed to take on the identity of her father. Her mother was perhaps focused on the family's reputation and possessions. (hide spoiler)]
At the end of Chapter 7 (view spoiler)[Merricat imagines a dinner with her family where they are nice and considerate towards her. (hide spoiler)]

[Vicki]

I have finished chapter 7 and have hit that momentum I don't want to stop reading. (view spoiler)[ I am very confused. I hope I get some clarity by the end. Absolutely despise Charles. I think he's after money or wanting to marry Constance. Something nasty anyways. (hide spoiler)]