Book Reviews

Shirley Jackson - We Have Always Lived in the Castle

Posted on 06/14/2021 7.33 PM

Kosh's Shadow 6/14/2021 7:37:46 PM

I read the bit on Pocket about the "best opening paragraph of a novel". While I don't agree it is the best opening paragraph, it is good


As per the rules, I give no spoilers in this FIRST POST, but after this, SPOILERS LURK!

Posted by: Kosh's Shadow

Kosh's Shadow 6/14/2021 7:44:05 PM
1

Apparently, there is a new Netflix movie, that looks good - but seems to give reasons where they do not belong.

Why did Merrikat kill her family?  The book just says she misbehaved and was sent to her room often, but her own comments told about how much she hated others - who hated her and her family, too.

And the hatred of the locals did not start then, but earlier.

Anyone know someone full of hate for people in their past?

buzzsawmonkey 6/15/2021 7:01:53 AM
2

I read "We Have Always Lived in the Castle" decades ago, and really do not remember it.  I read a number of Shirley Jackson short stories at the time, for some reason.  She did a whole series of stories about "the demon lover," a character who comes into people's lives usually as a neighbor or pleasant-seeming boyfriend, and ends up stealing their identity or somehow incrementally taking advantage of them.  I forget the name of the character; I believe it was consistent throughout the different stories.  She also did a number of stories about race prejudice and mob behavior, the most-famous, of course, being her widely-anthologized story "The Lottery."

She makes me think of Dorothy Parker, with a Lovecraftian creep factor added; Parker also did a number of short stories about prejudice.

The film "The Haunting," from Jackson's book "The Haunting of Hill House," scared the hell out of me when I was a kid.

Kosh's Shadow 6/15/2021 5:06:16 PM
3

Reply to buzzsawmonkey in 2:.

This one has no demon lover, but since after the initial post, spoilers are allowed, someone after the family money.



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