"We Have Always Lived in the Castle" Book Review 6/11/13

Title: We Have Always Lived in the Castle

Author: Shirley Jackson

Genre: Horror? I'm actually not sure on this one. We'll just go with Speculative Fiction

Date Published: 1962

Rating: 5/5

Yay! I finally got around to reading this novella by one of my favorite authors ever! And boy am I glad I did. We Have Always Lived in the Castle was just... fascinating! The tale centers around the Blackwood family consisting of sisters Mary Katherine and Constance and their Uncle Julian. From the very first paragraph , told in the first person from Mary Katherine (Merricat)'s point of view, we learn that the rest of the Blackwood family is dead. The chilling tale centers around the daily routine of the Blackwood sisters and the obstacles Constance must face after being convicted of poisoning her parents. Everyday is pretty much the same except for the days when Merricat goes into town to buy groceries. It is obvious that the townspeople despise the Blackwood's and a popular trend for the young boys of the town is to tease Merricat about Constance being a murderer. When Cousin Charles comes to visit, everything changes for the sisters. Charles seeks change in the Blackwoods' lifestyle, something that is alien to the sisters. The climax of the novella occurs when the Blackwood house is set on fire. By the conclusion of the story, it's obvious that Merricat is not sane. She acts like a ingenuous child on the outside and her thoughts demonstrate that of a mentally disturbed individual. For example, Merricat's fantasies that she tells Constance about. She reminisces about how they will visit the moon on her Pegasus where tasty plants grow. When Merricat is in town she imagines in her mind that she is walking on their dead bodies. She has a dream that her family is still alive and is seated at the dinner table where she orders them to "bow down to Merricat" and they obey her every command. It also becomes apparent that Merricat is the true murderer of her parents. Constance acts as a matronly figure to Merricat, even taking the blame for the murder. Even though Merricat is "crazy" and a murderer, I still felt really sorry for her. It's almost like she's an innocent child that doesn't know right from wrong. Shirley Jackson uses the motif of isolationism throughout the story. The Blackwoods are virtually cut off from the rest of the world, and they shut out all outside influence and refuse change of any sort. Jackson wrote We Have Always Lived in the Castle towards the end of her life and I think she was trying to tell us something. People may say she's "crazy" or a nutcase because of he content of her work, but I think she was just severely misunderstood. What I gather from all of the stories I've read by her, is that she feels trapped inside her own mind because she's different and she's isolated from society in that sense. I respect Shirley Jackson so much, and I appreciate her work because I understand it. I think only certain people can truly appreciate We Have Always Lived in the Castle because they understand it. I am one of those people, and I can honestly say that Shirley Jackson is brilliant. There will never be another author like her. I sincerely hope that wherever she is now, she is happy and at peace. I apologize for the somber tone of this post, but I refuse to poke fun at Shirley Jackson's achievements. Thank you for reading this, and hopefully I convinced you to check out We Have Always Lived in the Castle.

Enjoy your summer, be a Potterhead, sing like a Mockingjay, and above all... respect that nature!
~Sam 
aka The Black Rose Librarian ^_^

"Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" Book Review 6/3/2013

Title: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Author: Ransom Riggs

Genre: Fantasy

Year Published: 2011

Hello! I became interested in reading Miss Peregrine's  because my school librarian wrote an article in the school newspaper recommending it. Besides the overall positive reviews I've came across on GoodReads regarding this novel, the cover itself is enticing. Creepy little girl levitating, the black and white, the font used for the titling... I had high expectations. I was anticipating a chilling read that'd keep me engrossed from start to finish, especially because of the unnerving vintage photos Riggs includes within his pages. I'd like to share some of these photos that I found particularly haunting:

There are many more, I assure you. They're really interesting to look at and all BUT (caps on that BUT) there is a catch. The actual story...to put it lightly...was pretty stinky. Miss Peregrine's involves sixteen-year-old Jacob who has always been taken by his grandfather's fantastical stories of his childhood. Jacob's grandfather explains how he grew up at an orphanage in Wales along with children that had superpowers. When Jacob's grandfather is mysteriously killed, Jacob's therapist Dr. Golan persuades his father, a bird watcher, to visit the orphanage. At this point the story is slow and dragging but the pictures are cool! After what seems like forever, Jacob discovers the orphanage is nothing but a pile of rubble. It was bombed by the Germans in World War II. But the suspense doesn't end there! Now, Jacob is magically trapped in a time loop and stuck in the year 1940! I'll admit, this concept seemed quite cool at first. However, as the story progresses, it just gets downright lame and confusing. It turns out that Jacob's grandfather really was telling the truth about the whole kids-with-superpowers thing and Jacob himself is super-ish! He can time-travel! Oh and also, his grandfather was killed by monsters. The monsters now wish to eat Jacob. Um... 

Yeah... at this point I could my head cocked to the side and my jaw went askew and I might have drooled a little... it was definitely a "wait what?!" moment. Just when things were beginning to get interesting, you had to totally mess with my mind Sir Ransom. This book had a lot of potential. My theory: the author was inflicted with  a serious case of Writer's Block about three quarters of the way in, and just tossed together a cruddy, nonsensical resolution. Plus, there were so many flaws throughout the text. Who edited this?! Honestly, it's so messy that it should be taken off shelves around the world and be fixed up. I have read that the novel is being adapted into a feature-length film possibly directed by TIM BURTON. This must be a discrepancy, because I don't believe it for one minute. Nope, nope, nope. I mean, Tim Burton can turn ANYTHING into gold. I just don't understand why he would even bother taking on the project of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children because guess what? NOTHING and I repeat NOTHING even remotely scary occurs in this book. NO THING. Not even a little creepy! The photos lie. The cover lies. The reviews lie. Hardcore horror fans like myself, don't waste your time. Try Coraline, The Exorcist, or Rosemary's Baby. 

It is that time once again my fellow bookworms... let's end this conflict here and now!

Stay in school, be a Potterhead, soar like a Mockingjay, respect the nature, and above all... be your magickal self!

~The Black Rose Librarian

aka Sam ^_^