LOGAN VS. WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE

Logan revisits one of the classics of horror literature, Shirley Jackson’s WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE, and comes out of it smelling of stale tobacco and whiskey. But is that a bad thing?

TITLE: We Have Always Lived in the Castle

AUTHOR: Shirley Jackson

GENRE: Gothic Lit

PAGES: 160

FORMAT: E-book/Paperback/Hardcover/Audiobook

PRICE: $.99 E-book, $9.90 Paperback, $16.17 Hardcover, $12.85 Audiobook.

Isolation can be maddening. It makes you feel not just alone but almost broken in a way. Yet, what if you don’t have a choice, or a way out.  

This is where We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson seemingly begins. 

The Blackwoods have become recluses after a tragedy that left all but three of the family members dead. Mary Katherine, Constance, and Julian are the only original inhabitants of the manor left. The others died due to arsenic poisoning. This same poisoning left Jullian a shell of the man he used to be and leaves us as the reader questioning his sanity at points. 

Everything changes for the family when Charles Blackwood arrives, the cousin of the girls, and nephew of Julian. This disrupts Mary Catherine’s routine and causes a questionable descent into madness for not just her, but possibly Constance as well. Now I could go through more of the plot, but I don’t think that is the focus here. Merricat is…

Jackson skillfully uses the unreliable narrator beautifully. Everything comes from Merricat and thus, you do not know what you can trust. As the story progresses Merricat seems to become more disjointed. She wants things to stay the same, and Jackson’s slow burn feel to her writing highlights this. It lets you sit in the moment, feel the manor, and feel why Merricat wants things to stay how they have always been. 

Even when the reveal of her psychological state comes, you still want to believe her. No, they can’t leave the manor, they can’t leave the town, they helped found it and own much of it. 

An issue comes in the populace, they hate them, and don’t or won’t give the family sympathy. Especially not the accused murderer Constance. 

I think that descent after tragedy is very human. We pull into ourselves, not wanting to face the outside world. The accusations make life harder, and it is so much easier to stay in your safe space. And stay the Blackwoods did, up until the climax. 

I think here you also see the power of grief, and loneliness, you see how they root themselves into people, and you will never be able to escape. Unless you can forgive yourself and attempt to return to the world. 

In the end we are left with more questions than answers, but I think that is what makes this piece a classic. Read it, even if it feels slow, keep going because it will make you think deeply. That’s what good Art does, it pulls the thoughts and emotion out of us. Pick it up today. 

Five scoops of sugar fell into my tea. I smile and thank the young lady who served me. The first sip is simply bliss, followed by heat and choking darkness. 

I fall to the floor, gasping. 

Until next time.

Logan Patrick has earned an MFA in Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. He is a member of the Horror Writers Association, and author of The Disappearing of Three Forks, and has been included in the Horrorzine. As well as a collection, Marked: Tales of S.T.A.N.G.E., Logan has a background in theater, from acting to directing. As well as a play that is still in development.

PLEASE NOTE: The views and opinions of the staff of Memento Mori Ink do not necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or Crystal Lake Publishing. Thank you for understanding.