A great short lil creepy psychological story. Really just a case study of 3 people who have lost their minds in very unique ways but weirdly coexist just fine. I have enjoyed reading other people’s takes and analyses of the book. Also didn’t know this was one of Shirley Jackson’s most famous books.

I have theories though.. I kept thinking throughout the beginning that because Merricat is clearly insane and quite violence-prone in her thoughts…. That the villagers didn’t actually hate the family so much and this was a perspective that she mostly exaggerated to protect herself and her leftover family. How can a full village just blindly hate a family and speak so terribly about two young girls..? I think that part was all in her head, although the ending in which the villagers break into the house… I just thought that was fully looting mentality. Especially since they all suddenly have access to this mansion that is filled with priceless things.

Someone’s review had a take that constance wasnt actually agoraphobic and just terrified of merricat since she obviously knew she was the one that killed the family. She does tiptoe around merricat the whole book, and even apologizes at the end for having acknowledged what she did.

The development of insanity in both of the girls was incredible in a slow-burn way. I loved that they analyze the taunts thrown their way by the villagers at the end, like the fact that they imagine how they would actually cook and eat little kids.