AnyBook4Less.com	Find the Best Price on the Web Order from a Major Online Bookstore
Home  |  Store List  |  FAQ  |  Contact Us  |
Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine Save Your Time And Money Keyword AuthorISBN

Title: Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith, Janet Maw ISBN: 1-85549-950-9 Publisher: Cover to Cover Pub. Date: February, 1998 Format: Audio Cassette Volumes: 10 List Price(USD): $84.95

Your Country USA Canada United Kingdom Australia Austria Belgium France Germany Italy Netherlands Switzerland Currency AutoUSD CAD GBP EUR AUD CHF Delivery Only cheapest delivery All delivery options Include Used Books Are you a club member of: Barnes and Noble Books A Million Chapters.Indigo.ca

Average Customer Rating: 4.78 (165 reviews)

Rating: 4
Summary: Good romance, rich with mood and character
Comment: This is a gently whimsical and vaguely gothic story told from the perspective of young Cassandra Mortmain, living with her eccentric, genteely impoverished family in an old English castle. Writing in her beloved journal, Cassandra, an aspiring writer, creates a clear picture of her castle home and her brilliantly bizarre family; genius novelist father James with a case of intense writer's block, sweet, bohemian stepmother Topaz, elder sister Rose and servant boy Stephen.

The novel picks up pace when the wealthy Cotton brothers move from America to their English estate, very close to Cassandra's castle. This sets life into hectic motion for all the family, particularly Cassandra and Rose. As Cassandra chronicles the goings on, she gradually, gracefully grows up. Ultimately, this is a story about the joy and pain of love, particularly when that love is unrequited.

While there are moments when characters behave, well, randomly (why in the world DOES Simon kiss Cassandra?), the book has a quirky, lovable charm and beauty. Cassandra's voice is fresh and unaffected, and the characters and surroundings are finely sketched. A good read for anyone, particularly imaginative teenagers.

Rating: 5
Summary: I am Cassandra!
Comment: (I save 10's for Dostoyevsky)

This book is a dear, wonderful tale of life and love and intellectual exploration. It is the story of Cassandra and her sister Rose; their adventures in castle and great house and village of England; touching on London high society, the art world, Druidic rites, and an American dowager who collects creative types.

When it opens, Cassandra and Rose are in dire poverty because their brilliant writer father is going through a long dry spell. Rose makes a wish by kissing a gargoyle 30 feet above their medieval kitchen for something to happen... anything! Of course her wish comes true. Enter Simon and Peter and many exciting events, including Cassandra being stranded penniless in London after midnight, and Rose being mistaken for an escaped circus bear.

Reminiscent of "As You Like It", with its daisy chain of infatuations, and peopled with delightfully real characters from the beautiful, gallant Steven to the bogus artist-model stepmother, this book is a joy to read from start to finish. I'm jealous of you if you haven't read it yet. I wish I could read it again for the first time.

Rating: 5
Summary: A great read!
Comment: I just finished this - thought it was great. Once the story got rolling I couldn't put it down. The characters are memorable - the setting intriguing. I'm sure I'll be picking this one up again to reread!