We Have Always Lived In The Castle Summary

We Have Always Lived in the Castle: A Comprehensive Summary and Analysis

Are you captivated by gothic mysteries with a touch of dark humor and unsettling family dynamics? Then Shirley Jackson's We Have Always Lived in the Castle is a book you need to explore. This chilling yet compelling novel weaves a tale of isolation, family secrets, and the unsettling power of perception. This comprehensive guide offers a detailed summary of We Have Always Lived in the Castle, delving into its key themes, characters, and the unsettling atmosphere that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. We'll unpack the plot, analyze the characters' motivations, and explore the enduring relevance of this gothic masterpiece. Prepare to delve into the Blackwood family's eerie world and uncover the secrets hidden within their secluded castle.

The Blackwood Family: A Portrait of Isolation and Dysfunction

The story centers around the Blackwood family, who live in isolation in their dilapidated mansion following a tragic poisoning incident that claimed the lives of most of the family six years prior. The remaining members are:

Merricat Blackwood: The young, fiercely protective protagonist who is often perceived as strange and possibly even dangerous. Her narration is both unreliable and captivating, offering a unique perspective on events.

Constant Blackwood: Merricat's older sister, who is more outwardly composed but equally disturbed. She's struggling with the weight of her family's secrets and her own suppressed emotions.

Uncle Julian Blackwood: The family's uncle, a recluse and invalid who relies on his nieces for care. He adds another layer of complexity to the family dynamic.

The rest of the Blackwood Family: The events of the tragic past continue to affect the lives of the remaining family members and the way that the community sees them. The lingering effects of the poisoning permeate everything.

The Poisoning and Its Aftermath: A Shadow Over Blackwood Manor

The poisoning that wiped out most of the Blackwood family six years before the story's beginning is a central mystery. The community largely blames Constance and Merricat, fueling their isolation and reinforcing their distrust of the outside world. The true culprit is never explicitly revealed, leaving the reader to piece together clues and question the reliability of the narrative. This ambiguity is a key element of the novel's unsettling atmosphere.

Charles Blackwood: A Catalyst for Conflict and Change

The arrival of Charles Blackwood, Merricat's cousin, disrupts the fragile equilibrium of the Blackwood household. He represents the outside world and its judgments, forcing the family to confront their past and their unconventional way of life. His attempts to integrate himself into the family and claim his inheritance intensify the existing tensions and set the stage for a dramatic climax.

The Power of Perception and Unreliable Narration: Unraveling the Truth

Jackson masterfully uses an unreliable narrator in Merricat. Her perspective is skewed and often fantastical, making it difficult to determine what is reality and what is a product of her imagination. This uncertainty adds layers of suspense and keeps the reader guessing until the very end. The community's perception of the Blackwoods, shaped by prejudice and rumors, is equally crucial in understanding the complexities of the novel.

Themes Explored in We Have Always Lived in the Castle: A Deeper Look

Isolation and Family Dynamics: The novel explores the intense bond between Merricat and Constance, showcasing both its strengths and its destructive potential. Their isolation from the outside world fuels their eccentricities and their shared secrets.

The Power of Belief and Perception: The ambiguity surrounding the poisoning incident highlights how easily perceptions can be manipulated and how unreliable narratives can shape reality.

Gothic Elements and the Supernatural: The eerie atmosphere of the old house, the family's strange rituals, and Merricat's imaginative world contribute to the novel's gothic feel, hinting at a world beyond the mundane.

Social Outcasting and Prejudice: The novel subtly critiques societal prejudice and the tendency to ostracize those who don't conform to societal norms. The Blackwoods are victims of this, reinforcing their already precarious existence.

Outline of We Have Always Lived in the Castle

I. Introduction: Sets the scene, introducing the Blackwood family and their isolated life in the old house. The unsettling atmosphere is established early on.

II. Chapter 1-6: Focuses on the daily lives of the Blackwoods, their routines, and their relationship with the outside world. The past poisoning is hinted at, but its details remain shrouded in mystery. Merricat's unique narration starts to solidify the unreliable nature of the story.

III. Chapter 7-12: The arrival of Charles Blackwood introduces conflict and disrupts the established order. Tensions rise as the family interacts with an outsider. Suspicion and distrust are key themes in these chapters.

IV. Chapter 13-18: The climax of the novel is approached. The true nature of the family's secrets and the poisoning begins to unravel.

V. Conclusion: The novel concludes with a sense of both resolution and unsettling ambiguity. The reader is left to ponder the consequences of the events and the uncertain future of the Blackwood family.

Detailed Explanation of the Outline Points

I. Introduction: The opening chapters establish the Blackwood family's isolated existence in their decaying mansion. We meet Merricat, her sister Constance, and their uncle Julian. The initial sense of unease is established. Jackson subtly hints at the past tragedy, creating a sense of mystery from the very beginning. This sets the stage for a story filled with suspense and unease.


II. Chapters 1-6: This section details the daily lives of the sisters. We see their rituals, their bond, and their strange interactions with the outside world. This is where we learn about Merricat's unique way of seeing the world and experiencing life. The mystery surrounding the poisoning gradually unfolds. We learn about the community’s distrust and suspicion of the family. Merricat’s narration helps build tension and create the story’s eerie tone.


