I Capture the Castle

I'm not sure what to think of a book whose seventeen-year-old narrator casually writes about her parents possible infidelity with no concern whether it comes to pass or not, harbors no judgement on her eccentric father for subjecting the family to harsh poverty, imprisons him in the remains of the dungeon not as punishment but rather to inspire him to get back to supporting his family, and fancies her older sister's fiancé to the point of sabotaging her engagement.

I Capture the Castle is an odd tale told in journal form by Cassandra Mortmain, the teenage daughter of a man whose one book sold well enough to keep the family comfortably ensconced in their rented castle. After he is jailed for three months for chasing his wife with a show more knife, he ceases writing, his wife dies (not related to the knife incident), the royalties dry up, and the family is forced to sell off their possessions to stay alive. And yet Cassandra is upbeat and hopeful as she faithfully records the events following their landlord's death and the arrival of Simon and Neil Cotton, the rich benefactors of his estate,

Unlike her mythical namesake, Cassandra believes her prophecies (in the guise of daydreams) won't come true, regardless of whether they're believed or not. The novel ends with her biggest daydream—capturing her sister's fiancé—unfulfilled, and leaves the reader to ponder its ultimate outcome. show less

This is a lovely, lovely book, and it has every ounce of the charm for which it gets praised, but what struck me is the acute sadness that seems to underlie it all. I wonder if I would give it such weight if I'd read it when younger, since a lot of it is quite comic, but it seems to me there's quite a serious grown-up novel quite close to the surface of the charming, amusing romance, and its dogged and wholly admirable refusal to tie things up neatly is merely the most obvious sign. The death of Cassandra's mother, the monstrous egotism and violent temper of her father, for which she never once properly upbraids him even in the privacy of her own thoughts - but locking him in the tower is a kind of justice and the long overdue kick in show more the pants, so she and Thomas punish him without poisoning themselves with a trace of bitterness, and in a sense, that's what keeps the book so charming and Cassandra so innocent, in spite of everything: the complete absence of bitterness - not to mention the tangled Jacob's ladder of love that causes so much pain. Cassandra's voice at first is so sweet and innocent, but that gets undercut quite early on when she overhears herself being described as 'consciously naive' and thereafter her voice becomes considerably less arch. She is, after all, a child becoming a woman and at the end is left in an adult's dilemma, and as teenagers may not realise, but hopefully most adults are aware, many of those never get truly resolved. show less

“How I wish I lived in a Jane Austen novel!”
“I would rather be in a Charlotte Bronte.”
“Which would be better – Jane with a touch of Charlotte, or Charlotte with a touch of Jane?”

This is a terribly self-aware novel from this early exchange onward. Cassandra and Rose are two sisters who live in a castle in the English countryside, with an author for a father. But unlike the romance and ease of either Austen or Bronte, the Mortmain family is terribly impoverished – they live in the castle because they essentially pay no rent on it – and their father’s writing has been stalled for years after only one critically-received novel. The prose and whimsy are indeed Austen-Bronte, but the realities of their situation are full show more of poverty and grit. But they are resilient and imaginative.

The girls’ lives are changed when two American brothers move in nearby with their mother. The Mortmains rarely get visitors in their dilapidated castle, so for them the visitors are almost a sign of fate that these two will be their suitors – again, shades of Austen, but the brothers’ approach of the castle and family as a curiosity or oddity only undermines the romantic anticipation that the girls have. Cassandra, who has never been in a relationship before, is particularly taken aback by how their relationships do work out in contrast to how she’s learned out of books that they work. The literary-ness of this book is particularly delightful, as Cassandra works out the relationship of her literature and her writing to the less neat, badly plotted realities of life. show less

Teenage Cassandra writes in her diary like a typical girl. She makes observations about not-so typical situations, like the fact her family lives in poverty in a rundown English castle. Her dream is to become a famous author so to practice she recounts the lives of her family with sharp and witty commentary. As she says, "contemplation seems to be about the only luxury that costs nothing" (p 25). At the onset, the name of the game seems to be to marry off sister Rose to the highest bidder; and that man seems to be American Simon Cotton. Poor Rose cannot even find a suitable dress for dinner let alone charm her future husband over a decent meal. I Capture the Castle is more than a dating game, it is the story of society's opinion of a show more woman's place. It says something about the attitudes about feminine decorum.
One of my favorite moments was when Simon and his brother Neil spotted Rose and Cassandra in ratty fur coats. To avoid anyone seeing them in such shambles Neil pretends they are a bear and "kills" it before mother can see. How perfectly ridiculous yet, there is an air of social grace in the midst of destitution. show less

There were moments where I was entertained, but more times where it seemed to just kind of plod along.

