Overbooked and Night Owls - October 9, 2023

It was a melding of the minds (or groups) for October as Overbooked and Night Owls members both met to discuss the Shirley Jackson gothic mystery, We Have Always Lived in the Castle. The novel, the last to be written before Jackson’s death, is told from the perspective of the main character, 18-year old Mary Katherine “Merricat” Blackwood as she recounts the tragic events that have befallen her family which isolate her and the remaining members from their local community.

 Members noted that from the start of the novel, Merricat is not trusted as a reliable narrator, given her tendency to dissociate from situations as a means of coping with the difficult realities around her. While the author’s writing initially appears simplistic, members couldn’t shake the feeling that everything has a much deeper meaning and adds an additional layer of uncertainty while reading through the novel. Merricat’s other relatives, her sister Constance and her Uncle Julian, also made for interesting points of discussion as members closely scrutinized and analyzed the characters’ peculiarities to find deeper and darker meanings.

Despite some members admitting that this is not the typical book they would normally reach for, they could appreciate the novel’s gothic elements and its inclusion as our October book. I think one book club member best summed up the book by saying “it reminds me of Anne of Green Gables if Anne were a psychopath.” Overall, the book received a modest 3.2 out of a 5 stars rating.