III. Chapters 7-12: Charles Blackwood's arrival marks a turning point. He represents the outside world and its judgment. The dynamics of the family change dramatically. The arrival of an outsider threatens the stability that the sisters had established. This part of the novel develops the family’s relationship with each other and the conflict within the family.


IV. Chapters 13-18: This section focuses on the resolution and the unfolding of the family secrets, particularly the mystery surrounding the poisoning. The climax is often subtle, a slow build-up of revelation instead of a sudden shocking reveal. Suspicions are confirmed, and the true nature of the relationships within the family are exposed.


V. Conclusion: The novel ends with a sense of both closure and unresolved questions. While some aspects are clarified, the overall feeling remains ambiguous, leaving the reader to contemplate the lasting impact of the events and the family’s future. The final chapter provides a sense of resolution but with lingering undercurrents of unease.

FAQs

1. Who is the narrator of We Have Always Lived in the Castle? The primary narrator is Merricat Blackwood, whose perspective is unreliable and often fantastical.

2. What is the central mystery of the novel? The central mystery revolves around the poisoning that killed most of the Blackwood family six years prior.

3. What are the key themes of the book? Isolation, family dynamics, unreliable narration, the power of perception, and gothic elements are prominent themes.

4. Is We Have Always Lived in the Castle a horror novel? It's often categorized as gothic fiction with elements of psychological suspense and dark humor, rather than outright horror.

5. What is the significance of the title? The title reflects the family's long-standing isolation and their belief that their home is their world.

6. How does the setting contribute to the atmosphere? The decaying mansion and its isolated location create a sense of unease and mystery.

7. What is the role of Charles Blackwood in the story? Charles acts as a catalyst for conflict, disrupting the family's equilibrium and forcing them to confront their past.

8. Is there a supernatural element in the novel? The line between reality and fantasy is blurred, leaving room for interpretation of possible supernatural elements.

9. What is the overall message or takeaway from the book? The novel explores the complexities of family relationships, the power of perception, and the consequences of societal judgment.

Related Articles

1. Shirley Jackson's Gothic Style: A Deep Dive: An exploration of Jackson's use of gothic elements in her writing, comparing We Have Always Lived in the Castle to her other works.

2. Unreliable Narration in Literature: Case Study of Merricat Blackwood: A focus on Merricat's narration and its impact on the reader's understanding of the story.

3. The Psychology of Isolation: Analyzing the Blackwood Family: A psychological analysis of the family dynamics and their impact on each character's behavior.

4. Gothic Literature: A Historical Overview and Modern Interpretations: A broad overview of the gothic genre, highlighting its evolution and its enduring relevance.

5. Shirley Jackson's Legacy: An Enduring Influence on Modern Literature: Examining Jackson's influence on contemporary writers and the continued popularity of her novels.

6. Comparing We Have Always Lived in the Castle to The Haunting of Hill House: A comparison of two of Jackson's most famous works and their similarities and differences.

7. The Role of Setting in Gothic Literature: Creating Atmosphere and Tension: A discussion of how setting contributes to the overall effect of gothic novels.

8. Character Analysis: Constance Blackwood - A Study in Repression: A deeper exploration of Constance's character, focusing on her inner conflicts and motivations.

9. Symbolism in We Have Always Lived in the Castle: Unveiling Hidden Meanings: An analysis of the symbolic elements within the novel and their contributions to its overall meaning.


