Reviews

I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith

happylilkt's review against another edition

2.0

This came highly recommended, but there must be something broken in me because I almost never like popular coming of age novels unless they are at least 100 years old. Is it because I was born an old woman? Probably.

Evidence:

Other coming of age novels I DO NOT like:
[b:A Tree Grows in Brooklyn|14891|A Tree Grows in Brooklyn|Betty Smith|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327883484l/14891._SY75_.jpg|833257] by Betty Smith
[b:How Green Was My Valley|40496|How Green Was My Valley|Richard Llewellyn|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1440708862l/40496._SY75_.jpg|2329482] by Richard Llewellyn

Coming of age novels I DO like:
[b:The Secret Garden|2998|The Secret Garden|Frances Hodgson Burnett|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327873635l/2998._SY75_.jpg|3186437] by Frances Hodgson Burnett
[b:Up a Road Slowly|65954|Up a Road Slowly|Irene Hunt|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1390965383l/65954._SY75_.jpg|63954] by Irene Hunt (a rare exception to the 100 year rule)
[b:Little Women|1934|Little Women|Louisa May Alcott|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1562690475l/1934._SY75_.jpg|3244642] by Louisa May Alcott
[b:An Old-Fashioned Girl|246546|An Old-Fashioned Girl|Louisa May Alcott|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347469119l/246546._SY75_.jpg|3719102] by Louisa May Alcott
[b:Anne of Green Gables|8127|Anne of Green Gables (Anne of Green Gables, #1)|L.M. Montgomery|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1390789015l/8127._SY75_.jpg|3464264] by L. M. Montgomery

mrsguin's review against another edition

5.0

I am not sure how to write a review for this wonderful novel, so I will take a cue from its narrator Cassandra and think it over before I put it in writing. However, I can highly recommend this to lovers of Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters!

sjbloomstone's review against another edition

adventurous emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

dejaentendu's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

mrs_hk's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

amy_macbeth_aotearoa's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

fiona_may333's review against another edition

funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

terraturtles's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

javinki_'s review against another edition

4.0

Another book which I've owned for yeeeaaars, but never read until now. As everyone else has already said, 'I Capture the Castle' is an utterly charming coming-of-age novel in the vein of the Brontes / Austen / usual suspects, with a thoughtful and endearingly ("consciously") naive 17-year-old narrator bringing the houses and dramas and humans that inhabit her world to life through journal-style prose. The narrative started to get a little too neat for my liking towards the end, but that didn't ruin the book by any stretch. By that point I was fully invested in a story which, on paper (lol), should've bored my tits off. The sign of a good book, huh?

That said, there's nothing quite as off-putting in a book as a quote on the back from JK Rowling, so I've sharpied her name off my copy - censorship rulez OK :)

blossom_holland's review against another edition

funny lighthearted reflective slow-paced

5.0