Dodie Smith
I Capture the Castle
A novel by Dodie Smith
9 people recommend this
Recommended by
Kaitlyn FaheyFirst to rec“the single most charming book you’ll read — and a surprisingly beautiful meditation on love, art, religion, and what it all means.”
Sam“If you love Marilynne Robinson’s Housekeeping (🙋🏻♀️) get thee a copy of I Capture the Castle. There’s a potent throughline between the two: eccentric, idiosyncratic domestic atmospheres ruled by deeply interesting women looking for their nook in the world. The castle itself is a character all its own! Delicious.”
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Bethany Poteat“Dodge Smith is more famous for 101 Dalmatians, but this book is a delight. Coming of age as told by a girl growing up in an old castle wi the her eccentric family, and then … a man comes to town. Also a fantastic movie with a young Rose Byrn and Henry Cavill.”
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Anna Lisa“I want to put you on to this absolute treat of a novel. When those who know this book see it on my shelf, instant rapport. I have recommended it to scads of people and the feedback is always, "why don't more people know about this?" (Dodie Smith wrote 101 Damations, but don't let that influence you too much. I Capture the Castle is far more of an Austonian experience than a Disney one. I does share a madcap humor and sense of the ridiculous.) In the 1930s, seventeen year old Cassandra Mortmain and her beautiful sister Rose are cooped up in a decrepit English castle with their nutty father, a dissolute novelist looking to recapture past success, and his witchy, bohemian new wife. The girls are essentially trapped in chilly, eccentric poverty, without propects, until a pair of rich American brothers move in next door. The film version is also excellent. It features a baby Henry Cavill in a small but key role. But read the book! It will delight you.”
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eva h“overdue for a reread”
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coreycaitlin“I Capture the Castle is an all-time fav.”
Sam“If Jane Austen grew up in a dilapidated castle in the early-mid 1900s, you’d have Cassandra Mortmain. What a delightful coming-of-age story. It made a big impression on me when I was 17 and I love re-reading it.”
Shimen“This cover is so good because if you haven’t read it before, it’s so true: “You are in for a treat” ❤️”
Kaitlin“A charming, hilarious, insightful coming-of-age story about a young woman living in poverty in a run-down castle with her complicated family. If you love Jane Austen, you’ll love Cassandra’s wit and sharp social observations.”