  we have always lived in the castle summary: We Have Always Lived in the Castle Shirley Jackson, 1962 We Have Always Lived in the Castle is a deliciously unsettling novel about a perverse, isolated, and possibly murderous family and the struggle that ensues when a cousin arrives at their estate.
  we have always lived in the castle summary: We Have Always Lived in the Castle Shirley Jackson, 1967-10 THE STORY: The home of the Blackwoods near a Vermont village is a lonely, ominous abode, and Constance, the young mistress of the place, can't go out of the house without being insulted and stoned by the villagers. They have also composed a nasty s
  we have always lived in the castle summary: The Glass Castle Jeannette Walls, 2007-01-02 A triumphant tale of a young woman and her difficult childhood, The Glass Castle is a remarkable memoir of resilience, redemption, and a revelatory look into a family at once deeply dysfunctional and wonderfully vibrant. Jeannette Walls was the second of four children raised by anti-institutional parents in a household of extremes.
  we have always lived in the castle summary: Hangsaman Shirley Jackson, 2013-06-25 Shirley Jackson's chilling second novel, based on her own experiences and an actual mysterious disappearance Seventeen-year-old Natalie Waite longs to escape home for college. Her father is a domineering and egotistical writer who keeps a tight rein on Natalie and her long-suffering mother. When Natalie finally does get away, however, college life doesn’t bring the happiness she expected. Little by little, Natalie is no longer certain of anything—even where reality ends and her dark imaginings begin. Chilling and suspenseful, Hangsaman is loosely based on the real-life disappearance of a Bennington College sophomore in 1946. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
  we have always lived in the castle summary: I Capture the Castle Dodie Smith, 2003-04-01 One of the 20th century's most beloved novels is still winning hearts, Dodie Smith's I Capture the Castle! “This book has one of the most charismatic narrators I've ever met.” -- J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series Adapted to a feature film in 2003, I Capture the Castle tells the story of seventeen-year-old Cassandra and her family, who live in not-so-genteel poverty in a ramshackle old English castle. Here she strives, over six turbulent months, to hone her writing skills. She fills three notebooks with sharply funny yet poignant entries. Her journals candidly chronicle the great changes that take place within the castle's walls, and her own first descent into love. By the time she pens her final entry, she has captured the castle-- and the heart of the reader-- in one of literature's most enchanting entertainments.
  we have always lived in the castle summary: The Sundial Shirley Jackson, 2016-01-05 Family squabbles and apocalyptic prophecies come together in this unique, wonderful novel. In the wake of the Halloran family’s patriarch falling (or, perhaps, being pushed) down the stairs, his elderly mother seizes control of the family home and threatens to kicks many of the inhabitants out. This alone would be enough to cause an uproar, but his sister sees a vision in which he foretells a coming apocalypse that will only spare those left in Halloran house. Now the family must prepare for the coming of a strange, new world – and determine if anyone else will be invited to join them. Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in e-book form, with the highest quality production values. Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.
  we have always lived in the castle summary: O Caledonia Elspeth Barker, 2022-09-20 Originally published in Great Britain in 1991 by Hamish Hamilton Ltd.--Title page verso.
  we have always lived in the castle summary: The Women in the Castle Jessica Shattuck, 2017-03-28 INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • FEATURING AN EXCLUSIVE NEW CHAPTER GoodReads Choice Awards Semifinalist Moving . . . a plot that surprises and devastates.—New York Times Book Review A masterful epic.—People magazine Mesmerizing . . . The Women in the Castle stands tall among the literature that reveals new truths about one of history’s most tragic eras.—USA Today Three women, haunted by the past and the secrets they hold Set at the end of World War II, in a crumbling Bavarian castle that once played host to all of German high society, a powerful and propulsive story of three widows whose lives and fates become intertwined—an affecting, shocking, and ultimately redemptive novel from the author of the New York Times Notable Book The Hazards of Good Breeding. Amid the ashes of Nazi Germany’s defeat, Marianne von Lingenfels returns to the once-grand castle of her husband’s ancestors, an imposing stone fortress now fallen into ruin following years of war. The widow of a resister murdered in the failed July 20, 1944, plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler, Marianne plans to uphold the promise she made to her husband’s brave conspirators: to find and protect their wives, her fellow resistance widows. First Marianne rescues six-year-old Martin, the son of her dearest childhood friend, from a Nazi reeducation home. Together, they make their way across the smoldering wreckage of their homeland to Berlin, where Martin’s mother, the beautiful and naive Benita, has fallen into the hands of occupying Red Army soldiers. Then she locates Ania, another resister’s wife, and her two boys, now refugees languishing in one of the many camps that house the millions displaced by the war. As Marianne assembles this makeshift family from the ruins of her husband’s resistance movement, she is certain their shared pain and circumstances will hold them together. But she quickly discovers that the black-and-white, highly principled world of her privileged past has become infinitely more complicated, filled with secrets and dark passions that threaten to tear them apart. Eventually, all three women must come to terms with the choices that have defined their lives before, during, and after the war—each with their own unique share of challenges. Written with the devastating emotional power of The Nightingale, Sarah’s Key, and The Light Between Oceans, Jessica Shattuck’s evocative and utterly enthralling novel offers a fresh perspective on one of the most tumultuous periods in history. Combining piercing social insight and vivid historical atmosphere, The Women in the Castle is a dramatic yet nuanced portrait of war and its repercussions that explores what it means to survive, love, and, ultimately, to forgive in the wake of unimaginable hardship.
