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We Have Always Lived in the Castle
- Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne
- Length: 5 hrs and 32 mins
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We Have Always Lived in the Castle
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Publisher's Summary
Shirley Jackson’s deliciously unsettling novel about a perverse, isolated, and possibly murderous family takes readers deep into a labyrinth of dark neurosis, macabre humor, and gothic atmosphere.
Six years after four family members died suspiciously of arsenic poisoning, the three remaining Blackwoods—elder, agoraphobic sister Constance; wheelchair-bound Uncle Julian; and eighteen-year-old Mary Katherine, or, Merricat—live together in pleasant isolation. Merricat has developed an idiosyncratic system of rules and protective magic to guard the estate against intrusions from hostile villagers. But one day a stranger arrives—cousin Charles, with his eye on the Blackwood fortune—and manages to penetrate into their carefully shielded lives. Unable to drive him away by either polite or occult means, Merricat adopts more desperate methods, resulting in crisis, tragedy, and the revelation of a terrible secret.
Jackson’s novel emerges less as a study in eccentricity and more—like some of her other fictions—as a powerful critique of the anxious, ruthless processes involved in the maintenance of normalcy itself.
Critic Reviews
What listeners say about We Have Always Lived in the Castle
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Robert Martinez
- 11-02-2021
entertaining but predicable
I guess it was scary/fresh 60 years ago. Entertaining regardless, better than hill house too.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 30-04-2023
Fantastic story and great narration
The narration was very strong and the Jackson’s novel is well constructed, entertaining and thought provoking.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Alexina1901
- 25-08-2023
Delightful and enchanting
I loved this book. The narration was perfect and captured the tone and feel of the book perfectly. Shirley Jackson's books can be such an interesting mix of ordinariness and horror. I think that this is my favorite of all.
I intend to listen to it again soon. I'm sure it's the kind of book that only gets better with multiple listens.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Helen Engstrom
- 12-11-2024
Deservedly a classic
We Have Always Lived in the Castle is a modern classic for a reason. The writing is fresh and interesting and the characters are each fascinating in their strangeness. The fate of the house and the family is equally strange and fascinating.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Peita Ball
- 24-12-2020
An odd little story
worth a listen but buy it on sale as it's not worth a full credit.b
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mick
- 14-06-2023
Great!
A nice little story. Characters are likeable. Very well written and narrated. The ending is open to interpretation.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Rohsaan McInnes
- 09-10-2024
Loved it
Loved the atmosphere created and the story, while not intensly indepth, was engaging and left me wanting to know what happens next.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Blair
- 10-09-2017
Lonely but beautiful
Not sure why people call it creepy, maybe my level of creepy is higher than others. It's a lovely sad little story that is filled with melancholy. A nice short piece of work I listened too while painting a mural. 10/10 would recommend for any style of literary fan
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Naomi Anderlini
- 10-09-2021
Book club book
I read this for book club and can’t say I “enjoyed” it. I found her world disturbing and chilling and the overall darkness uncomfortable - I didn’t like being inside Mary Kats mind. Just not my cup of tea, really.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dee L
- 08-12-2021
Wonderful
This was stunning. Complex and moving and the narrator did an incredible job of bringing each character to life. Really extraordinary.
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3 people found this helpful