We Have Always Lived in the Castle

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

I was gifted this book in an e-book format without any covers or details. I didn't know the genre or background. I didn't know anything except that it was supposed to be a quick and good read.

I always imagined a horror book to be different. I didn't even realize We Have Always lived in the Castle was a horror until I was through most of it - and I'm so glad. I think when we pick up a book and expect it to be scary, romantic, literary or thought-provoking, it changes the way the book is read. I went into this book without any preconceived notion - other than the notion not to have any preconceived notion. I like not knowing. For a good part of the introduction, I had no certainty of knowing what genre I was reading. That was half the mystery for me. I was told to go into this book with an open mind. (At some point of the first few pages, I was open to the idea of Mary and Constance being mysterious vampire girls.) We Have Always Lived in the Castle is a chilling, haunting and quick read. I wish I could say more about it, but I think it is sufficient to say that it strikes fear in a most understated way. It's not even scary - but it is chilling, as Mary would say.