I Capture the Castle

by Dodie Smith

No cover — Dodie Smith: I Capture the Castle (2023, Penguin Books, Limited)

English language

Published Aug. 31, 2023 by Penguin Books, Limited.

ISBN:: 978-0-241-61805-9

(24 reviews)

Cassandra, the 17-year-old narrator, lives an eccentric existence in a crumbling castle in the English countryside in the 1930s. Her father is a former bestselling novelist now suffering from a chronic case of writer's block and her glamorous but bohemian stepmother Topaz is a sometime artist model. Money is in short supply but Cassandra and her discontented older sister Rose are forced to make the best of things - until some young, wealthy American neighbours arrive and Rose sees an opportunity for them all to escape their impoverished existence.

Even when she is encountering the difficulties of first love and first heartbreak, Cassandra remains a wonderfully likable heroine, with a strong narrative voice and a distinctive sense of humour. Whimsical, charming and beautifully written, this engaging classic novel will appeal equally to both adult and young adult readers.

55 editions

Stephanie Jane reviewed I CAPTURE THE CASTLE by Dodie Smith

A deserved classic

5 stars

For some unknown reason I had managed to get completely the wrong idea about I Capture The Castle. I'd avoided reading it for years because I expected a kind of boys own adventure for younger readers! When I spotted a cheap paperback in a Torquay charity shop earlier this year however, I actually read the synopsis and realised my mistake! I'm so glad I did because I love this novel!

A vivid coming of age story, the title I Capture The Castle refers to our heroine, Cassandra who is attempting to hone her writing skills by capturing in prose all the details of her somewhat eccentric family and their life of genteel poverty in a ruined castle. Despite the perpetual cold and lack of sufficient food, I was absolutely entranced by the castle! The history of the place and the idea of its varied rooms and towers totally captured my …

The narrative does focus on the need for women to marry well and we see Cassandra's sister, Rose, set her sights on the new Lord of the Manor, Simon. Smith doesn't take the predictable route though and I loved her character portrayals of everyone from shy Simon to abrasive Leda Fox-Cotton. Dialogue crackles off the page and I appreciated seeing how Cassandra matures from little more than a child at the beginning of her journals to very much a young woman by the end. A wonderful novel and a deserved classic.

Paul Oldham reviewed I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

The best book I've read this year

5 stars

It's perhaps appropriate that it's taken until book 51 of 52 to reach the book which will really stay with me. I went to bed last night with the ending buzzing around in my head.

This is a coming of age tale written in the first person by a young girl in a somewhat unlikely setting before the second world war. The style really gets you into Cassandra's head as she's very honest as to her feelings ... even if she sometimes hides them from herself.

It's also notable for the things she's missing but you are not. I won't give away the plot but there are undercurrents in the relationships between the other characters that she simply doesn't see or comprehend.

Anyway recommended, for all sorts of reasons.

BethOwl 📚✍🏻🦉🇺🇦🌈 reviewed I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

Review of 'I capture the castle' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Loved, loved, loved. But sooooo hated for it to end. And nary a cliché in sight.

Kathrin Passig reviewed I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

Review of 'I Capture the Castle' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Ich mochte die Erzählweise und dachte, es würde allenfalls ironisch um das Thema Wer-heiratet-wen gehen. Reader, it didn't.

Lowrain reviewed I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

Review of 'I capture the castle' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

A joy to read, thanks in no small part to the charming narrator who tells the tale. Smith's book is a response to the canon of female literature - the Brontë sisters and Jane Austin — and the old proposition that women of a certain class must marry to secure wealth for their families. I loved it.

arr reviewed I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

Review of 'I capture the castle' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

3.8ish, if I have to assign a meaningless numerical rating!

This is super charming and very funny (and fun!) to read, however, I was a little disappointed with the last third of the book. While I certainly can't say anything against the authenticity of Cassandra's many conflicting and contradictory feelings for the dudes in her life, I often felt that her infatuation with Simon was tiresome. Basically, when she was being quite hilariously (again authentically) melodramatic about it, I found it just as delightful as the rest of the book, but it grated in the moments where I felt that maybe I was meant to be taking it seriously. As it stands, at the end of the book my primary reaction was, "Lol it is not that serious. You'll get over it, kid. And hopefully make out with Stephen a lot. Because that was hot."

Whiiich, I don't know if …