‘Silas Marner’ – George Eliot

An uplifting tale of an isolated man’s return to community living

‘Northern Lights’ – Philip Pullman

‘We are all subject to the fates. But we must act as if we are not, or die of despair.’

#3 |First Lines Friday

‘All these sounds of her failure and regret would be left behind, and in their place there would be silence.’

‘The Haunting of Hill House’ – Shirley Jackson

Hill House is no place for the living

‘We Have Always Lived in the Castle’ – Shirley Jackson

London, November 2018

Overview

Living in the Blackwood family home with her older sister Constance and her Uncle Julian, Katherine (or Merricat) wants to keep the world out. But with Constance acquitted of murdering the rest of the Blackwood family, the surviving members are little short of local spectacle. Things are manageable until a long-lost cousin Charles appears, his arrival offering the remaining Blackwoods a choice that could totally fracture them.

Thoughts

This was astonishingly good, one of those that I’d been delaying reading in case I didn’t like it (weird I know). Told over less than 150 pages, the characters and sense of both physical and spiritual claustrophobia remained with me.

Yes it was haunting (which I’m sure I’m not the first person to observe) as well as a visceral examination of the implications of family love.

Vague spoilers ahead…

The twist at the end has been mirrored countless times so I half expected the villain to be someone other than poor Constance, the tragedy being that Merricat’s survival hanged on the complicit happiness of her sister.

The development of the sisters into a local menacing folklore was powerful – the power of the mob seen more sickeningly within these pages than anywhere I’ve read in a while.

‘The Keep’ – Jennifer Egan

Lausanne, January 2016

Overview

The gothic tale of three narratives – Ray, the prisoner who writes the castle/hotel tale of Danny and Howard for Holly’s class. Holly takes the third narrative with a recovered meth problem, ending at the homeland immersing herself in the imagination pool.

Thoughts

It was like walking through corridors that splintered into unknown rooms, reading this book. No idea how Egan managed to keep things so clear as to where you were and which character was speaking. Very clever and enjoyable read.

Quotes

‘[And after that] I moved carefully, like the world was made of glass.’

Holly, in the last few pages, on surviving her mistakes

‘The Night Circus’ – Erin Morgenstern

Nice – France, May 2014

Really enjoyed this – it was both magical and cosy! Sort of wish I’d read it in the winter.