I Capture the Castle

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Summary: An absolutely wonderful book!
Review: I Capture the Castle is a wonderful book that will be enjoyed by girls and women of all ages. I've just discovered the book now but I know that I would have loved to have it as a companion during my teenage years. One aspect of the novel that I enjoyed was the contrast between British and American customs and behavior. I'm so grateful that this classic has been rediscovered and reissued.

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Summary: So enchanting you will return to it through the years.
Review: I have been reading this book for over 30 years. There is something about it so magical, and yet so earthy, that I always come away from it with something new. Although set in '30's England, the characters face situations and troubles with which we can all identify and in particular, Cassandra, the narrator of the book goes through adolescent angst so poignantly that you just want to sit with her in the castle window seat and be her friend through it all. I heartily recommend this book to anyone, young or old, who cherishes good books with characters you wish were real.

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Summary: My daughters and I LOVED it!
Review: Last year, my daughters (ages 12 and 14) and I went to Disney World. I had picked up a copy of this book at a bookstore on the way to the airport. As soon as I started I was hooked. Forget Splash Mountain, swimming, fine dining- all I wanted to do was read. Within the week, my girls had both read it. We continue to talk about it- and give it to friends. The BEST!

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Summary: One of the best books I've ever read!
Review: I saw this book in a flyer for a bookstore. I'd never heard of it before, but the title captured my imagination. Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. I identified so much with Cassandra, it was almost scary... I felt like someone had been inside my head and written down some of my thoughts. I so enjoyed this book that I didn't want it to end. I hope this book is discovered by many people. It is so touching, heartwarming, and real. It was a true joy to read.

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Summary: One of the best
Review: My Dad found this book for me more than twenty years ago at a garage sale. To him, it was a bargain; to me, it was magic. It is a wonderful tale, filled with charming eccentrics. One of the things I like best about it is that that the characters aren't static. Not only does the story develop, but so do the personalities in it. I couldn't bear to give my well worn copy away, so I was delighted to find that it's still in print and that I can pass the magic on to my teenage niece.

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Summary: A Stunning Masterpiece!!
Review: As a sixteen year old girl, I found Cassandra very easy to relate to. A lot of the thoughts and emotions mentioned in the book really hit home with me, as I'm sure they did and will with other readers. Dodie Smith's writing style is amazing; I was never bored once, always turning page after page to find out where the characters would end up. If you love a touch of romance, a slice of comedy, and a lot of truth, this is the book for you. I Capture the Castle was a fantastic read, one that I will gladly repeat again and again.

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Summary: A letter from the author, Dodie Smith
Review: I have long adored this book! I am so pleased to see so many discovering and rediscovering it. I would like to share a letter I received from Dodie Smith in 1985, when she so kindly responded to a letter I wrote to her. She replied:

Dear Lynn Hudson, Very many thanks for a particularily kind letter. "I Capture the Castle" was first published in 1948, 37 years ago and yet I still get letters about it, from old friends like you and also, occasionaly, from new friends. I'm astonished and proud that it has lasted so long. I've written other novels and two of my childrens' books continue to be succesful, (paticularily The Hundred and one Dalmatians), but nothing (for me anyway) means as much as ICTC> Where did those characters come from? They are not drawn from life. The Castle partly is but I changed it a great deal and I much prefer my own castle! I've been asked again and again to write a sequel to ICTC but I'm sure I never could. I don't even like to think of the future of the characters because I don't want them to grow older. I've been asked again and again to say whom Cassandra marries but I've no idea. I like to think of her just hopeful for the future and I shall let myself think you and I share this idea. I am now 89 and sometimes (but only sometimes) almost feel it, but not when I think about Cassandra. Thank You again for your letter which has given me great pleasure. And I like to think that in some mysterious realm of the imagination, the characters in my book are pleased to and send you their love-with mine. Dodie Smith Dodie Smith and I wrote back and forth a few more times, until she was unable to write again. She died in 1990. Thank-You, Dodie, for the wonderful gift of "I Capture the Castle"!

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Summary: This is an ageless book, and an old friend.
Review: Green arms, an old castle, a father writing "the cat sat on the mat", does this entice curiousity? Dodie Smith has the gift of drawing you so far into the story that you live inside the book. I read I Capture The Castle when I was a teenager, and loved it so much I lay under my bed to read it again and again. I actually thought that my family couldn't find me. How wonderful that it has been reprinted so that my adult children can discover this enchanting tale for themselves.

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Summary: Better than a visit with a long lost firiend, a delight!
Review: Rereading this book after 25 years might have been a disappointment, but it was as good this time and as a more mature reader. Dodie Smith wrote an ageless tale that any woman will find to be poignant, touching and unforgettable. I'm so happy that it is back in print. It will be a top gift choice when I select holiday presents for my friends of all ages. I'm confident that they will remember the characters, as I have, for many years to come.

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Summary: What a wonderful timeless book!!
Review: I first read this book when I was 12. It belonged to my aunt and I often wondered what became of her copy. Every summer I was sent to her farm for a 3 month visit and since she had no juvenile books, I got an early start on E. Caldwell, John Steinbeck, Pearl Buck and this wonderful book by Dodie Smith. Thank you for reminding me about it.