We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
It would be difficult to overstate the creepiness of [b:We Have Always Lived in the Castle|861577|We Have Always Lived in the Castle|Shirley Jackson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1269310843s/861577.jpg|847007]. [a:Shirley Jackson|13388|Shirley Jackson|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1196262589p2/13388.jpg] brilliantly weaves a story of three recluses who are all frightening in their own way. The book begins with the knowledge that something terrible has happened and something terrible is going to happen. The steady pacing and consistent revelation of just how terrible the lives of the Blackwoods are is countered by the arrival of a greedy, disruptive cousin. Despite knowing that the reclusive way the characters Mary Katherine, Constance, and Julian live is extremely unhealthy, I could not help hating their cousin for the way he behaves. The event for which you wait is traumatic to read, particularly for someone who cannot bear for beautiful things to be destroyed. Overall, while [b:The Lottery|6219655|The Lottery (Creative Short Stories)|Shirley Jackson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266579353s/6219655.jpg|15161007] is also excellent, I found this to be more powerful.