Reviews

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

mainereading's review

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4.0

I loved this novella and read it in two days. Honestly, I could have read it in one because of how good the book is, but I had to work. It was so creepy and chilling but also really sad at times and so atmospheric. I felt like I was there with the main character and I could see and feel everything he was describing. Definitely a must read for any fans of spooky ghost stories!

kbidd505's review

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4.0

absolutely do not read this at night

lewis666's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Since I am going to be seeing the stage play this Saturday, I challenged myself to speed-read the original book and then the movies just for a fun comparison game. I can honestly say while Susan Hill's The Woman in Black isn't a story most will immediately gravitate towards, I personally just somehow completely fell in love with it. 

The dark, gloomy, misty and eerie atmosphere, the old British setting, our Arthur heading on a work trip to an unknowing hell, Spider the dog šŸ˜­ā¤ļø And, The Woman in Black herself. It's so well-written and I completely immersed myself in the story and classic haunting the book was giving off. I'm the first to throw any criticism on clichĆ©'s etc, but it's so beautifully written I couldn't help but cast whatever miniscule doubt I had out the window and focused on the here and now. 

The scares aren't frequent, but whenever The Woman in Black appears, God it is tense and filled with atmosphere and my goosebumps grew ever more intense! A really affective horror I relished in. Sometimes no matter the story, you just connect with something. The Woman in Black for me is that. I couldn't put it down and I absolutely fell in love with it. The ending is soul crushing, but that's what I love about it. Sometimes there is no happy ending. And The Woman in Black's rageful vengeance will know no end! šŸ–¤

libraryoftori's review

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dark tense

3.0

wendy_bookworm's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

alyssalillian's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad

4.25

stuffhanreads's review

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5.0

5 stars for The Woman in Black by Susan Hill! First off Iā€™d like to point out that I have read a significant amount of this book before, as a child in school we read a segment for a literature exam. I didnā€™t find it very enjoyable back then, more boring really. I think as an adult Iā€™ve come to enjoy the classics a lot more than I ever couldā€™ve as a child.

Itā€™s definitely very classical, a ghost story more than anything else. I wouldnā€™t call it particularly scary, more it gives a feeling of unease. Specifically the Nursery chapter, that was very uneasy. I was glad about the pace of the story. It wasnā€™t too slow or too fast, just right. I found the woman in blackā€™s story to be a tale of revenge and grief. You feel bad for her, but also unforgiving.

I have never enjoyed a classic as much as I enjoyed The Woman in Black. If Iā€™m being honest I think itā€™s due to my newfound interest in all things horror.

ghostblush's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad medium-paced

4.5

bibliophile27's review

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2.0

2.5 stars
I had to read this for school and I really donā€™t like the horror / thriller genre in books or films . I donā€™t find it enjoyable to be scared although this didnā€™t really scare me itā€™s just a bit creepy and boring at times . Bland narrator aswell.

chigby22's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad medium-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

4.0