We Have Always Lived in The Castle - by Shirley Jackson

I'm making an exception to my modern literature blog to write to you about We Have Always Lived in the Castle. I simply could not put this book down. Mary Katherine Blackwood, her sister Constance, and their Uncle Julian live together in the same home that six of their family members were poisoned and died in. Merricat lives by a structured routine with strange self-imposed rules, and loathes the village members, all of whom look upon her with fear. Constance stays at home always, made a recluse after being tried for her family's murders. Please click "read more" for the full review.


As we slip further and further into the disturbing Blackwood psyche, the entire construal of prototypical 'good' and 'evil' is thrown out the window. Jackson delves so deeply into Merricat's twisted, demonic, narcissistic mind, that she actually manages to normalize it. We, the readers, become so entrenched in the story, that we actually side with Merricat, in her final battle against the 'normal' villagers. We Have Always Lived in the Castle is a phenomenal piece of writing that will go down in literature history as a classic. Aside from the plot being captivating and deliciously fast-paced, the detailed chronicle of a sociopath's psyche is chilling and enthralling.


Jackson relies on terror, rather than horror, to captivate her audience, and proves to have mastered the art. We Have Always Lived in the Castle does not advertise itself as a horror novel, and there are no elements of the supernatural. Instead, Jackson uses completely realistic settings, plot, and mental states to create a masterpiece that is truly terrifying. An absolute must read.