October 2020 Book Club - We Have Always Lived in the Castle

PERFECT

Chapter 6 questions:
Candace says that Uncle Julian should be in a nursing home but stops herself before saying where Merricat should be. Why does she stop herself? Where should Merricat be?

I forgot to mention that I read the book in a day, lol.

I’m still not 100% what is happening in this book :stuck_out_tongue:

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So did I, the first time I read it!

What are you confused about? Want to discuss it? :smile:

Chapter 7 questions:

OK, now they're getting spoilery if you haven't read this far

Uncle Julian thinks Merricat is dead! Did you notice that the two of them never interacted directly?
Merricat mentally puts all her family members in their places at the table and goes through a conversation. Do you think that’s a conversation that really happened?

Chapter 8 questions:
Why is Cousin Charles such a dick?

Possible spoiler

Do you think Constance has known all along that Merricat was the one who poisoned the sugar?

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I think one of the reasons I really like this book is that I am actually not sure what’s going on!

The spoileryest spoilers

I assumed around the mid-point of the book that Merricat was dead, but she does go shopping at the beginning of the book, making me think that she was not dead? But after the fire both Merricat and Candace definitely seem to be ghosts at that point.

I did notice that Merricat and uncle Julian never talked directly, and that Merricat is often referred to in the third person past-tense.

The weird thing about this is like, anyone could be a ghost! Merricat could be a ghost. Candace could be a ghost. Uncle Julian could be a ghost!

Also both times I read it I had it on audiobook without my full attention so that probably was part of the reason for my lack of full comprehension.

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Oh such spoilers

Right?! She does interact with lots of people–Constance, Charles, and lots of other people in town, the doctor, Helen Clark and her friend. Just not Uncle Julian. So if she’s a ghost, then how come so many other people can see and interact with her? But if she’s not a ghost, why do Constance and Charles treat her like a kid, and why does Julian not see or interact with her?

(Some potential answers: Constance has always been Merricat’s big sister, and neither of them is willing to change that dynamic, especially since “taking care of others,” especially by cooking for them [and especially especially Merricat], seems to be a huge part of Constance’s identity. Julian is very sick, and who knows what the arsenic did to his brain–maybe his belief that Merricat is dead overrides what his eyes actually see.)

I hadn’t noticed that–do you mean by Uncle Julian? The kids’ song is in past tense, too. Does anyone else talk about her in the past tense?

:100:

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Summary

I thought that Helen Clark and Mrs Wright (Right? Again, audiobook, might be spelling it wrong) did when they were over talking to uncle Julian.

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Summary

Ohhh, interesting! I remember that they were going over the events of the day of the poisoning, in which case it made sense to be talking about Merricat in the past tense (though it doesn’t explain why they were talking about her as if she wasn’t there after reacting when they spoke earlier). Were they talking in the past tense anywhere else in the scene? Unfortunately my ebook has been returned to the library (I really need to get my own copy). Can anyone else check that scene?

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Chapter 9 questions:
Why do you think Constance’s priority is protecting Merricat over protecting herself?

Spoiler

Why did the villagers destroy the house?

Chapter 10 questions:
Does Constance really blame herself for Merricat’s living situation?

Spoiler

Does Charles really blame himself for Constance and Merricat staying in the house?

Are they really happy?