Castle Ugly

by Mary Ellin Barrett

Hideous castle on Long Island stands as a symbol of all that is unsolved in the life of a married woman now living on the Cote d'Azur.

255 pages, Hardback

First published January 1, 1966

Reviews

[Stephanie Nasteff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to read this book, while staying on L.I., with the author & her family. It is a highlight of my memories of my first summer as a New Yorker. The book captivated me truly, the storm, the parties, our ginger haired heroine. It was lovely.

[Maslela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was going to be one that I'd chuck aside and call a waste of time. Boy, was I wrong. There is a delicious, sinister vibe to the style and the events that transpired did not disappoint. I'd say it covers childhood perspectives, death, grief, love, jealousy, loyalty, and allows for a good bit of self-reflection. Have you ever loved like you're on fire? Sometimes I look at people or think of those I know and wonder what goes on inside. Highly recommend!

That which struck a chord with me:
"Do you remember", next to "I love you", the three most futile words in the language. Pg. 37

There is wonderful good in the world, and beauty and happiness, and excitement. Then there are evil and ugliness and terrible unhappiness and violence - and death. If it weren't that way, it wouldn't be life. It would be something else. Pg. 46

You never get up this early. You're allergic to the morning.
I'm particularly allergic to the morning company of children. Eat your breakfast.
Harry says you don't like the morning because you were unhappy as a child, and all grownups who were unhappy children hate to get up in the morning. Pg. 55 - I suppose there is truth to this, anecdotally.

I have always loved description of picnics even as a child. All the items from the picnic basket seems so delicious. This time I read of - "stuffed eggs, cold Virginia ham as sweet as candy, fried chicken, peppery pieces of veal and garlicky slices of Italian salami, English cheddar and French rolls, olives, pickles, fat juicy tomatoes, peaches, thin cookies dipped in chocolate; and, to drink, jugs of iced tea and tall bottles of white wine." Pg. 67

Sally and her mother, Sarah, had a rough exchange over not having siblings when Sarah threw out the fact she couldn't have more. Sally says to her cousin Alexandre that she hates her mother. Alexandre says "Hate! Love! What do you know about those words! Stupid, greedy, innocent child. Children think they know. They say, I love you, they say I hate you, but they aren't kind enough to feel love or gross enough to feel hatred." Pg. 79

Harry asked Captain Peterson: It's a good life, it's worked, hasn't it, John, for you?
Yes, it's worked for me. I don't know that it would for everyone. It's lonely at times. Not the work. The separation. Being eccentric has its price. It's like marrying someone really different from yourself. If it works it makes for a far richer life, but it's hard. Pg. 100

Harry says to his daughter about her mother "After she was killed I didn't want Pansy anymore. I'd like Sarah to know that. I'd like her to know I only wanted to remember her. The way she and I were once. That's all I can ask for you. When you meet a boy. Want to get married. Be on fire. Because then if something goes wrong at least you know you've had the best life has to offer. Only, see to it nothing goes wrong. See to it, Sally. Play it straight. Straight down the line. Because you're like Sarah. Like Pansy. Two of a kind. Three of a kind. No sense of humour. Sharp tongues. But no humour. You can't play crooked without a sense of humour. Can't have the fun of playing crooked - and take it all so seriously. Bad luck has a way of finding people like that - the ones who want more than just a slap and a tickle but still think they can cheat." Pg. 157

Sally said to Gérard once "Our marriage is rock like our house". "My parents lived in a house of sand, and their marriage, like sand, drifted through their fingers. We live in a house of rock, and like our marriage it is my fortress, my refuge. It has made me strong like the rocks. He has made me strong. And out of the love that flared that summer on the red rocks, our children were born: the three we have, the one that lived just a few weeks." Pg. 195

Then we made love and for those moments I was entirely happy. And so too, in those few moments, virtue, constancy, loyalty, twelve years of marriage were tossed aside, were made to count for nothing. Pg. 198

Sally: Dont. Please don't. Come in for a minute, but then you must go. I must...
David: Think? Is that what you must do? I suppose you must. Women always have to think, don't they? That's one of the less charming things about them. Pg. 199

Clever. Sensitive. Sees many things. Wants them. Then tires of them. Beware of these sad, sensitive women. She will love you for a few months. Then she will turn from you. And look for another. Always looking for something. Never seeing. Pg. 207

[Athena · Rating 1 out of 5]

There was a lot going on in the life of Sarah "Sally" Courtland, but her reactions fell short. Castle Ugly is about a girl who realizes that her parents relationship is not what she thought it was, dealing with a death in the family, getting married to a handsome, charming man, having beautiful children, and a surprise visit from the man she lost her virginity to. I asked myself, "What is this book about?" I really still don't know what the plot is. The author only described the characters feelings, but the result was lackluster. I was unable to believe that Sally cared as much about what was going on in her life as I did. There were strange moments in the story but for the book to end as it did it didn't make sense. I didn't see the purpose. The author was good at describing the scenery; the beach, the houses, and people, it allowed me to create a vivid mental picture but the story was just drab.

