☠️Spoiler Free Book Review☠️

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“You will be wondering about that sugar bowl, I imagine, is it still in use? You are wondering, has it been cleaned? You may very well ask, was it thoroughly washed?” 

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I’m sure I can’t write a review to do this book justice, especially one without spoilers, but here we are anyway. Shirley Jackson is a genius. Her writing style is distinctive, not similar to Ray Bradbury, but I think of them together because people often either really love their work or just don’t get the appeal. I read The Lottery in school and while I don’t remember all the details, it was so well done it’s stuck with me over the years. I read The Haunting of Hill House last year and thought it was excellent, but We Have Always Lived in the Castle has taken now over as my favorite Shirley Jackson story. 

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Those that remain of the Blackwood family, 18 year old Mary Katherine (Merricat), her older sister Constance, and their uncle Julian, live on a family estate outside the local village as scorned outcasts. Merricat is the only connection between the house and village and it’s through her child like narration that we learn of the infamous event from six years prior, and the new changes coming to their household. 

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The writing here is hauntingly beautiful; there are no wasted words. The story has so many layers and nuances, it’s simply brilliant. Jackson somehow mixes tension filled dread with quirky humor and ends up with a masterpiece of gothic horror. The depth of character development is impressive in such a short book, especially for Merricat. She is captivating, from the very first sentence, to the last. “Oh, Constance,” I said, “we are so happy.”

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Set the mood. Wait for a stormy night, fix yourself a nice cup of tea or coffee, and settle in for a great read. Oh, and you might want to skip the sugar.