People have been screaming at me for ages to read this novel, and I'm so glad I've finally succumbed. It's enchanting. It's also dead funny. The voice is one of the most captivating I've come across: Cassandra Mortmain is 16 and growing up in a ruined castle with an eccentric impoverished family, writing her journal about her life as it opens up. She's beginning to see what's in store for her. She's cynical and open-eyed, sharp, quick to judgement, equally quick to feel guilty. There are some great quirky touches. She argues a lot with her disillusioned and acerbic sister Rose and they've invented a blowsy character called Miss Blossom who is a tailor's dummy who they call on to say things they're unable to.
The novel is a master class on revealing and foreshadowing character. Rose sees a gargoyle twenty feet up on the kitchen wall (the use of setting is wonderful) and forces the others to lift her up on the clothes rack so she can pray to it for a husband. Terrifyingly she totters about on it, risking her neck, before she is safely brought down. Dramatically and hilariously we see how desperate and hot-headed she is. As Cassandra lowers her she sees the shadow of the bearded gargoyle on the wall, like a devil with a beard. At that moment two new characters enter: one is the American who has just inherited the castle. And he has a beard. Right away we know he's going to have a big influence on Cassandra's life, for good or evil, almost before he speaks or acts.
I could go on about the wit, the seamless movement from farce to sweet-sour lyricism. But I'll hold back. I've only read 100 pages and want to get on with it. It's just going to get better, I can feel it.
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