This got off to a good start, I thought there was a possibility that I might fall in love with this family, that it could be interesting to see them try to dig themselves out of their impoverished state, however, the more I got to know the characters, the less I enjoyed them. Their selfish natures grated on my nerves, as did their unwillingness to do anything to ease their poverty other than marry out of it or let an unpaid servant get an additional job to provide for their household, there was only so much of that I could take before I reached the point where I didn’t necessarily want anything good for these people, I didn’t think show more they deserved it.

The only one here that did deserve good things was Stephen, and even he eventually annoyed me for letting himself be used as much as he does.

None of the romantic entanglements appealed to me, the sparks weren’t really apparent between anyone, plus, when, as mentioned, you find characters borderline awful, it’s not like you’re yearning for them to get their happily ever after with someone.

The writing style here does have plenty of personality, just not enough to push me past the personalities of the characters. show less

A Contemporary Classic with Austen Allusions

"I know of few novels - except Pride and Prejudice - that inspire as much fierce lifelong affection in their readers as I Capture the Castle. - Joanna Trollope

One of my favorite books (outside of Jane Austen’s canon of course), I Capture the Castle is a contemporary classic originally published in 1948, but still as fresh and vibrant today. Dodie Smith, more famously remembered for her children’s classic 101 Dalmatians, has humorously assembled an eccentric cast of characters living in less than genteel poverty in a crumbling castle in England. The story is revealed through 17-year old heroine in the making and aspiring writer Cassandra Mortmain in a series of journals, an she attempt to show more improve her skills as a ticket out of her dire circumstances. Her sister Rose will use more avarice means to free herself from her parent’s neglect by setting her cap for their wealthy new landlord Simon, and easily succeeds. Less of a schemer, Cassandra is attracted to his younger brother Neil and is hopeful for her own romance. As the wedding plans proceed, Rose’s vain and selfish nature blossoms with her newly elevated social position causing conflict. Cassandra, left out of the plans and Simon, who Rose is treating as an annoyance are drawn into their own romance. Rose, on the other hand, is drifting away from Simon and secretly into the arms of his brother Neil. An elopement will cause a family panic, a change of heart and an unusual ending.

Filled with allusions to Pride and Prejudice, this coming of age story is more a gentle nod to Austen’s style than a copy of her novel. Witty and moving, Smith connects with readers through perceptive observation played against dry wit resulting in a moving and memorable story. It’s what makes for great literature, and also what Austen is valued for today. Enjoy!

Laurel Ann, Austenprose show less

The Mortmain family lives in a rundown castle in the English countryside in the 1930s. The book is presented as the 17-year-old Cassandra’s journal and in this way we see the world through her eyes.

There’s her father, a famous author who has become temperamental and withdrawn and no longer writes a thing. Topaz, her stepmother, a free spirit convinced that her purpose in life is to inspire great works in others. Rose, Cassandra’s older sister, is a beauty whose goal in life is to marry a rich man and escape poverty. Thomas, her brother, is a clever boy who never steps into the story’s spotlight. Finally there is Stephen, the son of their deceased maid, who lives with them and helps take care of the grounds. He’s a kind, humble show more boy and is devoted to Cassandra. He spends his extra time and money trying to make her life better in every way that he can.

Despite their financial ruin, Cassandra and her family are rather content. They make do with what they have, though it’s not a lot. Their lives are turned upside down when two wealthy American brothers, Simon and Neil Cotton, move into the mansion up the road. The two very different families find their fates unavoidable intertwined.

Like many literary second daughters before her (Jo March, Elizabeth Bennet) Cassandra makes a wonderful central character. She’s someone who you just want to be friends with. She’s a bit naïve for her age, but that’s because she’s grown up with almost no social interaction outside of her family. Throughout the book we watch her mature and begin to understand not only the world around her, but also herself.

This is one of those books that I just knew I was going to love. I’ve been saving it to read when I was in just the right mood. People had recommended it to me for years, comparing it to some of my favorites like, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Near the beginning of the book Cassandra and her sister share this exchange…

"How I wish I lived in a Jane Austen novel!"
“I said I'd rather be in a Charlotte Bronte.”
"Which would be nicest - Jane with a touch of Charlotte, or Charlotte with a touch of Jane?"

Please tell me how I could have resisted a book with a passage like that.

In the end it was all that I hoped it would be. The characters are rich, but deeply flawed. The plot is much more complicated than a simple happily ever after. The writing was wonderful and completely engrossing. Throughout the story I felt like I was there, enjoying the Midsummer Night’s Eve or sipping from my first glass of port on a rainy day right beside Cassandra. It did what so few books can do, left me wanting more from the characters who now felt like my friends.

A couple great lines…

“Noble deeds and hot baths are the best cures for depression.”

“They went on interrupting each other in a perfectly friendly manner.”

“It struck me that this was the first time I had ever been on my own in London. Normally, I should have enjoyed getting the”feel” of it — you never quite do until you have been alone in a place.”

UPDATE: I reread this one a decade after first discovering it. I discussed it in four different sections with my book club and loved delving deeper into the relationships. show less