Review: 'Death in the Castle' by Pearl S. Buck

Death in the Castle is one of those books I was aware of, wanted to read, and yet never got around to it. I jumped at the chance to read it when Open Road published this edition, but once again I let it grow dusty. For that, I must apologize. Because Death in the Castle is a delightful little book. In no way as serious as Buck's other works, it is the kind of book I that feels like a sunny afternoon. Thanks to Open Road Integrated Media and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My sincere apologies for the severely delayed review.

Pub. Date: 5/21/2013
Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media

An ancient castle, a cash-strapped and psychologically unstable aristocratic couple, and the rumor of ghosts weave together in this sparkling historical mystery from Pearl S. Buck

Sir Richard Sedgeley and Lady Mary are broke and without an heir to the castle that's been in their family for centuries. Tourists are infrequent, and the offers they've received are not ones they can live with: a state-run prison or a museum in America. What is the remedy, and is it true that there's treasure hidden somewhere under their noses? Featuring a cast of outsize characters—timid Mary, her possibly mad husband, Wells the Butler, and his mysterious daughter Kate—Death in the Castle is a suspenseful delight by the author of The Good Earth. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Pearl S. Buck including rare images from the author's estate.

Death in the Castle is a very light book and yet one theme it ponders on is rather heavy. This is one of those books that evokes the end of an era, specifically the end of landed gentry and nobility in the UK. Castles are immensely expensive. We all know this, but I saw it myself when I went on a castle tour in Scotland in 2016. None of these castles can be upkept properly. They are too vast, with too many rooms and too much history, for any one family to look after. Even England's National Trust isn't able to support all the different historic landmarks and buildings that populate the English countryside. Death in the Castle takes place in one of these crumbling castles, but it also shows the crumbling of this "upper class". Sir Richard is still responsible for the people on his lands, they depend on him for new roofs, plumbing, money, food, survival, everything. While it is a responsibility he technically takes seriously, it is also one he feels entitled to. It is a fascinating, if, again, mildly humorous, insight into the mind of a man who considers himself superior to the point he loses touch with what is real and normal. England is a modern country, but I would argue it still has quite some people wandering around whose mindset relies on this kind of feudal reality in which an elite takes care of the working people. Seeing an American author dissect it so clearly and use it for entertainment was, honestly, kind of funny.

Sir Richard and Lady Mary are the owners of an aging castle. With no children, there is no heir for the castle and its vast estates and so they stand before a choice. Sell it to the government and have it turned into a prison or raised for an atomic plant, or, perhaps, sell it to an adventurous American who plans to take it with him to America. (I've got a bridge to sell him...) Supporting them are Wells, an old butler, and his grand-daughter Kate, who is somewhere between an adopted daughter and maid. As negotiations over the future of the castle take place it becomes clear that neither Sir Richard nor Lady Mary are entirely in touch with reality. Kate is most definitely the protagonist of the novel, in that it is her fate, her life, that the reader will care most about. She is a delight, but she is also a damsel. John, our American interloper, is the perfect potential knight in shining armour, but he has his own baggage. This is very much a light novel, despite some of its more Gothic-leaning scenes. It's Gothic-light! 

Pearl S. Buck is a Nobel-prize winner, but Death in the Castle is not a capital-l Literary effort. It is a fun book, well-written, with characters who know exactly what kind of book they're in. To a certain extent all the characters are caricatures, the Nobleman, the Spiritual Wife, the Mysterious Young Woman, the Old Retainer, the Exciting Newcomer, etc. Each of these is recognisable and is a staple for anything Gothic-related. And Death in the Castle definitely plays with elements of the Gothic genre, setting up jaunts into the damp dungeons or hinting at unseen spirits and hidden rooms. But at its heart, Death in the Castle is a jaunt through a mildly dark forest with a sunny valley within sight. And it is perfect for that. This novel doesn't pretend to be something it isn't. It moves with ease between banter over dinner, lovelorn glances, and haunting appearances at midnight, and all of it is enjoyable. Whether I should have picked this as my introduction to Pearl S. Buck, I don't know, but I did have a delightful two hours reading this. I don't know, but I did have a delightful two hours reading this. I did very much enjoy the added bibliography and photos of Buck's life which elevated the Open Road Integrated Media edition for me!

I give this novel...

3 Universes!

Death in the Castle is a delightful romp of a tale. It is full of sunshine, dark dungeons, attractive Americans, and decaying nobility.