Halloween Treat- We Have Always Lived in the Castle

Halloween Special #1: We Have Always Lived in the Castle is a 1962 novel by Shirley Jackson. It is a fabulous Southern Gothic novel that is perfect for Halloween, or any other time you are in the mood for a good suspense story. Though not exactly a YA novel, it is a good story for that audience. I do not want to give too much away because one of the novel’s greatest assets is its secrecy. I will say that the novel is narrated by Mary Katherine "Merricat" Blackwood of the notorious Blackwood family. She, her sister Constance, and her Uncle Julian are the remaining descendents of the Blackwoods, a family that has become a town legend due to its tragic demise and the odd behavior of the family members that have been left behind. ***Spoilers: The Blackwood clan was poisoned by arsenic. The reasons behind this and the reasons why these last three Blackwoods remain is part of the great mystery of the novel***. Merricat is an audacious and highly unreliable narrator, but she and her sister Constance are great complicated female characters. Of course they are quirky and a little weird, but their oddities just make the reader have more affection for them. They have to overcome a lot and their loyalty and dependence on each other is good message about female relationships. But if that does not intrigue you, the story itself should. It is a decevingly simple narrative with a good morality lesson hidden within. The way the people of the town treat the Blackwoods is maybe even darker and more frightening than the Blackwoods past. It is a great spooky tale. I highly recommend it!

Note: If you like We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Jackson is also the author of the creepy short-story, The Lottery and another novel of hers, The Haunting of Hill House, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Both of these are eerie and great as well.