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Quick answer: If you loved We Have Always Lived in the Castle, read Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House and The Lottery and Other Stories, then try Rebecca, The Turn of the Screw and Mexican Gothic. All offer odd families, uneasy houses and a chilling, wry voice.
Jackson's 1962 novel is narrated by Merricat Blackwood, who lives with her sister and uncle in a large house after a family poisoning. It is funny, eerie and strange. The books below share that gothic tone, unreliable narrators and tight spaces. Most are adult fiction, and all are real, in-print books.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Haunting of Hill House | Shirley Jackson | Adult | more Jackson |
| The Lottery and Other Stories | Shirley Jackson | Adult | short Jackson |
| The Sundial | Shirley Jackson | Adult | dark comedy |
| Rebecca | Daphne du Maurier | Adult | gothic suspense |
| The Turn of the Screw | Henry James | Adult | ambiguous ghosts |
| The Yellow Wallpaper | Charlotte Perkins Gilman | Adult | psychological horror |
| Mexican Gothic | Silvia Moreno-Garcia | Adult | modern gothic |
| The Little Stranger | Sarah Waters | Adult | haunted houses |
| My Cousin Rachel | Daphne du Maurier | Adult | ambiguous guilt |
| The Silent Companions | Laura Purcell | Adult | creepy houses |
| Flowers in the Attic | V.C. Andrews | Adult | gothic pulp |
| Picnic at Hanging Rock | Joan Lindsay | Adult | unsolved mysteries |
| Black Narcissus | Rumer Godden | Adult | isolation and obsession |
| Piranesi | Susanna Clarke | Adult | strange houses |
| The Bell Jar | Sylvia Plath | Adult | dark inner worlds |
1. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Four people stay in a house with a bad reputation, and a lonely woman is drawn in. One of the best ghost novels ever written.
Best for: more Jackson.
2. The Lottery and Other Stories by Shirley Jackson
Short stories, including the title story that shocked readers in 1948. Short, sharp and unsettling.
Best for: short Jackson.
3. The Sundial by Shirley Jackson
A family in a big house believes the world will end and prepares. Satirical and strange.
Best for: dark comedy.
4. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
A new bride lives in the shadow of her husband's first wife. Moody and suspenseful.
Best for: gothic suspense.
5. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
A governess believes two children are haunted by ghosts. A masterpiece of ambiguity.
Best for: ambiguous ghosts.
6. The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
A woman confined to a room becomes obsessed with the wallpaper. Short and chilling.
Best for: psychological horror.
7. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
A socialite goes to a decaying mansion in 1950s Mexico to rescue her cousin. Weird and atmospheric.
Best for: modern gothic.
8. The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters
A doctor is drawn into a decaying country house where something seems wrong. Slow and tense.
Best for: haunted houses.
9. My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier
A young man suspects his cousin's widow of murder. Ambiguous and elegant.
Best for: ambiguous guilt.
10. The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell
A young widow finds painted wooden figures in a house that seem to move. Gothic and creepy.
Best for: creepy houses.
11. Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews
Four siblings are hidden in an attic by their mother. Melodramatic and disturbing.
Best for: gothic pulp.
12. Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay
Schoolgirls vanish on a picnic and are never found. Eerie and unresolved.
Best for: unsolved mysteries.
13. Black Narcissus by Rumer Godden
A group of nuns struggles in a remote palace in the Himalayas. Intense and sensual.
Best for: isolation and obsession.
14. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
A man lives in a house of endless halls and statues. Short, strange and beautiful.
Best for: strange houses.
15. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
A young woman in 1950s New York slides into depression. Sharp, funny and sad.
Best for: dark inner worlds.
How to Choose
For more Jackson, read The Haunting of Hill House first. For short horror, The Lottery and The Yellow Wallpaper. For gothic atmosphere, Rebecca and Mexican Gothic. For a strange house, Piranesi. Merricat's voice is odd, funny and sinister, so read slowly and enjoy the mood. Jackson's work suits readers who enjoy a sly, witty narrator. Read the opening pages aloud to hear Merricat's voice. If the book grips you, move to The Haunting of Hill House and then The Lottery. Short, strange fiction like this works well for autumn reading.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is We Have Always Lived in the Castle about?
Merricat and Constance Blackwood live in isolation after most of their family was poisoned, until their cousin Charles arrives.
Is it a horror novel?
It is a gothic psychological novel with dark humor and unease more than gore.
How long is it?
It is short, about 150 pages.
What is the best Shirley Jackson to read first?
Many readers start with The Lottery and then the Castle or Hill House.
Is there a film?
Yes. A 2018 film starred Taissa Farmiga and Alexandra Daddario.
Who is Merricat Blackwood?
The narrator, an eighteen-year-old girl who protects her home with small rituals and has a strange view of the world.
Why is the book called We Have Always Lived in the Castle?
It is Merricat's description of her family's home, which becomes a fortress against the village.
Is the ending happy?
It is dark and odd, but many readers find it satisfying and funny.
Is the book part of a series?
No. It is a standalone novel.