History Literature / ICaptureTheCastle

* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: Cassandra letting slip to Rose what she overheard Neil say about her after their second visit to the castle [[spoiler: the same evening Neil kissed her. She was upset and responded coldly to him the next day, leading to him thinking she didn't have feelings for him and acting coldly towards her, which resulted in them both believing the other wasn't in love with them.]]

* HiddenDepths: At first Thomas is just a cheerful young boy, but then he shows that he is fairly well-versed in psychology and understands modern literature much better than Cassandra. [[spoiler: He's the one who first catches on that Rose doesn't really love Neil when he points out that most engaged women can't shut up about their fiancees or their wedding plans, while Rose almost never mentions hers.]]

* SpiritedYoungLady: Cassandra references this trope in the third part of the book, when she refers to herself and Rose as "two Brontë-Jane Austen girls, poor but spirited, two girls of Godsend Castle."

* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: Cassandra letting slip to Rose what she heard Neil say about her after their second visit to the castle [[spoiler: the same evening Neil kissed her. She was upset and responded coldly to him the next day, leading to him thinking she didn't have feelings for him and acting coldly towards her, which resulted in them both believing the other wasn't in love with them.]]

* PrettyInMink: Rose gets mistaken for a bear while wearing a fur coat.

* FirstKiss: Played as a plot twist, when Rose points out that "a kiss can do a lot of things." Cassandra believes she's referring to her first kiss with Simon (which Cassandra witnessed) as confirming that she really loves him and isn't just stringing him along to get him to marry her. [[spoilers: She's really referring to her ''first'' first kiss with Neil, which sealed her attraction to him.]]

* HiddenDepths: At first Thomas is just a cheerful young boy, but then he shows that he is fairly well-versed in psychology and understands modern literature much better than Cassandra. [[spoilers: He's the one who first catches on that Rose doesn't really love Neil when he points out that most engaged women can't shut up about their fiancees or their wedding plans, while Rose almost never mentions hers.]]

* AbusiveParents: Still, some of Mr. Mortmain's behaviour toward his children, especially Cassandra is physically abusive and he is guilty of severely neglecting them.

* FirstKiss: Cassandra has hers with Simon. [[spoiler:Rose has hers with Neil.]]

* GiftedlyBad: Topaz should stick to modelling. Her painting of the Tower apparently looks like an upturned pudding basin and a rolling pin.

* TheIngenue: Cassandra gradually grows out of this.

* HiddenDepths: Thomas, at first he is just a cheerful young boy but then he shows that he is fairly well versed in psychology and understands modern literature much better than Cassandra.
* KidSidekick: Thomas.

* LoveMakesYouDumb: Cassandra, for a while.

* PostKissCatatonia: Cassandra.

* LikesOlderWomen: [[spoiler:Stephen.]] And Leda Fox-Cotton definitely does ''not'' qualify for GrandmaWhatMassiveHotnessYouHave, in the book ''or'' the movie.

->''"It's like some hideous party game. Everybody's dancing, and nobody's getting the prize they want because it's all third-hand and second-best."''
-->---'''Cassandra.''' roughly summing up the plot in TheFilmOfTheBook

Set in [[GenteelInterbellumSetting the 1930s]] in England, ''I Capture the Castle'' (1948) is Dodie Smith’s best-loved (though little-known) book, with the power to leave even 25-year-old guys with a mild case of the warm fuzzies.

Be that as it may, it’s the furthest thing from sentimental. What it is is funny, observant, quick-witted and touching. ''I Capture the Castle'' is the journal of Cassandra Mortmain, a 17-year-old girl who lives in a [[BigFancyHouse rented castle]] in the depths of Suffolk with her impoverished and decidedly unconventional family: her reclusive father, who was once a very famous and ground-breaking author [[CreatorBreakdown until he was sent to prison for three months for threatening his wife with a cake knife]]; her eccentric and glamorous stepmother, Topaz, who was once a nude model and still believes in “communing with nature”; her flawed but beautiful elder sister, Rose, who is desperately sick of being poor; her younger brother, Thomas, who is smart and doesn’t appear much in the book until the second half, and the hired hand, Stephen Colly, who is extremely handsome and desperately in love with Cassandra.

And that’s only the premise.

The plot begins when the young American heirs to the castle and its property, Simon and Neil Cotton, plus various sophisticated relations, come to England to look it over. In doing so, they run smack-bang into Cassandra having a bath. After the initial awkwardness is over, they get along swimmingly. Before long, Simon and Rose become engaged. Then Cassandra falls in love with Simon, which messes things up for her a bit. But even though she’s lovesick, she still manages to hatch a plot with her brother to get their father writing again —- possibly one of the funniest scenes in the whole book.

''I Capture the Castle'' is often billed as a romance, but it ain’t just another love story. For one thing, the ending isn’t a typical love-story ending. For another thing, it’s about so much more than that: society, sisterhood, family, growing up, being honest to yourself and even a little bit about God.

Also made into a movie by Creator/TheBBC in 2003 starring Romola Garai as Cassandra, Rose Byrne as Rose, Marc Blucas as Neil, Henry Thomas as Simon, and Henry Cavill as Stephen.

* BlondeBrunetteRedhead: The Mortmain females. Topaz is silver blonde, Cassandra is a light to medium brunette and Rose has ginger hair.

* TheGloriousWarOfSisterlyRivalry: subverted as beautiful Rose and clever Cassandra are very fond of each other.

Also made into a movie by Creator/TheBBC in 2003 starring Romola Garai as Cassandra, Rose Byrne as Rose and Henry Cavill as Stephen.

* AbusiveParents: Still, some of Mr. Mortmain's behaviour toward his children, especially Cassandra is physically abusive and he is guilty of severely neglecting the.
* AllLoveIsUnrequited: Stephen loves Cassandra, who loves Simon, who loves Rose. [[spoiler:Who loves Neil.]]

Also made into a movie by TheBBC in 2003 starring Romola Garai as Cassandra, Rose Byrne as Rose and Henry Cavill as Stephen.

* DistressedDamsel: Not really, but in the minds of the villagers the Cotton brothers saved Rose from an escaped circus bear.

* FanService: In the BBC movie, Topaz gets naked, although we only see her from the waist up. This could also rank as FanDisservice as there are far more female fans than male fans.

* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: Cassandra. ''And'' [[spoiler:Simon]]. ''And'' [[spoiler:Stephen!]]

* LoveEpiphany: Cassandra for Simon

* MissingMom: in the book, Cassandra cannot even remember her face [[spoiler:until she suddenly pictures her giving her a piece of advice.]]

* SympatheticPOV: Cassandra doesn't find out till much later that [[spoiler:Rose and Neil kissed.]]
* TheIngenue: Cassandra gradually grows out of this.
* UnluckyChildhoodFriend: [[spoiler:Stephen]]

* TheWoobie/ButtMonkey: Poor damn Stephen.

-->'''Cassandra.''' roughly summing up the plot in TheFilmOfTheBook

-->Cassandra, roughly summing up the plot in TheFilmOfTheBook

* TheDanza: Rose Byrne playing Rose in the BBC adaptation.

* CreatorBreakdown: James Mortmain.

* ReclusiveArtist: James Mortmain.

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic: Cassandra tries to convince herself that a sunrise symbolises her future with Simon.

* DistractedByTheLuxury: Rose and her peach-coloured towels.