We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

This creepy, captivating Shirley Jackson novel tells the story of the Blackwoods.  There used to be seven Blackwoods, until the night arsenic found its way into the sugar bowl.  Now there are only three:  18-year-old Merricat, 28-year-old Constance, and sickly Uncle Julian.  They spend their days quietly and in isolation, hated and feared by the townspeople.  Merricat and Uncle Julian are very content with the status quo, but Constance starts to feel like she should go out into the world, much to Merricat’s dismay.  And then cousin Charles Blackwood arrives and changes everything.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle is an eerie book that will have you on the edge of your seat.  Merricat’s narration is fascinating, drawing the reader into her strange, eccentric world.  Shirley Jackson is a true craftswoman when it comes to writing, each word chosen very deliberately to create three-dimensional characters and an ominous atmosphere that leaves the reader wanting more.  The perfect Halloween read!

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