jjackrabbitt

[jjackrabbitt]

You all saw the poll! Now you’re being subjected to me reading other books, and it’s time for my near-yearly reread of We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson, which is maybe the only book I’ve read as many times as mphfpc. If you don’t want to see this, I’m tagging it

Chapters 1-3:

If you are unfamiliar with this book, Shirley Jackson is an American writer and to my knowledge is best known for her short stories and horror. This book is about Mary Katherine & Constance Blackwood, and their life inside their family’s house. The rest of their family, barring their elderly uncle Julian and a distant cousin, Charles, are dead. Mary Katherine poisoned them over dinner. They spend their days mostly alone, tending to their uncle and gardens, until Charles arrives and tries to integrate himself so he can take control of the house and what’s left of their family’s fortune.

“My name is Mary Katherine Blackwood. I am eighteen years old, and I live with my sister Constance. I have often thought that with any luck at all I could have been born a werewolf, because the two middle fingers on both of my hands are the same length, but I have had to be content with what I had.” Yknow as many times as I’ve read this, I still haven’t figured out what she means with the finger bit there, but girl same

Merricat (Mary Katherine) says that the house has generations of the Blackwood family’s things inside of it, specifically that “our house was built up with layers of Blackwood property weighing it, and keeping it steady against the world.”, which I would love to see and go through all their things, and it seems like it would be nice to have a place that’s so steady, but it also sounds like a tomb in there

That is part of the themes (? I guess? Haven’t been to an English class in a bit), of the book though, this house is the family’s tomb basically and Constance and Merricat exclude themself from the outside world, choosing to join their family in death by staying in the house and keep everything as it was before everyone died

Also Merricat makes a point to go to her local coffee shop every week. Not because she likes it but because she needs the barista to know that she’s not a coward

This book starts in April, so I do have to read it in April

One of the reasons I’ve enjoyed reading this book so many times is that Merricat has many real, more pressing things to worry about. But often she is worried about things like the asphalt on the road melting and keeping her feet stuck as a truck hits her, which is is absurd, but also something I find myself doing

I really do enjoy this first chapter or so where it’s not been revealed quite yet why the Blackwood family is mostly dead, because Merricat keeps saying things like “we disconnected our phone line” and “the milkman stopped coming by” without adding on that it’s because she killed her family and the milkman is afraid of her and people kept calling the house to tell her that she’s a murderer. Queen of avoiding things

I’m realising this book may be a bit difficult to get through while doing these posts without sounding insane because it’s narrated by a deeply fucked up eighteen year old girl and I can’t just say things like “I love the part where she’s fantasising about everyone in the grocery store dying in a similar way to her family and she gets to kick that one lady who is always super loud about hating her” into the internet void. She’s uniquely vicious and it’s fascinating

For all her viciousness, she’s very stiff and sensitive sometimes. She’s very careful with how she does things and likes to do things certain ways to avoid what scares her. She often ignores the townspeople when she’s outside in favour of pretending she’s somewhere else with different circumstances.

Mary’s sister keeps saying that maybe she would like to go outside their property and talk to people and it’s making Merricat anxious

There’s a woman in their house, being overly familiar and having tea with Constance and Mary is narrating like she’s behaving normally but I think she probably looks likes she’s sucked a lemon

Merricat’s way of dealing with this lady having tea is to imagine putting her in a flimsy pink dress and make her fall out of a tree

Their uncle has interrupted the tea to tell everyone (again)(for the hundredth time) about the murder of their family. He’s morbidly fascinated by it and despite his dementia is writing a book on it and will tell everyone within ears reach about it

Oh also no one outside the house knows Merricat did it. Constance was accused of being the one to poison the food, but was acquitted. Constance knows that Mary did it and protects her, I don’t think Julian knows.

Forgot the bit about Mary using Thursdays to go into the attic and dress in her family’s clothes

Most of this last chapter was Julian being confused and talking about the last day that everyone was alive. Constance and Julian agree that it was a very pleasant day, Merricat said nothing on it

#.com #notes #we have always lived in the castle

[jjackrabbitt]

Carmine doodle drop

Erhmm just wanted to post some doodles of Carmine 💃💃💃

#art #would you like to expand on her biting

[jjackrabbitt]

Hello! This is my first time ever posting on tumblr, but I just wanted to share my mphfpc oc! I’ve been obsessed with this book for years, and recently completely revamped my character! Any tips/constructive criticism is welcome!

