Cassandra Captures the Reader
Dodie Smith's poignant and clever novel, written from the perspective of seventeen year old Cassandra Mortmain, is a moving and inspiring piece that simultaneously entertains and provokes deep thought. Cassandra, living in poverty with her family in a shabby, enormous England castle, attempts to sharpen her writing skills through the filling of three journals across a particularly dramatic set of months. She narrates the turning of events in her life in a talented, thorough, and strong voice, unwittingly demonstrating her own growth through the months as she both recounts and speculates on the occurences of which she is a part. By the end of the novel, Cassandra's talent has blossomed, and she has come to a well-developed awareness of herself and her relation to the aesthetic world. This work is phenomenal.
