Because I needed a break from monumental (and maddeningly meandering) "Gil Blas" and I had just re-visited serious historical biography, I was looking for something entertaining and not too demanding. Although I feel a little guilty inside for putting "Gil Blas" away, the reality is, I want escapism. I want to feel that excitement and passion I felt with good novel by Anne Rice or Diana Gabaldon, Stephen King or this year's surprise James Clavell, when I don't just take a book out of boredom or obligation (as some people do) but out of pleasure it brings me, for that wonderful sense of being completely lost in imaginary world and far away from reality. James Clavell inspired me so much that I basically discovered history of Japan because of him. Unfortunately "Gil Blas" is not so compelling and its old age shows quite a bit, so I was at loss what exactly to do, until I glanced at the name of Shirley Jackson and decision was made right than and there, on the spot.
Shirley Jackson belongs to that long (and constantly growing) list of authors - and titles - that I am vaguely familiar from hearing or reading about them and waiting for the right moment to properly discover them. But I never actually read anything by her beforehand - I would remember it certainly because Jackson turned out to be so interesting and unique - so I said to myself "why not", after all, this "Gil Blas" is killing me and obviously its going nowhere so let's try something I have not read before at all.
"We Have Always Lived in the Castle" turned out to be so strong, original and unforgettable that I gulped in two days straight - it is fairly slim volume and relatively easy to get into, except that story is told from the point of view of increasingly unlikable Merricat Blackwood so you kind of have to work hard to get under the skin of someone so weird and creepy. Merricat, her older sister and invalid old uncle live alone in an old house and ignore any local people of the village - later we find out they are actually shunned because of unexplained crime case that happened long ago in this very same house. Although they have no friends or visitors, Blackwoods live quite pleasant lives until slimy cousin Charles arrives at the doorstep, disturbing family's peaceful equilibrium with his obvious poking in every corner in search of money - he couldn't be more obnoxious until the tragedy drives him away from the place (once and all) leaving surviving Blackwoods alone again.
Multi-layered, creepy and disturbing, the novel is so powerful because it pushes just the right psychological buttons and fears. Merricat and her family are obviously outsiders whom the rest of villagers passionately reject and distrust. First, we think its because of their wealth - apparently Blackwoods live quite comfortably and are blamed for never socialising with the rest of the people, but towards the end of the book we find out that truth is much more sinister. Sinister would be a perfect "one word" description of the whole novel (perhaps Shirley Jackson as author?) as the uneasiness spreads from cover to cover and envelop the reader in its powerful claws.
We suspect and distrust slimy cousin Charles but when the whole village turns against Blackwoods, it turns almost into mass hysteria - part witch hunt, part frustrated hostility that finally erupts in its full passion, the novel is overflowing with anger, fear, envy and suspicion, poisoning everybody involved, including the reader. It is quite powerful book that made me run for some more of Shirley Jackson (who seems to have been interesting character herself) but I wouldn't really call this a horror - not in a sense of gripping terror and supernatural werewolves - this would be a perfectly dark, clever, psychological thriller and I am surprised that Hitchcock didn't do the movie version of it.
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