  we have always lived in the castle summary: The Comforters Muriel Spark, 2014-05-27 Spark’s mind-bogglingly stunning 1957 debut With easy, sunny eeriness, Spark lights up the darkest things: blackmail, a drowning, nervous breakdowns, a ring of smugglers, a loathsome busybody, a diabolic bookseller, human evil.
  we have always lived in the castle summary: Tuesdays at the Castle Jessica Day George, 2013-01-01 A magical castle with a life of its own ... and a plucky princess who will defend it at all cost
  we have always lived in the castle summary: Holding Up the Universe Jennifer Niven, 2018-05-01 A New York Times Bestseller From the author of the New York Times bestseller All the Bright Places comes a heart-wrenching story about what it means to see someone—and love someone—for who they truly are. Everyone thinks they know Libby Strout, the girl once dubbed “America’s Fattest Teen.” But no one’s taken the time to look past her weight to get to know who she really is. Following her mom’s death, she’s been picking up the pieces in the privacy of her home, dealing with her heartbroken father and her own grief. Now, Libby’s ready: for high school, for new friends, for love, and for EVERY POSSIBILITY LIFE HAS TO OFFER. In that moment, I know the part I want to play here at MVB High. I want to be the girl who can do anything. Everyone thinks they know Jack Masselin, too. Yes, he’s got swagger, but he’s also mastered the impossible art of giving people what they want, of fitting in. What no one knows is that Jack has a newly acquired secret: he can’t recognize faces. Even his own brothers are strangers to him. He’s the guy who can re-engineer and rebuild anything in new and bad-ass ways, but he can’t understand what’s going on with the inner workings of his brain. So he tells himself to play it cool: Be charming. Be hilarious. Don’t get too close to anyone. Until he meets Libby. When the two get tangled up in a cruel high school game—which lands them in group counseling and community service—Libby and Jack are both pissed, and then surprised. Because the more time they spend together, the less alone they feel. . . . Because sometimes when you meet someone, it changes the world, theirs and yours. Jennifer Niven delivers another poignant, exhilarating love story about finding that person who sees you for who you are—and seeing them right back. Niven is adept at creating characters. . . . [Libby's] courage and body-positivity make for a joyful reading experience. --The New York Times “Holding Up the Universe . . . taps into the universal need to be understood. To be wanted. And that’s what makes it such a remarkable read.” —TeenVogue.com, “Why New Book Holding Up the Universe Is the Next The Fault in Our Stars” Want a love story that will give you all the feels? . . . You'll seriously melt! —Seventeen Magazine
  we have always lived in the castle summary: Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life Ruth Franklin, 2016-09-27 Winner • National Book Critics Circle Award (Biography) Winner • Edgar Award (Critical/Biographical) Winner • Bram Stoker Award (Nonfiction) A New York Times Notable Book A Washington Post Notable Nonfiction Pick of the Year Named one of the Best Books of the Year by Entertainment Weekly, NPR, TIME, Boston Globe, NYLON, San Francisco Chronicle, Seattle Times, Kirkus Reviews, and Booklist In this “thoughtful and persuasive” biography, award-winning biographer Ruth Franklin establishes Shirley Jackson as a “serious and accomplished literary artist” (Charles McGrath, New York Times Book Review). Instantly heralded for its “masterful” and “thrilling” portrayal (Boston Globe), Shirley Jackson reveals the tumultuous life and inner darkness of the literary genius behind such classics as “The Lottery” and The Haunting of Hill House. In this “remarkable act of reclamation” (Neil Gaiman), Ruth Franklin envisions Jackson as “belonging to the great tradition of Hawthorne, Poe and James” (New York Times Book Review) and demonstrates how her unique contribution to the canon “so uncannily channeled women’s nightmares and contradictions that it is ‘nothing less than the secret history of American women of her era’ ” (Washington Post). Franklin investigates the “interplay between the life, the work, and the times with real skill and insight, making this fine book a real contribution not only to biography, but to mid-20th-century women’s history” (Chicago Tribune). “Wisely rescu[ing] Shirley Jackson from any semblance of obscurity” (Lena Dunham), Franklin’s invigorating portrait stands as the definitive biography of a generational avatar and an American literary genius.
  we have always lived in the castle summary: The Haunting of Hill House Shirley Jackson, 2013-10-01 Part of Penguin’s six-volume series featuring the best in classic horror, selected by Academy Award-winning director Guillermo del Toro. Filmmaker and longtime horror literature fan Guillermo del Toro serves as the curator for the Penguin Horror series, a new collection of classic tales and poems by masters of the genre. Included here are some of del Toro’s favorites, from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Ray Russell’s short story “Sardonicus,” considered by Stephen King to be “perhaps the finest example of the modern Gothic ever written,” to Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House and stories by Ray Bradbury, Joyce Carol Oates, Ted Klein, and Robert E. Howard. Featuring original cover art by Penguin Art Director Paul Buckley, these stunningly creepy deluxe hardcovers will be perfect additions to the shelves of horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and paranormal aficionados everywhere. The Haunting of Hill House The classic supernatural thriller by an author who helped define the genre. First published in 1959, Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House has been hailed as a perfect work of unnerving terror. It is the story of four seekers who arrive at a notoriously unfriendly pile called Hill House: Dr. Montague, an occult scholar looking for solid evidence of a “haunting;' Theodora, his lighthearted assistant; Eleanor, a friendless, fragile young woman well acquainted with poltergeists; and Luke, the future heir of Hill House. At first, their stay seems destined to be merely a spooky encounter with inexplicable phenomena. But Hill House is gathering its powers—and soon it will choose one of them to make its own.
