December is the perfect month to retreat to a crumbling English castle—and to fall headlong into Dodie Smith's irresistible I Capture the Castle.

Published in 1948, this romantic, funny, gloriously eccentric novel follows 17-year-old Cassandra Mortmain, who lives with her unconventional family in a ruined castle in the English countryside. Cassandra keeps a journal as she navigates poverty, first love, family secrets, artistic ambition, and the arrival of two handsome American brothers who may change everything. The result is part coming-of-age story, part romantic comedy, part family saga—and an absolutely addictive page-turner.

This is a book made for long winter evenings: a cozy castle, eccentric inhabitants, candlelight, secrets, romance, and the delicious feeling of being tucked away somewhere far from the ordinary world. Yet beneath its charm, I Capture the Castle asks surprisingly complicated questions about love, money, class, creativity, and the stories we tell ourselves about the people we adore.

Join us for a December reading adventure inside Smith’s enchanting castle. Come for the romance and eccentricity; stay for Cassandra, one of the most engaging narrators in twentieth-century fiction.

We meet on Zoom 

All meetings are recorded—so if you miss any of them, you won't miss anything.

Here's the recommended edition 

Click here to get the recommended edition of I Capture the Castle. If you buy it using that link, a portion of the proceeds go to FrizzLit.

What to read before our first meeting 

Nothing! You don't need to read anything before our first meeting. Come ready to learn about the author's life, and the historical context of the novel.

Meet your book-club leader 

Christopher Frizzelle is the founder of FrizzLit and the editor and publisher of FrizzLit Editions. He has a knack for helping writers turn bad first drafts into brilliant second drafts, a skill he honed at The Stranger, where he was editor-in-chief from 2007 to 2016. On a shoestring budget, he led the publication to winning a Pulitzer Prize in 2012, and to being a Pulitzer finalist in 2014. Almost two decades ago, he hosted the world's first Silent Reading Party, inspiring a global trend. His writing has appeared in Interview magazine and the Washington Post. He holds an MFA in creative writing from Bennington.

Art

Castle image via Substack