I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

Another book for my book club for which I have already seen the movie. That's four in a row. What does that say? That I watch too many movies....Nah!

I really liked this book and having already seen the movie didn't detract from it at all. In fact I couldn't even really remember much of it, just the basic premise. Which is: A poor family in 1948 England who live in a run-down castle. The father is a well-known author who published only book and doesn't intend on ever writing again due to some unknown depression causing reason. The step-mother is an ex-portrait model for artists who spends her time fretting over her husband and communing with nature in the nude. Two daughters, Rose and Cassandra and one son Thomas.

The book is written in the form of Cassandra's journal. It is very interesting to read which makes me think if I wrote my journal like that 1. I would be more apt to actually write in my journal and 2. It would more enjoyable to be read later, by myself or progeny. It tells the story of the family meeting two young American boys who have inherited the land which the castle is on. Everyone pins their hope on Rose (the eldest and prettiest daughter) to land the elder son in marriage which will solve all their problems. However complications arise. Cassandra finds herself in love with the elder son while pushing away the affections of Stephen, their unpaid servant boy. Along the way is Cassandra trying to find a way to help her family be more happy while setting her own happiness aside. Wonderful story even though it left me a bit disappointed.

Quotes:
After the girls have just met the Americans and Rose is already determined to marry Simon, the elder brother. "I have an idea that it is a game most girls play when they meet any eligible young men. They just...wonder." Meaning wonder how it would be to marry that person. Just a little later she says "There is something revolting about the way girls' minds so often jump to marriage long before they jump to love. And most of those minds are shut to what marriage really means."

Cassandra walks down to the Vicar and contemplates religion as she is feeling very low over her situation with Simon. Her and her family do not attend church. "a person as wretched as I was ought to be able to get some sort of help from the Church. Then I told myself that as I never gave the Church a thought when I was feeling happy, I could hardly expect it to do anything for me when I wasn't. You can't get insurance money without paying the premiums." This thought has been in my mind many times and she says something of this nature to the Vicar and here is his reply. "It'd be most unfair not to---(rush to church when one is miserable) you'd be doing religion out of its very best chance."

Talking about Prayer: "Prayer's a very tricky business....Well, for inexperienced pray-ers it sometimes is. You see, they're apt to thing of God as a slot-machine. If nothing comes out they say 'I knew dashed well it was empty'--when the whole secret of prayer is knowing the machine's full."