Holy shit this book was great. I read I Capture the Castle in 24 hours off and on, whipped it out during a lecture instead of listening, and walked down the (busy) street reading during those final pages.
Crapola. This book kicked ass.
Excellent prose, surprise twist, and above all, fabulous character development. I was so attached to the narrator by the end that I was actually noticing my heartbeat speeding up at certain intense moments. I LOVE when that happens when I am reading. Surprisingly, the person who recommended it did not leave his or her name, so I suppose that shall remain a mystery. I thank you profusely nonetheless.
Dodie Smith, the book's author, also wrote 101 Dalmatians which most likely earned her a fair amount of fame. I might just go and read it now, although I'd be surprised if I prefered it over I Capture the Castle. I truly found it to be a beautiful, beautiful book. I had never even heard of it before, what a pleasant surprise.
Did anyone else read it? Lovely stuff.