I Capture the Castle

Locations
Call Number: Adult Book / Fiction / General / Smith, Dodie
On Shelf At: Westgate Branch

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Westgate Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / General / Smith, Dodie	4-week checkout	On Shelf

Originally published: Boston : Little, Brown, 1948. With new reading group guide.
The story of 17-year-old Cassandra and her family, who live in not-so-genteel poverty in a ramshackle old English castle. Over six turbulent months, she fills three diaries with sharply funny yet poignant entries and manages to find herself hopelessly in love. By the time she pens her final entry, she has "captured the castle" and the heart of the reader.

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Inspired HP, great on it's own submitted by Allison B on June 28, 2013, 7:35pm This is the book that J.K. Rowling cites as one of her favorites. No, it's not magic like Harry Potter, but it has a magic of its own. If you like to daydream and think about living in old places, check it out. It's got a good love angle, a reach up from poverty, and the english countryside, as well as a crazy backstory about the father of the family and a unique stepmother.

Charming story of first love submitted by yugure on July 5, 2013, 10:37am A charming story of first love and coming-of-age in mid-20th century England. Charismatic, flawed but realistic and relatable narrator. Pride and Prejudice dealt with the issue of poor gentry but the Bennett family was positively affluent compared to the Mortmains in I Capture the Castle. The ending is not nicely tied up like Austen's work but offers a bit of hope for the future. Loved the romantic twists and the unusual but loveable stepmother.

Imaginative submitted by thesrays on July 8, 2019, 2:15pm Prepare to meet unique, flawed characters, while cultivating a deep love for an imperfect place.

Timeless submitted by Princess Cimorene on July 19, 2020, 10:26pm This is one of my all-time favorite books. It is so incredibly charming. It's quietly moving, transports the reader to a different time and place, and is imbued with humor and hopefulness alongside heartbreak. Love it so much.