  we have always lived in the castle summary: How to Change the World John-Paul Flintoff, Campus London LTD (The School of Life), 2012-05-10 We all want to live in a better world, but sometimes it feels that we lack the ability or influence to make a difference. John-Paul Flintoff offers a powerful reminder that through the generations, society has been transformed by the actions of individuals who understood that if they didn’t like something, they could change it. Combining fresh new insights from history, politics and modern culture, this book will give you a sense of what might just be possible, as well as the inspiration and the courage you need to go about improving and changing the world we live in. One in the new series of books from The School of Life, launched May 2012: How to Stay Sane by Philippa Perry How to Find Fulfilling Work by Roman Krznaric How to Worry Less About Money by John Armstrong How to Change the World by John-Paul Flintoff How to Thrive in the Digital Age by Tom Chatfield How to Think More About Sex by Alain de Botton
  we have always lived in the castle summary: Lonely Castle in the Mirror Mizuki Tsujimura, 2022-10-18 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER! A Studio Ghibli-esque work of Japanese translation “that lays bare the anxieties and desperation—and the small triumphs—of adolescence” (Locus), for fans of Mieko Kawakami’s Heaven. Seven students find unusual common ground in this warm, puzzle-like Japanese bestseller laced with gentle fantasy and compassionate insight. Bullied to the point of dropping out of school, Kokoro’s days blur together as she hides in her bedroom, unable to face her family or friends. As she spirals into despair, her mirror begins to shine; with a touch, Kokoro is pulled from her lonely life into a resplendent, bizarre fairytale castle guarded by a strange girl in a wolf mask. Six other students have been brought to the castle, and soon this marvelous refuge becomes their playground. The castle has a hidden room that can grant a single wish, but there are rules to be followed, and breaking them will have dire consequences. As Kokoro and her new acquaintances spend more time in their new sanctuary, they begin to unlock the castle’s secrets and, tentatively, each other’s. Lonely Castle in the Mirror is a mesmerizing, heart-warming novel about the unexpected rewards of embracing human connection.
  we have always lived in the castle summary: The Missing Girl Shirley Jackson, 2018-02-22 ' Of course, no one would want to say anything about a girl like this that's missing... ' Malice, paranoia and creeping dread lie beneath the surface of ordinary American life in these chilling miniature masterworks of unease. Penguin Modern: fifty new books celebrating the pioneering spirit of the iconic Penguin Modern Classics series, with each one offering a concentrated hit of its contemporary, international flavour. Here are authors ranging from Kathy Acker to James Baldwin, Truman Capote to Stanislaw Lem and George Orwell to Shirley Jackson; essays radical and inspiring; poems moving and disturbing; stories surreal and fabulous; taking us from the deep South to modern Japan, New York's underground scene to the farthest reaches of outer space.
  we have always lived in the castle summary: As We Are Now May Sarton, 1992-09-01 I am not mad, only old. . . . I am in a concentration camp for the old. So begins May Sarton's short, swift blow of a novel, about the powerlessness of the old and the rage it can bring. As We Are Now tells the story of Caroline Spencer, a 76-year-old retired schoolteacher, mentally strong but physically frail, who has been moved by relatives into a home. Subjected to subtle humiliations and petty cruelties, sustained for too short a time by the love of another person, she fights back with all she has, and in a powerful climax wins a terrible victory.
  we have always lived in the castle summary: Dracula Bram Stoker, 1982-04-12 String garlic by the window and hang a cross around your neck! The most powerful vampire of all time returns in our Stepping Stone Classic adaption of the original tale by Bran Stoker. Follow Johnathan Harker, Mina Harker, and Dr. Abraham van Helsing as they discover the true nature of evil. Their battle to destroy Count Dracula takes them from the crags of his castle to the streets of London... and back again.
  we have always lived in the castle summary: All the Light We Cannot See Anthony Doerr, 2014-05-06 *NOW A NETFLIX LIMITED SERIES—from producer and director Shawn Levy (Stranger Things) starring Mark Ruffalo, Hugh Laurie, and newcomer Aria Mia Loberti* Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award finalist, the beloved instant New York Times bestseller and New York Times Book Review Top 10 Book about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II. Marie-Laure lives with her father in Paris near the Museum of Natural History where he works as the master of its thousands of locks. When she is six, Marie-Laure goes blind and her father builds a perfect miniature of their neighborhood so she can memorize it by touch and navigate her way home. When she is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris, and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure’s reclusive great uncle lives in a tall house by the sea. With them they carry what might be the museum’s most valuable and dangerous jewel. In a mining town in Germany, the orphan Werner grows up with his younger sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments, a talent that wins him a place at a brutal academy for Hitler Youth, then a special assignment to track the Resistance. More and more aware of the human cost of his intelligence, Werner travels through the heart of the war and, finally, into Saint-Malo, where his story and Marie-Laure’s converge. Doerr’s “stunning sense of physical detail and gorgeous metaphors” (San Francisco Chronicle) are dazzling. Deftly interweaving the lives of Marie-Laure and Werner, he illuminates the ways, against all odds, people try to be good to one another. Ten years in the writing, All the Light We Cannot See is a magnificent, deeply moving novel from a writer “whose sentences never fail to thrill” (Los Angeles Times).
