We Have Always Lived in the Castle

By: Shirley Jackson

Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne

Length: 5 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

Shirley Jackson’s deliciously unsettling novel about a perverse, isolated, and possibly murderous family takes readers deep into a labyrinth of dark neurosis, macabre humor, and gothic atmosphere.

Six years after four family members died suspiciously of arsenic poisoning, the three remaining Blackwoods—elder, agoraphobic sister Constance; wheelchair-bound Uncle Julian; and eighteen-year-old Mary Katherine, or, Merricat—live together in pleasant isolation. Merricat has developed an idiosyncratic system of rules and protective magic to guard the estate against intrusions from hostile villagers. But one day a stranger arrives—cousin Charles, with his eye on the Blackwood fortune—and manages to penetrate into their carefully shielded lives. Unable to drive him away by either polite or occult means, Merricat adopts more desperate methods, resulting in crisis, tragedy, and the revelation of a terrible secret.

Jackson’s novel emerges less as a study in eccentricity and more—like some of her other fictions—as a powerful critique of the anxious, ruthless processes involved in the maintenance of normalcy itself.

©1962 Shirley Jackson (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

classic and yet surprising

the world building through the imagination of young Mary-Catherine is wonderful. I will most likely read the novel after having listened all the way through.

Has a very "Poe" feel to it

A wonderfully creepy read. Kept me wondering did she, or didn't she? None of them in that house are playing with a full deck. I started to feel very content, shut away in their house as well, so, that when Cousin Charles arrives I, too, felt he was intruding into their space and wanted him to go away. Shirley Jackson weaves you emotionally into the story, like a vine, and you are hardly aware of it. Great story.

I think I enjoyed The Haunting of Hill House better. This isn't a ghost story. The ghosts are.very much the people who live in the house, but, that may make it even creepier.

Terrific narrator -- she also read The Haunting of Hill House, so, hearing her voice gave me a head start on the creepy vibes!

Well written but I hated Merricat

I think the main character, Merricat, is meant to be disliked, and she is written very well to accomplish this feeling. I sometimes found myself extremely frustrated with her behavior- but this speaks to how well Shirley Jackson wrote it because I think she wanted to reader to feel frustrated, heartbroken, and angry. This story has no shortage of awful people in it, and it feels like more of a story about the impacts of when you isolate yourself and how cruel others can be when they fear or don't understand you. Overall, worth the listen. The narration is good- not bad and not great.

classic tale

these character’s drama is realistic and intimate. easily too 3 readers i’ve heard on audible

I am still trying to figure out what is going on

This is very confusing, very interesting, and very, very entertaining. I’m trying to unravel the unspoken messages, and this book causes you to think a lot. Overall, this is a new spooky favorite that I will be rereading a lot!

Delightfully creepy

People can be cruel when they don’t know anything about you. The reader goes on a journey with the unreliable narrator Merricat who is childlike, strange, superstitious, and misunderstood. She just wants to be left alone with her sister Constance and cat Jonas. But change comes and threatens their sisterly bond. The tension unfolds slowly. Can you have both revenge and redemption?

Boring and pointless

I rarely come across a book that I do not like, but this is one of them! I am a big fan of scary/creepy stories, and was really looking forward to this one being part of that genre. This story never developed and definitely left me wishing There was more to it. I kept expecting something creepy to happen or some thing. Frightening but it never did happen. I am blown away at all of the great reviews this book received, because between the characters, being dull and the storyline never developing, I would recommend to anyone to pass on this book.

Absolutely amazing

After listening to countless horrible audiobooks and even more mediocre ones it's a rare pleasure to encounter such a gem. As a former Literature Major a found myself analyzing the novel, looking at online interpretations etc. Definitely a piece of literary art to be enjoyed and savored.

You have to read between the lines

Weird but atmospheric tale of of two sisters, Merricat and Constance who live in agoraphobic isolation in a large old house with their senile old wheelchair bound uncle Julian. All of the rest of their family is long dead. Poisoned with arsenic six years ago. Constance stood trial for the deaths but was acquitted. Still the towns folk taunt and bully them. Thinking Constance killed her family with poisoned food. So the sisters stay at home. With money in a safe instead of a bank.

Eighteen year old Merricat is the only one who ever leaves the house, going out twice a week for food. Dodging the stares and condemnation of the towns folk. Merricat, the narrator of the story lives in a fantasy life. Wishing to be on the moon when people get to close to her. When ever they make fun of her she retreats into her fantasy world.

Her older sister Constance watches over every one constantly cooking, cleaning, gardening and baking and making tea. The entire story is a conversation in Merricat's warped brain. Child like fantasy life of an 18 year old. The unreliable narrator. The best parts of the book are what is not said but implied. Is Constance afraid to leave the house or is there something else going on? This is where Jackson's writing excels. But you have to have the patience to worm out the the unsaid from the silly babbling of girl who refuses to grown up. The implied but not spoken. Mericat buries objects in the garden. She has adventures in her head. Plays and talks to her cat. She secretly wishes people dead or disappeared. She places talisman all over their garden to ward off evil. Then one day a book she nailed to a tree falls and she thinks it is a bad omen. Something bad will happen. And it does.

Excellent writing but such a depressing story of cruelty, manipulation and mental illness. Not at all a horror story but very atmospheric. Leaving more mystery behind. This story is haunting without being a horror story.

Odd and Odder

Two sisters and their uncle are all that remain after the deliberate poisoning of their entire family. The courts could not prosecute any of them because of lack of evidence. The uncle is not really a suspect because he almost died with the family and is now bound to a wheelchair. Because there was not any kind of conviction the sisters are relentlessly harassed by the local residents and therefore do not go into town unless absolutely necessary. Both sisters are strange, the oldest is too eerily kind and over the top, peaches and cream, the younger sister is similar to a wild animal with bizarre actions and screwball ceremonial rituals. They live in a home outside of town for years before a distant cousin, with an agenda, comes to live with them to see just what he can swindle from the estate. The strange goings on become even more warped and elevated when the devious cousin try's to step in and relegate all actions and decisions that are made. Eventually a not so accidental tragedy strikes and the sisters are thrown into an even more demented and isolated existence.

Agorphobia is just one of their defects. I could not decide, "psychopath or sociopath". A creepy story made even darker by Shirley Jackson's ability to spin a good spooky yarn. No gore or terrifying moments, just weeeird. It's perfect for Halloween.