I Capture the Castle
I Capture the Castleby Dodie SmithThis is an oldie, but one I think worth blogging about even 8 years after it was first published (Ok, so, um, upon further reading of the inside cover, seems the first edition of this book came out in 1949. *ahem* And the edition I have was published in 2001. So. It's been longer than 8 years, but I still stand by my opinion that it's worth the read!) I thought of this book when reading a post over on Reviewer X, where Steph was looking for a 12th book to add to her TBR pile. For some reason this book instantly came to mind, and so I left a comment and told her about it. In light of the fact that I am currently without books that I am enjoying (*points to sidebar where the two Currently Reading books are Currently Sitting In A Pile On My Dresser Because I Just Can't Get Into Them*) and have not yet hit the library for more (which are likely going to be out, anyhow. Sigh.) I thought I might post about this little gem of a book that I found when I worked at my little retail bookstore (back in the day).Anyhow, this is not normally a book I would pick up and read, especially not back in 2001 (I am slightly less picky about books now... slightly.) And I also completely forgot about the fact that there was a movie made of this book (I suppose I should check it out) in 2003, because when I went to look up the cover image to snag for my blog, all I found were movie tie-in covers. Ugh! I HATE movie tie-in covers! Hate! Hate! They always ruin perfectly good cover art with movie promotions. But I digress...This post is actually about the book I Capture the Castle, in case you were starting to have doubts.Told through her journal, I Capture the Castle tells the story of Cassandra Mortmain, her family and their life in the crumbling castle that is their home. This is a sort of love story-slash-coming to age type of novel. It's something I generally do not read, but was so captured (ha!) by the writing that I was falling in love with Cassandra just as the handsome and dazzling Stephen was. Cassandra tells the tale of her eccentric family, her father and step-mother, her sister Rose in a brutally honest and endearing way. Set in 1930's England, you truly feel like you have been taken to another time and place as you read Cassandra's words upon the page. I found myself forgetting that the story actually takes place in the 1900s. I was travelling way back to earlier times due to the state of the castle, the fact that they lived in a castle and just, so many other things.Reading this book was like watching a beautiful painting come to life. It was breathtaking.I also decided that I loved Cassandra right from the opening paragraph of the book.
"I write this sitting in the kitchen sink. That is, my feet are in it; the rest of me is on the draining-board, which I have padded with our dog's blanket and the tea-cosy. I can't say that I am really comfortable, and there is a depressing smell of carbolic soap, but this is the only part of the kitchen where there is any daylight left. And I have found that sitting in a place where you have never sat before can be inspiring - I wrote my very best poem while sitting on the hen-house. Though even that isn't a very good poem. I have decided my poetry is so bad that I musn't write any more of it."
After that introduction made me smile I knew I just had to buy this book. And guess what drew me to it? One guess. That's right! The cover art. (I am trying very hard to not be ashamed of my affliction. I find I generally make very good decisions based on cover art. Truly, I tell you!)If you haven't already read this book, then I would suggest you pick it up. Hopefully you'll get one with the nice cover above and not some movie tie-in.