We Have Always Lived in the Castle

by Shirley Jackson

176 pages

English language

Published Jan. 8, 2009 by Penguin Books, Limited.

ISBN:: 978-0-14-119145-4

(15 reviews)

We Have Always Lived in the Castle is a 1962 mystery novel by American author Shirley Jackson. It was Jackson's final work, and was published with a dedication to Pascal Covici, the publisher, three years before the author's death in 1965. The novel is written in the voice of eighteen-year-old Mary Katherine "Merricat" Blackwood, who lives with her sister and uncle on an estate in Vermont. Six years before the events of the novel, the Blackwood family experienced a tragedy that left the three survivors isolated from their small village. The novel was first published in hardcover in North America by Viking Press, and has since been released in paperback and as an audiobook and e-book. It has been described as Jackson's masterpiece. Its first screen adaptation appeared in 2018, based on a screenplay by Mark Kruger and directed by Stacie Passon.

5 editions

Kat reviewed We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

Creepy, dated take on mental illness and fading old-money families

4 stars

Content warning Spoilers ahead!

Written in 1962, We Have Always Lived in the Castle tells the story of sisters Constance and Mary Katherine after the most horrific event has already happened - the poisoning of their entire family. Narrator Mary K (or Merricat) is 18 and naïve and spends her time setting and tweaking her own version of magic - at once childlike and dangerous. Constance gardens, cooks and preserves with skill. A few things become apparent. The family (past and present) are defined by selfishness and superiority that has caused them to rot. Merricat is unaccountable to her actions, and Constance's life is dedicated to both keeping Merricat safe and fed, and placating her, to the point where Constance is entirely in service and Merricat is in control. When their cousin Charles arrives out of the blue, the balance of power is upset - Charles starts dictating terms and Constance is both too passive to do anything, and starts to see an opportunity to live her own life. Merricat, however, would rather burn everything down than accept life with Charles in charge. In some ways, WHALITC becomes an origin story for the creepy house at the edge of town. It's hard to see The Addams Family being made without books like this setting the scene. It's an account of when old money fails to stay in the present and turns in on itself. It's also a dated perspective which asks and expects us to fear the mentally ill. It's interesting, and I recommend it, but I'm also glad that we have moved on from this type of horror fiction.

Lindsay the Librarian reviewed We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

The Unease Never Leaves

3 stars

The reader finds themself taking part in the perplexing day-to-day lives of the remaining Blackwood family through the puzzling eyes of Miss "Merricat" Blackwood. This world has you always feeling that something is not quite right; from the villagers, to the Blackwood family, and the settings themselves, the lurking unease never leaves. This work is beautifully crafted but, upon finishing, I was left wondering why I had ever picked it up to begin with. (3.5/5)