Monday, February 18, 2008
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
Thursday, November 08, 2007
"I Capture the Castle" has been on my TBR list for ages so it was great that I could read it for the Book to Movie Challenge. The book is composed of Cassandra Mortmain's journal entires over a six-month period. Her family lives in a crumbling castle on the edge of poverty as her father has suffered from writer's block for 13 years. Big sister, Rose, wants to marry a wealthy man and escape hunger, cold and old clothes. Younger brother, Thomas, is quite a wise soul, but we really don't get to know much of him until the end of the book. Step-mother, Topaz, is a free-spirit with a hard-working housewife's soul. Stephen is a boarder whose wages keeps the family from starving. He is also incredibly good-looking and in love in Cassandra. And Cassandra herself is seventeen and dreams of being a writer. Enter two rich brothers from America who have inherited the castle along with a nearby manor home. I enjoyed reading Cassandra's thoughts and enjoyed the glimpses into the workings of her English, teen-age mind. But when she decides she's in love with the wrong man, I was a bit disenchanted. I guess I was rooting for Stephen. Sigh. I found the book to have the flavor of "Pride and Prejudice" and really enjoyed most of it. I just thought the ending was unsatisfying.
Rating: 4.00
Posted by Framed at 7:18 PM
5 comments:
Cassie said...
I felt the same way.
11/09/2007 8:33 AM
Booklogged said...
Oh, darn. I've been wanting to read this for a long time, too. Sorry to hear it was disappointing.
11/09/2007 2:03 PM
Nymeth said...
I really look forward to reading this one. It's too bad the ending was disappointing. But it sounds worthwhile all the same.
11/09/2007 3:21 PM
Melanie said...
I actually loved the ambiguity of the ending. Early in the book Cassandra says that she likes books in which there are some loose ends, so that you keep wondering about the characters after the book is over. I wondered if that was really the author's opinion of a good book, considering the ending of this one!
11/15/2007 5:40 PM
Shelley said...
I very recently read this and was rooting for Stephen too! I would link you to my review, but I don't know how!
"I Capture the Castle" has been on my TBR list for ages so it was great that I could read it for the Book to Movie Challenge. The book is composed of Cassandra Mortmain's journal entires over a six-month period. Her family lives in a crumbling castle on the edge of poverty as her father has suffered from writer's block for 13 years. Big sister, Rose, wants to marry a wealthy man and escape hunger, cold and old clothes. Younger brother, Thomas, is quite a wise soul, but we really don't get to know much of him until the end of the book. Step-mother, Topaz, is a free-spirit with a hard-working housewife's soul. Stephen is a boarder whose wages keeps the family from starving. He is also incredibly good-looking and in love in Cassandra. And Cassandra herself is seventeen and dreams of being a writer. Enter two rich brothers from America who have inherited the castle along with a nearby manor home. I enjoyed reading Cassandra's thoughts and enjoyed the glimpses into the workings of her English, teen-age mind. But when she decides she's in love with the wrong man, I was a bit disenchanted. I guess I was rooting for Stephen. Sigh. I found the book to have the flavor of "Pride and Prejudice" and really enjoyed most of it. I just thought the ending was unsatisfying.
Rating: 4.00
Posted by Framed at 7:18 PM
5 comments:
Cassie said...
I felt the same way.
11/09/2007 8:33 AM
Booklogged said...
Oh, darn. I've been wanting to read this for a long time, too. Sorry to hear it was disappointing.
11/09/2007 2:03 PM
Nymeth said...
I really look forward to reading this one. It's too bad the ending was disappointing. But it sounds worthwhile all the same.
11/09/2007 3:21 PM
Melanie said...
I actually loved the ambiguity of the ending. Early in the book Cassandra says that she likes books in which there are some loose ends, so that you keep wondering about the characters after the book is over. I wondered if that was really the author's opinion of a good book, considering the ending of this one!
11/15/2007 5:40 PM
Shelley said...
I very recently read this and was rooting for Stephen too! I would link you to my review, but I don't know how!
# posted by Framed @ 4:31 PM 
