We Have Always Lived in the CastleWe Have Always Lived in the Castle
Score Classic
What it's about
Merricat Blackwood lives with her sister, Constance, and their Uncle Julian in their family's isolated estate, shunned by the village since the rest of the family died of arsenic poisoning six years ago. Then a cousin arrives, and their strange, careful world begins to unravel.
Why it's worth reading
It's Shirley Jackson's masterpiece, a deliciously unsettling gothic novel.
You'll love it if you liked
The Haunting of Hill House
Rebecca
The OtherGood to know
It's short, eerie and narrated by Merricat, who is not quite reliable.
By the numbers
- Readers40 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller34 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #61 of the 86 horror books we rank
- #634 of the 762 classics we rank
- #2203 of the 2,816 books we rank
Reads as
Dark, Gripping
More by Shirley Jackson
If you like this, read next
The Stand
It
The Shining
Different Seasons
Misery
The Picture of Dorian GrayExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is We Have Always Lived in the Castle worth reading?
Yes. It's Shirley Jackson's masterpiece, a deliciously unsettling gothic novel. It ranks #2,203 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 61.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is We Have Always Lived in the Castle about?
Merricat Blackwood lives with her sister, Constance, and their Uncle Julian in their family's isolated estate, shunned by the village since the rest of the family died of arsenic poisoning six years ago. Then a cousin arrives, and their strange, careful world begins to unravel.
How long does it take to read We Have Always Lived in the Castle?
About 4 hours (146 pages), or about 8 days at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after We Have Always Lived in the Castle?
If you liked it, try The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier or The Other by Tom Tryon.