Author: Dodie Smith
Source: Purchased
Genre: Classic Young Adult
Buy: Amazon ~*~ Barnes & Noble
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Caution: May contain spoilers
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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.
~synopsis from Goodreads
My Thoughts:
What can I say, this story was pretty amazing. It was so vivid and compelling, and it had gorgeous storytelling and background detailing. Cassandra, our narrator and guide to her life, is charming and sweet. She was so likable, I don’t know how someone could not like her. She so… REAL. Her speed writing book, novel, journal (or whatever you’d like to call it) is brilliant.
I loved the way she would tell the story. It would always be so humorous and serious all at the same time. The chapters were long though… very long. That’s the one thing that made it a little harder for me to read, especially when I needed to find a spot to stop. There’s so much going on you don’t want to lose your place and get confused.
There are numerous stories contained in this one novel. It’s one big story, of course, but the side stories make the whole thing even better. I wish I could talk about some of them but it would give away too much.
Cassandra’s dealings with her family and friends, and new-found friends, are very interesting. She and her sister, Rose, have this imaginary friend (a mannequin they call Miss Blossom that they pretend is real) that they have talk to each other. It’s pretty cute. The potential love part of the story is intriguing. I know that I was guessing and second guessing who would be with who, who should be with who, who the author would probably put together. It was a whirlwind. In the end, I believe it turned out as I expected. And it wasn’t bad how it ended. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but it was the way you would think it should end, given the circumstances.
I Capture The Castle definitely captured my heart. Cassandra’s story us one I will not soon forget. It was filled with all sorts of charms and character. Dodie Smith knows how to tell a story. She also wrote 101 Dalmatians (the book behind the movie, which is VERY different in detail compared to the movie), and I adored that story too. I’m glad I took the time to read this, even though it took me longer to read.
My Rating:
Exceptional: Stay up until at least 1 AM
