Reviews - On the Black Hill

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82 reviews for:

really very bleak and delightful and excellently spare PAStORAL , I think the Sunset Song people will like this one. It's lovely to see Wales this way & I've not read enough

the cascade of the last 50 pages, is rly something else. the last line is one of my new favourite last lines in literature, I think because it's so delicately & mightily predicated on everything that came before

ocurtsinger's review against another edition

3.0

There was something about this novel that didn't strike me until after I read it. For most of the time that I was actually in the thick of reading, I didn't feel particularly attached to any of the characters. From reading his other books, I feel that Mr. Chatwin had a sense of observation more powerful than most writers of his time, and that certainly shines through in this first novel of his. The sense of community and landscape is made tangible through the little details that Chatwin is so good at observing and reporting, and as a result you realize that you've got a perfect picture of the setting without really working too hard at it. Yet I read at a pace that didn't have me stop and linger with any particular scene, and the plot didn't motivate me to care for any particular character. Only after the final scene, when the twins are flown over the Black Hill for their 80th birthday, did I realize that plot wasn't really something that Mr. Chatwin was trying to achieve here -- more likely just a high-up perspective of a particular place in a particular time, and how two humble lives moved through it.

nuthatch's review against another edition

4.0

It took me awhile to warm up to this book but the second half was great. It is essentially the story of twin brothers born before WW I on the Welsh border.It follows their lives through most of the 20th century.The brothers are a bit odd but there is also a large cast of eccentric rural characters.

talentedmisfit's review against another edition

3.0

medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

katyoctober's review against another edition

5.0

Review to follow...amazing!

jenn756's review against another edition

5.0

This is the best. Heart-rending in a very under-stated, quiet sort of way. It is the tale of two brothers, twins, who spend their whole lives (with some small exceptions) on a remote Welsh hill country farm. It spans the 20th century, though all the turmoil of that century largely bypass the brothers.
They have a harsh father, and a clever and devoted mother who they both adore and it is she who provides the focus in their lives. It follows their late Victorian childhood, schooling, a rare trip to the seaside and an interlude when the First World War nearly destroys everything. Their closeness to each other is damaging at times (for instance neither of them marry) and there are some very touching moments towards the end of the book when they become old and separation is inevitable. If you're looking for action this is not the book for you, but if you want a timeless and beautifully written classic this is it.