  we have always lived in the castle summary: Deadman's Castle Iain Lawrence, 2021-03-02 For most of his life, Igor and his family have been on the run. Danger lurks around every corner--or so he's always been told. . . . When Igor was five, his father witnessed a terrible crime--and ever since, his whole family has been hunted by a foreboding figure bent on revenge, known only as the Lizard Man. They've lived in so many places, with so many identities, that Igor can't even remember his real name. But now he's twelve years old, and he longs for a normal life. He wants to go to school. Make friends. Stop worrying about how long it will be before his father hears someone prowling around their new house and uproots everything yet again. He's even starting to wonder--what if the Lizard Man only exists in his father's frightened mind? Slowly, Igor starts bending the rules he's lived by all his life--making friends for the first time, testing the boundaries of where he's allowed to go in town. But soon, he begins noticing strange things around them--is it in his imagination? Or could the Lizard Man be real after all? Iain Lawrence is a winner of Canada's Governor General's Children's Literature Prize and the California Young Reader Medal. In Deadman's Castle, he brings readers a mystery filled with intrigue and moments of heart-stopping danger. A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
  we have always lived in the castle summary: Shirley Jackson's American Gothic Darryl Hattenhauer, 2012-02-01 Best known for her short story The Lottery and her novel The Haunting of Hill House, Shirley Jackson produced a body of work that is more varied and complex than critics have realized. In fact, as Darryl Hattenhauer argues here, Jackson was one of the few writers to anticipate the transition from modernism to postmodernism, and therefore ranks among the most significant writers of her time. The first comprehensive study of all of Jackson's fiction, Shirley Jackson's American Gothic offers readers the chance not only to rediscover her work, but also to see how and why a major American writer was passed over for inclusion in the canon of American literature.
  we have always lived in the castle summary: The Seclusion Jacqui Castle, 2018-09-04 A dystopian coming of age which will appeal to fans of Hunger Games and the Divergent novels. In the year 2090, America is walled off from the rest of the world. When her father is arrested by the totalitarian Board, a young woman sets out to escape the only country she’s ever known.
  we have always lived in the castle summary: Remainder Tom McCarthy, 2007-02-13 A man is severely injured in a mysterious accident, receives an outrageous sum in legal compensation, and has no idea what to do with it. Then, one night, an ordinary sight sets off a series of bizarre visions he can’t quite place. How he goes about bringing his visions to life–and what happens afterward–makes for one of the most riveting, complex, and unusual novels in recent memory. Remainder is about the secret world each of us harbors within, and what might happen if we were granted the power to make it real.
  we have always lived in the castle summary: Cat's Cradle Kurt Vonnegut, 2009-11-04 “A free-wheeling vehicle . . . an unforgettable ride!”—The New York Times Cat’s Cradle is Kurt Vonnegut’s satirical commentary on modern man and his madness. An apocalyptic tale of this planet’s ultimate fate, it features a midget as the protagonist, a complete, original theology created by a calypso singer, and a vision of the future that is at once blackly fatalistic and hilariously funny. A book that left an indelible mark on an entire generation of readers, Cat’s Cradle is one of the twentieth century’s most important works—and Vonnegut at his very best. “[Vonnegut is] an unimitative and inimitable social satirist.”—Harper’s Magazine “Our finest black-humorist . . . We laugh in self-defense.”—Atlantic Monthly
  we have always lived in the castle summary: Candide By Voltaire, 2019-06-10 Candide is a French satire by Voltaire, a philosopher of the Age of Enlightenment. It begins with a young man, Candide, who is living a sheltered life in an Edenic paradise and being indoctrinated with Leibnizian optimism (or simply Optimism) by his mentor, Pangloss. The work describes the abrupt cessation of this lifestyle, followed by Candide's slow, painful disillusionment as he witnesses and experiences great hardships in the world. Voltaire concludes with Candide, if not rejecting optimism outright, advocating a deeply practical precept, we must cultivate our garden, in lieu of the Leibnizian mantra of Pangloss, all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds. Candide is characterized by its sarcastic tone, as well as by its erratic, fantastical and fast-moving plot. A picaresque novel it parodies many adventure and romance clichés, the struggles of which are caricatured in a tone that is mordantly matter-of-fact. Still, the events discussed are often based on historical happenings, such as the Seven Years' War and the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. As philosophers of Voltaire's day contended with the problem of evil, so too does Candide in this short novel, albeit more directly and humorously. Voltaire ridicules religion, theologians, governments, armies, philosophies, and philosophers through allegory; most conspicuously, he assaults Leibniz and his optimism. As expected by Voltaire, Candide has enjoyed both great success and great scandal. Immediately after its secretive publication, the book was widely banned because it contained religious blasphemy, political sedition and intellectual hostility hidden under a thin veil of naïveté. However, with its sharp wit and insightful portrayal of the human condition, the novel has since inspired many later authors and artists to mimic and adapt it. Today, Candide is recognized as Voltaire's magnum opus and is often listed as part of the Western canon; it is arguably taught more than any other work of French literature. It was listed as one of The 100 Most Influential Books Ever Written.
  we have always lived in the castle summary: The House in the Cerulean Sea TJ Klune, 2020-03-17 A NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY, and WASHINGTON POST BESTSELLER! A 2021 Alex Award winner! The 2021 RUSA Reading List: Fantasy Winner! An Indie Next Pick! One of Publishers Weekly's Most Anticipated Books of Spring 2020 One of Book Riot’s “20 Must-Read Feel-Good Fantasies” Lambda Literary Award-winning author TJ Klune’s bestselling, breakout contemporary fantasy that's 1984 meets The Umbrella Academy with a pinch of Douglas Adams thrown in. (Gail Carriger) Linus Baker is a by-the-book case worker in the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. He's tasked with determining whether six dangerous magical children are likely to bring about the end of the world. Arthur Parnassus is the master of the orphanage. He would do anything to keep the children safe, even if it means the world will burn. And his secrets will come to light. The House in the Cerulean Sea is an enchanting love story, masterfully told, about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours. 1984 meets The Umbrella Academy with a pinch of Douglas Adams thrown in. —Gail Carriger, New York Times bestselling author of Soulless At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
