REVIEW: I Capture the Castle (Dodie Smith)

Book: I Capture The Castle

Author: Dodie Smith

My rating: 2.5/5.

Premise: Cassandra lives in a crumbling castle with her beautiful sister, Rose, her fading glamorous stepmother, Topaz, her little brother Thomas and her eccentric novelist father who suffers from a financially crippling writer's block. However, all their lives are turned upside down when the American heirs to the castle arrive and Cassandra finds herself falling in love for the first time.

I'm not sure what I make of this book. I loved the setting and some of the quirky characters. But for me, the story was a tad slow and I didn't enjoy where it ended up. I loved Topaz as a character - she was a ditsy, bohemian model who had a soft, caring side. I felt sorry for her, constantly being neglected by her husband while holding up his family for him. I also felt for Stephen. Cassandra being young and naive strung him along a bit and used him. He deserved a lot more. I think if you love Jane Austen, you'd like this book. Not quite for me - maybe I would've enjoyed it as a teen.