Shirley Jackson's beloved gothic tale of a peculiar girl named Merricat and her family's dark secret
Taking readers deep into a labyrinth of dark neurosis, 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. This edition features a new introduction by Jonathan Lethem.
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.
A great story that starts as a traditional ghost story, but blooms into a thoughtful psychological tradegy. It is a quick and enjoyable read.
The narrator is perfectly unreliable as a young lady of a wild nature. She perceives the world differently and works in routine and ocd-like rituals. She is equally fragile and courageous, and is kind and thoughtful to those she cares for. Her darker side shows as we get to experience the world with her, all in defence on herself.
Shown with a lot of attention to details, daily life stands as the focus in this story. Through it we learn of the characters and their dreams and sacrifices. Similarly layered are the characters. Each is hiding or hidden from the world. Yet the world keeps knocking. What happens when you answer the knock?
This book shows how local horror stories and myths are born. It shows how behind an average ghost story are real people and real sorrow.