[Her Dotness · Rating 5 out of 5]

Odd though it may seem, as tortured and melancholy as this book is at times, it's long been a favorite of mine. I re-read it every 2-3 years, have done so since it was published over 50 years ago.

I think some of the confusion another reviewer mentioned may be due to its subtlety. This is not a straightforward story, neatly proceeding from start to finish. Instead, I feel it reads rather like Sally's memoir might, a chronicle of her confusion and struggle to understand why her parents' generation seemed doomed to unhappiness and failed marriages. And why her own has repeated their mistakes.

It's not a pleasant book, but it is a deeply affecting story of people caught in roles and expectations they are ill-equipped to meet.

A remarkable book, I think, in its depiction of how blind we can be to the profound effects of our upbringing, how the "sins of the fathers" thus are passed to the next generation by example.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my fav's.

[Daniela Sorgente · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book for those who loved The View from Pompey's Head: A Novel by Hamilton Basso or John O'Hara's books or The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout.
The setting, between New York and Long Island, is described with colors and light reminiscent of Hopper's paintings. In the plot there are nostalgic leaps into the past (before and after the Second World War, the present is the beginning of the Sixties) and unforgettable tragedies that continue to haunt the protagonists and condition their lives. A page-turning book, with sad paragraphs beautifully written.

[Russell Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a pleasure when one opens a literary classic for the first time and finds it beautifully written, enthrallingly told, and very much readable despite its age. It is doubly a pleasure to open a “forgotten” novel for the first time, one that was written decades ago but has been long discarded by the general reading public, the book you have to search for to obtain a battered, used copy for few have it in their personal libraries, and public libraries long ago discarded it. Mary Ellin Barrett’s Castle Ugly is one of those treasures. The story, a character study of the very rich and a love story that sweeps over several decades, is told in beautiful prose. The descriptions are evocative as the author takes us to the shores of both Long Island and France. I first discovered Barrett from reading her family biography featuring her famous composer father Irving Berlin. I found that book to be wonderful, as it not only recounted milestones in her father’s career but explored her parents’ lives as well. So I was not surprised that this novel is equally as compelling. Barrett was a fine storyteller and an elegant writer. What a privilege to have discovered her.

[Shellylovesbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book opens with Sarah DeSulzbac awaiting the arrival of her childhood friend David Ralston. They are to spend the day together at her summer home while her husband and children go sailing. As she visits with David she recalls a particular summer of her childhood. At her family’s summer home on Long Island a home the children and adults refer to as Castle Ugly. She tells about her last summer there with her mother also named Sarah and her father Harry Courtland their last summer before a senseless tragedy tears the family apart and shatters her childhood. A beautifully written novel of childhood tragedy, forbidden love, first love torn apart by a secret and ruined by a lie. It sweeps the reader from Long Island to the French coast. Richly detailed and full of interesting characters and places will stick with readers long after they close the book highly recommend.

[John Bess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very descriptive literary work providing a snap shot into that period of time and various aspects of relationships. Not my favorite nor worst book to read.

[Lisa deGraffenried · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story is pretty good but the writing is too full of adjectives and she shifts timelines without any indication so it became hard to follow at times.

[Barbara Parrish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it twice it was so good!

[Leilani · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really torn on how to rate this book. On the positive side, it had this distinct atmosphere of being exactly of the time that it was written (1966). Total time machine. Much of the book was also set in the 1930s (trippy!) It was well written and engrossing tale of "how the other half lives." But. It was incredibly sad! The heavy atmosphere of this book really weighed me down while I was reading it. Good book overall, but maybe not a winter read; try it under the sun on a beautiful day.

Thanks Kachina!

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot and setting had potential, but the characters were lifeless. The story, about twisted romance in a wealthy beach community, doesn't have enough depth to be more than forgettable fluff.

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5