

Smith was able to put them into words.Ĭapture the Castle should be essential reading for aspiring writers, those looking for historical fiction or romance, or anyone who loves reading amazing classic books. I personally have had some of the same thoughts as Cassandra, except Ms. Her emotions and the dialogue are so genuine, and they are spot-on for a seventeen-year-old girl in her situation.Ĭassandra has many wonderful insights on life, on topics ranging from writing to faith to matters of the heart.

Sometimes I forget that I am reading a story and not a real-life account. It feels absolutely real, as though I'm reading someone's actual journal. She is serious at times, but also very witty, which makes for an engaging read. Her thoughts flowed well and moved the book along very quickly.Ĭassandra's narrative voice is wonderful. I love that I could see into her mindset and read exactly what she was feeling when she thought out situations. Over the course of the novel, Cassandra undergoes a definite transformation from child to mature young adult, even though it's only over the course of several months. Older readers would take the most from it since they can not only relate, but they may also better pick up on and appreciate Cassandra's sometimes subtle humor. degree with a major in psychology and a minor in mathematics from. The writing is tame enough that younger teens could also read it, but most of the characters are adults or on the verge of adulthood. I Capture the Castle Discussion Questions Instructor: John Hamilton Show bio John has tutored algebra and SAT Prep and has a B.A. While I definitely recommend this book to other readers, I would recommend it to older teenagers, mainly because it will resonate better with them. One fateful day they make the acquaintance of the Cotton family, including the two sons, and a web of tangled relationships ensues. Seventeen-year-old Cassandra Mortmain has recently learned to speed-write, and she decides to work on her writing skills by describing the actions and conversations of those around her.Ĭassandra lives in a fourteenth-century English castle with an interesting cast of characters: her beautiful older sister, Rose her rather unsociable author father and his second wife, artist-model Topaz Stephen, the garden boy a cat and a bull terrier and sometimes her brother Thomas when he is home from school. 1948), St.Dodie Smith's novel I Capture the Castle is a journey through the mind of a young writer as she attempts to chronicle her daily life. I read this book last year and liked so much that I was happy to read every word again before I wrote this review. She was one of the most successful female dramatists of her time. This is the first novel of the author, born in 1896.
I CAPTURE THE CASTLE MOVIE
The book, first published in 1948, was made into a play in 1954 and a movie in July 2003. And as we know it will, the story ends on an optimistic note. As in all good stories, there are ups and downs, disappointments and failures, along with the happy incidents.
I CAPTURE THE CASTLE SERIES
Shortly afterward a series of events dramatically changes their lives. As the journal begins, Cassandra's sister, Rose, half-jokingly invokes a spell to change their fortunes. They become expert at making do with very little but are beginning to tire of the lack of food and other basics. She explains how the family discovered their castle home back when they were wealthy and how their wealth and resources dwindled, forcing the Mortmains to sell off all their possessions of value.

At a low point in the Mortmains' life in their castle, 17-year-old Cassandra begins a journal vividly describing her family's unusual life and her feelings about growing up. By the time she pens her final entry, she has captured the castle and the heart of the reader in one of literature's most enchanting entertainments.Janet Crane Barley - Children's LiteratureCassandra Mortmain captures the castle not with trebuchet or battering ram but with her pen. Her journals candidly chronicle the great changes that take place within the castle's walls, and her own first descent into love. She fills three notebooks with sharply funny yet poignant entries. Here she strives, over six turbulent months, to hone her writing skills.
I CAPTURE THE CASTLE TRIAL
You will get an email reminder before your trial ends. Access a growing selection of included Audible Originals, audiobooks and podcasts. Now a major motion picture from the Academy Award-winning producer of Shakespeare in LoveI Capture the Castle tells the story of seventeen-year-old Cassandra and her family, who live in not-so-genteel poverty in a ramshackle old English castle. Shop i capture the castle stickers created by independent artists from around the globe. 4.3 (1,455 ratings) 1 title per month from Audible’s entire catalog of best sellers, and new releases.
