I think Merricat is definitely unreliable. Part of her appeal is not knowing whether to trust her narration. And she’s also my favorite character in all of horror literature. What I love most about We Have Always Lived in the Castle is that none of the usual horror story tropes show up, nothing paranormal for instance, but it’s as creepy as if tarantulas were crawling all over it. Jackson excelled at the horror of mundane evil. Getting that horror from Merricat is the master stroke.
I think Merricat is definitely unreliable. Part of her appeal is not knowing whether to trust her narration. And she’s also my favorite character in all of horror literature. What I love most about We Have Always Lived in the Castle is that none of the usual horror story tropes show up, nothing paranormal for instance, but it’s as creepy as if tarantulas were crawling all over it. Jackson excelled at the horror of mundane evil. Getting that horror from Merricat is the master stroke.
Revisiting this review, I'd have to agree with you about Merricat. She is THE unreliable narrator. I still think about the ending.
Have you read The Haunting of Hill House? If not, it’s a must!