  we have always lived in the castle summary: A Companion to American Gothic Charles L. Crow, 2013-12-16 A Companion to American Gothic features a collection of original essays that explore America’s gothic literary tradition. The largest collection of essays in the field of American Gothic Contributions from a wide variety of scholars from around the world The most complete coverage of theory, major authors, popular culture and non-print media available
  we have always lived in the castle summary: House of Salt and Sorrows Erin A. Craig, 2020-08-04 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Get swept away by this “haunting” (Bustle) YA novel about twelve beautiful sisters living on an isolated island estate who begin to mysteriously die one by one. This dark and atmospheric fairy tale inspired story is perfect for fans of Yellowjackets. Step inside a fairy tale. —Stephanie Garber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Caraval In a manor by the sea, twelve sisters are cursed. Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor with her sisters and their father and stepmother. Once there were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls' lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last--the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge--and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods. Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that her sister's deaths were no accidents. The girls have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn't sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who--or what--are they really dancing with? When Annaleigh's involvement with a mysterious stranger who has secrets of his own intensifies, it's a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen over her family--before it claims her next. House of Salt and Sorrows is a spellbinding novel filled with magic and the rustle of gossamer skirts down long, dark hallways. Be careful who you dance with... And don't miss Erin Craig's Small Favors, a mesmerizing and chilling novel about dark wishes and even darker dreams.
  we have always lived in the castle summary: If We Were Villains M. L. Rio, 2017-04-11 “Much like Donna Tartt’s The Secret History, M. L. Rio’s sparkling debut is a richly layered story of love, friendship, and obsession...will keep you riveted through its final, electrifying moments.” —Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney, New York Times bestselling author of The Nest Nerdily (and winningly) in love with Shakespeare...Readable, smart.” —New York Times Book Review On the day Oliver Marks is released from jail, the man who put him there is waiting at the door. Detective Colborne wants to know the truth, and after ten years, Oliver is finally ready to tell it. A decade ago: Oliver is one of seven young Shakespearean actors at Dellecher Classical Conservatory, a place of keen ambition and fierce competition. In this secluded world of firelight and leather-bound books, Oliver and his friends play the same roles onstage and off: hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingénue, extras. But in their fourth and final year, good-natured rivalries turn ugly, and on opening night real violence invades the students’ world of make-believe. In the morning, the fourth-years find themselves facing their very own tragedy, and their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, each other, and themselves that they are innocent. If We Were Villains was named one of Bustle's Best Thriller Novels of the Year, and Mystery Scene says, A well-written and gripping ode to the stage...A fascinating, unorthodox take on rivalry, friendship, and truth.
  we have always lived in the castle summary: With Stick and String Lon L. Emerick, 1998-10
  we have always lived in the castle summary: Beowulf , 2012-03-01 Finest heroic poem in Old English celebrates the exploits of Beowulf, a young nobleman of southern Sweden. Combines myth, Christian and pagan elements, and history into a powerful narrative. Genealogies.
  we have always lived in the castle summary: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil John Berendt, 1994-01-13 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A modern classic of true crime, set in a most beguiling Southern city—now in a 30th anniversary edition with a new afterword by the author “Elegant and wicked . . . might be the first true-crime book that makes the reader want to book a bed and breakfast for an extended weekend at the scene of the crime.”—The New York Times Book Review Shots rang out in Savannah’s grandest mansion in the misty, early morning hours of May 2, 1981. Was it murder or self-defense? For nearly a decade, the shooting and its aftermath reverberated throughout this hauntingly beautiful city of moss-hung oaks and shaded squares. In this sharply observed, suspenseful, and witty narrative, John Berendt skillfully interweaves a hugely entertaining first-person account of life in this isolated remnant of the Old South with the unpredictable twists and turns of a landmark murder case. It is a spellbinding story peopled by a gallery of remarkable characters: the well-bred society ladies of the Married Woman’s Card Club; the turbulent young gigolo; the hapless recluse who owns a bottle of poison so powerful it could kill every man, woman, and child in Savannah; the aging and profane Southern belle who is the “soul of pampered self-absorption”; the uproariously funny drag queen; the acerbic and arrogant antiques dealer; the sweet-talking, piano-playing con artist; young people dancing the minuet at the black debutante ball; and Minerva, the voodoo priestess who works her magic in the graveyard at midnight. These and other Savannahians act as a Greek chorus, with Berendt revealing the alliances, hostilities, and intrigues that thrive in a town where everyone knows everyone else. Brilliantly conceived and masterfully written, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is a sublime and seductive reading experience.
