Title: I Capture the Castle
Author: Dodie Smith
First Published: 1948
Pages: 352
Source: My own copy
Genre: Young Adult
Goodreads | Amazon.comSomeone really needs to explain this one to me. Wait, before I get ahead of myself let me quickly sum up the book. I Capture The Castle is the journal of Cassandra Mortmain and her life living in poverty in an old crumbling castle, with her very eccentric father who hasn't written a word since his last literary genius, her model stepmother and beautiful sister the book conveys six months of her teenage life. Although no date is given it seems to be set between the two world wars so maybe the 1930s?
Okay so now that part is done this is why an explanation is required from you all. This book is listed in my top 100 challenge which is mainly just a reproduction of the BBC top 100. I thought the book was ok but I'm not sure the justification for a top 100. I found it difficult to really engage with the main character. Also the journal style made all the observations one-sided which made it extremely difficult to feel anything for the other characters. I didn't really buy the love story side of things and the whole thing just seemed to sit at the surface level. This book has been around awhile so I'm sure many of you have read it and have your own opinion so I'd love to hear it.
It is not a bad book, on the contrary I did like it, I just wouldn't have put it in the top of my list. I just wish I could have given this to my 15 year old self. I think she would have really liked it.
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| Read It - If you're young or like YA |
