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.

Unforgettable master work from Shirley Jackson

As remarkable and masterful as Jackson's novel 'The Haunting of Hill House' is, 'Castle' is a story that is more intensely haunting and soul stirring in subtler ways. This novel stays with you, and won't let go. I've read it multiple times, and very much enjoyed the Audible version.

Meh... I'm not about that negativity

Weird story... The negativity of Mary Kat is sometimes unbearable. Sometimes there's a cool plot twist. Overall a good book.

Couldn't put it down - But not sure why?

I needed a few days to write a review of this book. Frankly, I really liked it, but I am not entirely sure why. It is creepy, fun and sort of mysterious. I never wanted to stop reading and I was invested in Mary Cat and Constance's lives.

This is weird because I was actually disappointed overall with how the story played out. SPOILER!**[ I totally predicted who did the poisoning - Too easy! I was really expecting someone to have been a ghost or supernatural being - Nope! I wanted the sisters to have some sort of worldly experience or to grow and change in some way - No way! They were simply happy being shut-ins and starring in the local boogeyman stories. END SPOILER**]. Oh well.

So, I had to give 4 stars because, despite my ultimate disappointments listed in the spoiler, I couldn't put the book down!

Not sure how to feel

I'm new to Shirley Jackson and had no idea what to expect. On one hand, it's well written. On the other, the book was incredibly slow to start and I'm feeling very "What just happened?" The performance was great.

A classic tale on the insidiousness of isolation

Bernadette Dunne does an exceptional job capturing the odd, juvenile Merricat, and poor put-upon Constance.

Incredible book narrated perfectly.

This book was incredible- as all of miss Shirley Jackson’s books are. I could not imagine a better narrator for this book than miss Bernadette Dunne. She added so much to the experience of an already mesmerizing story.

A angry mob against the family in a castle?

*Sighs* I am not fully sure how I feel about this story. It definitely wasn't what I fully expected and I found parts of it to be a little dull or confusing. I finished this book the night before I actually wrote this review, but decided to write the actual review after a good night's sleep and actually even watching the movie so I could try to understand it more.

There's a little mystery and a slight suspense to the book, but for me it was only because I was trying to make heads or tails of the book. I enjoyed the character's, especially Merricat and her eccentric ways, and found the character's to be nicely developed and relatable. The atmosphere of the story was good, but I struggled with understanding the actual storyline, and the flow of the book was just not there for me. I was able to put things together here and there, but the book in the end just left me feeling unfulfilled. After watching the movie I actually enjoyed the movie more than the book, which for me is usually the opposite, just because the visuals and the ending is different. If you watch the movie I do suggest reading the book first as you have more of a understanding what is going on in Merricat's head. As for the narration, Bernadette Dunne does a decent job but the story still seems a little flat.

Lovely Book

The story was enchanting and sad. Almost like a fairy tale that really fits the title. I would have liked another narrator, however, that's just nitpicking because Bernadette Dune just didn't sound like the Merricat I envisioned.

Enjoyable

I enjoyed listening to this book even though the plot was quite predictable at an early stage.

Creepy but not scary

It was okay. Had I read this I don't think I would have finished it. The narrator does an excellent job of drawing you in to stay with it. Weird family, weird situation but nothing scary or that engaging.