  we have always lived in the castle summary: The Witchcraft of Salem Village Shirley Jackson, 2011-02-02 Stories of magic, superstition, and witchcraft were strictly forbidden in the little town of Salem Village. But a group of young girls ignored those rules, spellbound by the tales told by a woman named Tituba. When questioned about their activities, the terrified girls set off a whirlwind of controversy as they accused townsperson after townsperson of being witches. Author Shirley Jackson examines in careful detail this horrifying true story of accusations, trials, and executions that shook a community to its foundations.
  we have always lived in the castle summary: The Walled City Ryan Graudin, 2014-11-04 730. That's how many days I've been trapped.18. That's how many days I have left to find a way out. DAI, trying to escape a haunting past, traffics drugs for the most ruthless kingpin in the Walled City. But in order to find the key to his freedom, he needs help from someone with the power to be invisible.... JIN hides under the radar, afraid the wild street gangs will discover her biggest secret: Jin passes as a boy to stay safe. Still, every chance she gets, she searches for her lost sister.... MEI YEE has been trapped in a brothel for the past two years, dreaming of getting out while watching the girls who try fail one by one. She's about to give up, when one day she sees an unexpected face at her window..... In this innovative and adrenaline-fueled novel, they all come together in a desperate attempt to escape a lawless labyrinth before the clock runs out.
  we have always lived in the castle summary: The Accursed Joyce Carol Oates, 2013-03-05 Joyce Carol Oates has written what may be the world’s finest postmodern Gothic novel: E.L. Doctorow’s Ragtime set in Dracula’s castle. It’s dense, challenging, problematic, horrifying, funny, prolix and full of crazy people. You should read it.” —Stephen King, New York Times Book Review Princeton, New Jersey at the turn of the 20th century: a tranquil place to raise a family, a genteel town for genteel souls. But something dark and dangerous lurks at the edges of the town, corrupting and infecting its residents. Vampires and ghosts haunt the dreams of the innocent. A powerful curse besets the elite families of Princeton—their daughters begin disappearing. A young bride on the verge of the altar is seduced and abducted by a dangerously compelling man—a shape-shifting, vaguely European prince who might just be the devil, and who spreads his curse upon a richly deserving community of white Anglo-Saxon privilege. And in the Pine Barrens that border the town, a lush and terrifying underworld opens up. When the bride’s brother sets out against all odds to find her, his path will cross those of Princeton’s most formidable people, from Grover Cleveland, fresh out of his second term in the White House and retired to town for a quieter life, to soon-to-be commander in chief Woodrow Wilson, president of the University, and a complex individual obsessed to the point of madness with his need to retain power; from the young Socialist idealist Upton Sinclair, to his charismatic comrade Jack London, and the most famous writer of the era, Samuel Clemens/ Mark Twain—all plagued by “accursed” visions. Narrated with Oates's unmistakable psychological insight, The Accursed combines beautifully transporting historical detail with chilling supernatural elements to stunning effect.
  we have always lived in the castle summary: Cardiff, by the Sea Joyce Carol Oates, 2020-10-06 Four brand-new novellas by the #1 New York Times-bestselling, National Book Award-winning “grand mistress of ghoulishness” (Publishers Weekly). An academic in Pennsylvania discovers a terrifying trauma from her past after inheriting a house in Cardiff, Maine from someone she has never heard of. A pubescent girl, overcome with loneliness, befriends a feral cat that becomes her protector from the increasingly aggressive males that surround her. A brilliant but shy college sophomore is distraught to discover that she’s pregnant, and the professor who takes her under his wing may not have innocent intentions. And a woman who marries into a family shattered by tragedy finds herself haunted by her predecessor’s voice, an inexplicably befouled well, and a compulsive attraction to a garage that took two lives. In these psychologically daring, chillingly suspenseful pieces, the author of We Were the Mulvaneys and Blonde writes about women facing threats past and present, once again cementing her reputation for “great intelligence and dead-on imaginative powers” (Los Angeles Times Book Review).
  we have always lived in the castle summary: The Lottery Shirley Jackson, 2008 A seemingly ordinary village participates in a yearly lottery to determine a sacrificial victim.
  we have always lived in the castle summary: Come Along with Me Shirley Jackson, 1968 Come along with me -- Fourteen stories: Janice -- Tootie in peonage -- A cauliflower in her hair -- I know who I love -- The beautiful stranger -- The summer people -- Island -- A visit -- The rock -- A day in the jungle -- Pajama party -- Louisa, please come home -- The little house -- The bus -- Three lectures, with two stories: Experience and fiction -- The night we all had grippe -- Biography of a story -- The lottery -- Notes for a young writer.
  we have always lived in the castle summary: I'm the King of the Castle Susan Hill, Frank Downes, 2000 Winner of the Somerset Maugham Award, this tale is linked in its poignancy and humour to Lord the the Flies. This edition is part of a series of pre- and post-1914 works chosen especially for 14-18 year olds. The series features fiction, anthologies, poetry, plays and non-fiction.
  we have always lived in the castle summary: Just an Ordinary Day Shirley Jackson, 2017-02-02 A remarkable collection of dark, funny and haunting short stories from the inimitable author of 'The Lottery'. An anxious devil, an elderly writer of poison pen letters and a mid-century Jack the Ripper; a pursuit though a nightmarish city, a small boy's thrilling train ride with a female thief, and a town where the possibility of evil lurks behind perfect rose bushes. This is the world of Shirley Jackson, by turns frightening, funny, strange and unforgettably revealed in this brilliant collection of short stories. 'Jackson at her best: plumbing the extraordinary from the depths of mid-twentieth-century common. [Just an Ordinary Day] is a gift to a new generation' - San Francisco Chronicle 'For Jackson devotees, as well as first-time readers, this is a feast ... A virtuoso collection' - Publishers Weekly