I Capture the Castle tells the story of seventeen-year-old Cassandra and her family, who live in not-so-genteel poverty in a ramshackle old English castle. Here she strives, over six turbulent months, to hone her writing skills. She fills three notebooks with sharply funny yet poignant entries. Her journals candidly chronicle the great changes that take place within the castle's walls, and her own first descent into love. By the time she pens her final entry, she has "captured the castle"; and the heart of the reader; in one of literature's most enchanting entertainments.
My thoughts:
First of all, I must say that Cassandra is one of the most endearing narrators I've ever come across in fiction! She's intelligent, spunky, and refreshingly honest. The rest of the cast of characters in I Capture the Castle are so much fun too! My favorites are quirky Topaz (the stepmother) and the dependable and handsome Stephen. Dodie Smith keeps the reader guessing as to Cassandra and Rose's romantic endeavors and it is truly a pleasurable reading experience!
I loved that the ending is not tied up with a neat little bow and the expected "happily ever after." Overall, I really enjoyed this little character-driven gem! Recommended to fans of Jane Austen or to those who like historical romances.
*Sidenote: I Capture the Castle was made into a movie (that boasts a pretty decent cast), I looked it up and saw that it's featured on Netflix streaming. I added it to my instant queue and plan on watching it soonly (see the trailer below)!
4/5 stars
I haven't read this yet, it looks wonderful. The movie looks great too, but I have to read the book first. Thanks for the great post!
ReplyDeleteI loved this book but had no idea that it had been made into a movie!
ReplyDeleteThis looks fantastic! I want to watch this and read the book.
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