I Capture the Castle Response

       

Told through the journal entries of 17-year-old Cassandra Mortiman, I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith is a witty and sharp novel that tells the story of a girls life in an old English castle, with her quite poor family. Cassandra grows up with cold potato-cake dinners, cold nights and a father who refuses to work after writing one huge hit novel, Jacob's Wrestling. Early in the book, the owners of the castle and sons of the original owner, Simon and Neil Cotton come to England and become acquainted with the Mortiman family. So far, I think Cassandra is a strong person who really makes an effort to hold her head high and bring out hope and positivity, even despite opposing conditions there may be.

        Cassandra's father wrote a huge-hit novel called Jacob's Wrestling a few years back and though it has for a while, it has become clear to the family (Cassandra, her siblings Thomas and Rose and their step-mother Topaz) that he may never get back to writing and working again, Cassandra asks about it. She knows her family needs it, needs the money. On page 42, it says "How's the work?" I asked. A closed-up look came over his face and he said shortly "You're too old to believe in fairy tales." Yet she still persists, "Honestly, father--aren't you trying to write at all?" These lines are important. They show that she is trying to be hopeful and positive, despite the known state of her father. If it were anyone else, they may have given up out of pure exasperation and disappointment or low faith, but Cassandra doesn't stoop to such a low level. She tries harder than that.

 

        Overall, I would say this is a really good book, funny, engaging and all around charming. I would definitely recommend it to anybody looking for a book to read. It has an amazing narrator, plenty of strong characters and a defined, well created setting.