The Keep

The Keep is a gothic thriller by Jennifer Egan. First published in 2006, the book concerns two estranged cousins who reunite to renovate a medieval castle, but isolated from the outside world, it’s only a matter of time before their past grievances catch up with them again. In 2008, The Keep was nominated for the Orange Prize for Fiction. Egan is an internationally bestselling, critically acclaimed author and journalist. Her awards include the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Critics Circle Award, and an Outstanding Media Award for her journalism. She’s best known for writing books and short stories that are hard to confine to any one genre.

The protagonist is a man called Danny. He’s a hipster living in New York City. His life lacks direction and he’s often unemployed. Although he makes friends easily, they don’t stick around for long because Danny is a difficult man to handle. He attaches himself to influential people, but when they stop benefiting him, he throws them away.

One day, Danny’s cousin, Howard, pays him a visit. Danny vividly remembers the last time he saw Howard because they fought and severed contact for many years. It’s unclear why Howard shows up after such a long time, but Danny welcomes him anyway. He knows that it’s probably time to make amends for what happened before.



Howard explains that he needs Danny’s help with an important renovation in Eastern Europe. He plans on turning an ancient castle into a tourist resort. Danny needs money and so he agrees to help. He still doesn’t understand why Howard needs his help, but he doesn’t ask too many questions. It’s an easy salary for a few months.

When Danny arrives at the castle, he can’t help reflecting on what happened with Howard many years ago. It turns out that Danny and Howard went cave exploring one day, and Danny left Howard behind. Days went by before anyone found Howard, and the ensuing chaos divided the family. Danny doesn’t explain why he left Howard in the cave, but it’s implied that he doesn’t regret it. What he soon regrets is traveling to Europe.

Howard cuts Danny off from the world. There’s no internet or modern appliances. The castle soon feels claustrophobic and tiresome. Danny realizes that, if anything happens to him while he’s in Europe, no one will know about it. He wonders if Howard has sinister reasons for inviting him on this renovation trip.



Danny distracts himself from his worries by exploring the castle and meeting the residents. Howard brought his wife and children with him, and this is the first time they’ve met Danny. It’s an awkward meeting but Danny enjoys seeing his family. They make him feel like he’s being paranoid and that there’s nothing to worry about. The attractive nanny they brought with them helps, too, because she distracts Danny from his wandering thoughts.

Danny also meets Mike, Howard’s assistant. Mike is a wealthy ex-bond trader who helped Howard purchase the castle. Mike doesn’t like Danny very much and the feeling is mutual. There’s also an old baroness, Baroness von Ausblinker, who refuses to leave the family castle. She doesn’t care who owns the castle now—it’s still her ancestral home. Howard tolerates her because she’s harmless.

As Danny adjusts to castle life, he realizes that some things don’t add up. He’s sure that ghosts live in the pond outside, and he hears strange noises at night. If the castle isn’t haunted, then it’s Howard playing mind tricks on him. Danny grows increasingly wary of Howard, who does nothing to make Danny feel better.



The reader doesn’t learn whether the castle is haunted or not, because this main story gives way to the second story. It turns out that a criminal, Ray, is writing Danny’s story from a maximum-security prison. He claims that Danny’s story is real, because a friend told him what happened one day, but he’s not sure how the story ends. He’s only writing the story to impress the woman hosting the writing class, Holly.

Ray explores his infatuation with Holly through Danny’s story. Danny’s increasing paranoia and mental instability mirror Ray’s deepening obsession with Holly. As Danny loses his mind in the castle, Ray loses his sense of reality and fantasy. He can’t always tell what’s real and what’s imaginary anymore.

Holly narrates a few chapters of The Keep. She doesn’t fancy Ray, but she’s emotionally involved with him. She knows that she’s overstepped professional boundaries, and she must stop before it’s too late, but she can’t help obsessing over the castle from Ray’s story. She plans on visiting the castle, hopefully with Ray at her side.



At the end, Holly gives up waiting on Ray and travels to the castle herself. She follows the same journey made by Danny, and she feels everything he felt. She loses herself in the mystery of the castle and even pretends that she’s the lonely, stoic baroness. Finally, Holly steps into the haunted pond and disappears, lost to her own imaginings. Egan deliberately leaves readers pondering what’s real and what’s not.