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sarahbrumf's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
lory_enterenchanted's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
2.5
I found this frankly quite unimpressive. Nice window dressing, but with nothing particular behind it, no psychology, no motivation, no narrative shape. Ho-hum.
rereader33's review against another edition
5.0
2024 February Reading Challenge
Prompt: read a book you know nothing about
This was a haunting, disturbing, yet hard to put down novel. I love horror novels dealing with art (as is evident by my love of "The Picture of Dorian Gray") so when I saw this hidden gem I knew I had to read it. This is a short novel, not even 150 pages, but it is so concisely and efficiently written that I firmly believe it would have been worse had it been longer. Told in multiple stories being told to others, this is a ghost story at heart and written well. The descriptions were haunting without being over-written, the flow was solid and kept me engaged from start to finish, and the characters served their purposes well. The lore was sparse but worked well for the story-telling aesthetic and kept the mystery and tension strong. While I definitely could see where the story was going, it didn't diminish my enjoyment nor lessen the tension I felt as I got to the end.
I had a ton of fun reading this novel and look forward to reading more from this author. This was a short, tensions filled read that showed the horrors of the cyclical nature of revenge.
Prompt: read a book you know nothing about
This was a haunting, disturbing, yet hard to put down novel. I love horror novels dealing with art (as is evident by my love of "The Picture of Dorian Gray") so when I saw this hidden gem I knew I had to read it. This is a short novel, not even 150 pages, but it is so concisely and efficiently written that I firmly believe it would have been worse had it been longer. Told in multiple stories being told to others, this is a ghost story at heart and written well. The descriptions were haunting without being over-written, the flow was solid and kept me engaged from start to finish, and the characters served their purposes well. The lore was sparse but worked well for the story-telling aesthetic and kept the mystery and tension strong. While I definitely could see where the story was going, it didn't diminish my enjoyment nor lessen the tension I felt as I got to the end.
I had a ton of fun reading this novel and look forward to reading more from this author. This was a short, tensions filled read that showed the horrors of the cyclical nature of revenge.
happymealbox's review against another edition
3.0
A classic English ghost story, well-written, and the perfect length to finish in one sitting. Definitely an enjoyable read.
starfleeting's review against another edition
3.0
While the descriptive writing is as lovely as always from Hill, this story feels like a retread of The Woman in Black. Just with a different setting and the richness of Venice thrown in. There's still the same kind of antagonist wrecking havoc and I felt like I knew the ending before I even got there.
Still plan to read some of her other works, though. I just hope they take a different approach or "twists".
Still plan to read some of her other works, though. I just hope they take a different approach or "twists".
asummaryofsorts's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
blaue's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
shalini_gunnasan's review against another edition
3.0
I have a thing for haunted painting stories, due to my favourite childhood horror writer, M.R. James. The Mezzotint had captured my attention thoroughly. When I read the synopsis for this book, I had hoped for a story in a similar vein.
It didn't disappoint in that the haunted painting has a delicious backstory and nicely plotted inexplicable occurrences. That the painting changes is also a staple of haunted painting stories, and it's fun to see what new changes the characters will come across, and what these changes may mean. However, I didn't feel satisfied in how the painting and the real world collided, and the ending was a bit ridiculous.
Pretty good read though.
It didn't disappoint in that the haunted painting has a delicious backstory and nicely plotted inexplicable occurrences. That the painting changes is also a staple of haunted painting stories, and it's fun to see what new changes the characters will come across, and what these changes may mean. However, I didn't feel satisfied in how the painting and the real world collided, and the ending was a bit ridiculous.
Spoiler
But that's probably because I would have burned the damned thing, and I couldn't empathize with the surviving characters who couldn't do it. I mean, seriously, the thing's evil, KILL IT WITH FIRE already.Pretty good read though.