Review - We Have Always Lived In The Castle by Shirley Jackson

The story revolves around two sisters: Mary and Constance. They live in a house where nobody visits, and they hoard food items as if many people live in the house, but they are only three. The protagonist is Mary Katherine, and it’s hard to form an opinion about her. Most of the time, I liked her and conformed with her thinking, but as I read further something didn’t feel right. Yet, I could not put my finger on it. In the book, there were many instances where you wanted to make things right, but by the end, you questioned your choices. Despite knowing the suspense, you want more from the story and don’t want to stop there. From the beginning, the characters were eccentric, which resulted in a love-hate relationship with them. I like the way the story is shaped, as it keeps you on your toes. Also, the ending felt abstract as it leaves the reader a lot to ponder upon things.

I didn’t know that it is gothic fiction. But after reading a few pages, I understood it has a dark theme. I wasn’t prepared for a dark book like this, as I wanted to read something light; even then, this book hooked me up. As my attention span is a little low these days, this book didn’t make me feel like that, so that’s a plus. The narration is good and has a good flow that you don’t want to interrupt. People who love reading suspense, mystery or horror fiction might enjoy it more.

Rating – 3.5/5

Genre – Gothic Fiction, Suspense, Mystery & Thriller

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