#art #hi I love her

[jjackrabbitt]

I’ll let y’all vote on this one

I’ll still probably post about mphfpc sometimes, but not going to focus on it. I still really like the books.

#tagging with the fandom tag just so this doesn’t get buried #mphfpc #**edit following #this is gonna be real funny if the second option wins and you all have to see my notes on like— #Against Interpretation (Susan Sontag). Female Masculinity (Jack Halberstam). Appalachian Reckoning (Harkins & McCarrol). #or anything by James Baldwin or Zitkala-Sǎ. what are y’all gonna do with The Long Deep Grudge by Toni Glipin. #there’s plenty of fiction too but. this is my blog and we’re reading my books. #a lot of that is very very different. from mphfpc

[jjackrabbitt]

What is your favorite character and would you be able to defeat them in a medieval jousting tournament?

Can’t decide, but if I have to I’m going with Caul. I think we’d be equals and just push each other off the horses. No winner. Two losers

Also so sorry anon, I answered this ask, saved it as a draft and then forgot about it

#you wouldn’t win because he’d shoot you #but he’d fall off his horse anyway because it would get spooked by the gun shot #jack bentham

[jjackrabbitt]

bird names that are fun to say:

little grebe

great tit

bustard

squacco heron

hottentot buttonquail

hoopoe

SWAAAAN

#new ymbrynes just dropped

[jjackrabbitt]

To YOU it’s bad writing. To ME it’s a very nuanced piece of work that explores subtle intricacies without outright saying it. And also it’s bad writing

#I’m joking but also. am I?

[jjackrabbitt]

Howdy, you asked (albeit in tags) to know what tf I was talking about in one old Fugh post on loops and dying. Desafortunadamente, I can’t see prev tags on the app or mobile browser so beats me, lol.

Probably smth unhinged adjacent. Have a good night, fellow Caul enjoyer.

Howdy!

The prev tags I was referring to are these:

Now, I really enjoy Sharon (yknow, gender), and I used to see stuff about Sharon and Myron or Sharon and Alma. But I’ve never seen Sharon and Jack. So I ask, what the fresh hell are you on about? I’m fascinated. Personally I think Jack and Percival have gotten married like 20+ times (never divorced. Jack just likes things that are about himself and they’re obsessed with each other), but Jack is a slut and nonexistent, so. Would love to see the mental gymnastics that you’re doing, if you’d like to explain!

Good morning :)

#guess y’all didn’t like me calling Jack a slut huh #sharon #jack bentham #asks #anyways sorry to everyone else that I’m basically not here anymore and then when I do post it’s this #I’ll post something that’s not This later

[jjackrabbitt]

Either you're frolicking in this field with me or you're frolicking in this field against me.

#prev she should have gotten to help kill Jack. idk how but #fiona frauenfeld

[jjackrabbitt]

time loop where i keep dying to save you but clearly the loop just wants me to accept your death. im not going to but i can tell that's what it wants

#prev hi I’m fascinated by what the hell you’re on about #would love to hear your opinions

[jjackrabbitt]

🦅THE BEAST HAS BEEN SLAIN!🐍

Something that would probably be in the Muckraker after Caul‘s defeat (which one? You decide)

My first thought was drawing this with Jacob instead of Alma (maybe I’ll still draw that), cause they told everyone Jacob killed Caul, but then I remembered the ymbryne council symbol

#art

[jjackrabbitt]

For reasons unknown NEVER posted this, this is from February/March

Nim

#*shaking him like a rag doll* #love him so much. he’s a little freak #nim #art

[jjackrabbitt]

can we talk about how jake and emmas main modivation in library of souls is "we need to find our freinds before the bad guys turn them into DRUGS" i dont know any other book where some of the main characters are in danger of being turned into DRUGS

i love these books

#that’s what makes LoS so good

[jjackrabbitt]

i am a man of science

*it goes wrong*

fuck im a man of running away

#myron bentham

[jjackrabbitt]

a man with a helmet or mask that he never takes off is infinitely more sexy than an attractive man who sometimes wears a helmet. it’s about the mystery. the mystique. is there nothing under there or a monster under there or a scary looking guy (all three uniquely charming). you’ll never know. it’s also doubly attractive if he takes his shirt off but keeps the helmet on. you agree

#Sharon’s shirtless under that cloak /j #Sharon

[jjackrabbitt]

tried to think about their outfits a bit

#art #alma peregrine #isabell cuckoo #they’re beautiful :)

[jjackrabbitt]

Bruce Mozert - Underwater Photography (1950s)