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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
Oh my this book scared the heck out of me! My heart is still racing ... !
A damn fine gothic horror story. It's so nice to just read a classic, traditional haunted house story where everything looms ominously without any attempts at reinventing the genre. Like just eating a really well made normal hamburger with no gimmicks.
I want to especially praise Susan Hill for how well she is able to describe places, feeling and moods. From her description of the choking anxiety of smoggy late 19th century London to the quiet beauty of the desolate marshes, to the creeping sensation of horror our narrator feels as things start to go very wrong indeed.
Despite being as classical as a gothic horror story can be, The Woman in Black is frequently very offsetting and occasionally terrifying. The book doesn't lay it on too thick (until the final act, which does overstep a bit) but leaves plenty to the reader's imagination.
I listened to the Audible version of the book, which is almost a one person radio play. Paapa Essiedu is a wonderful narrator, and the minimalist background music and sound effects do a great job of heightening the immersion of the experience. The sound mixing is also wonderful, and a couple of times sounds in the book startled me because they sounded like they were coming from right beside or behind me. Definitely a great way to experience the story.
I want to especially praise Susan Hill for how well she is able to describe places, feeling and moods. From her description of the choking anxiety of smoggy late 19th century London to the quiet beauty of the desolate marshes, to the creeping sensation of horror our narrator feels as things start to go very wrong indeed.
Despite being as classical as a gothic horror story can be, The Woman in Black is frequently very offsetting and occasionally terrifying. The book doesn't lay it on too thick (until the final act, which does overstep a bit) but leaves plenty to the reader's imagination.
I listened to the Audible version of the book, which is almost a one person radio play. Paapa Essiedu is a wonderful narrator, and the minimalist background music and sound effects do a great job of heightening the immersion of the experience. The sound mixing is also wonderful, and a couple of times sounds in the book startled me because they sounded like they were coming from right beside or behind me. Definitely a great way to experience the story.
I remember seeing this is the cinema when it came out but I had no memory of what happens before reading this. I actually really enjoyed it and was able to get absorbed into the story straight away.
emotional
sad
slow-paced
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Pues... la verdad es que me ha parecido bastante flojo. Tenía muchas ganas de leerlo y aunque tardaba en arrancar pensé que merecería la pena. Tenía todos los ingredientes: la mansión aislada, el fantasma misterioso... y los ha desperdiciado totalmente. Se podía haber sacado mucho más partido a esa misma historia incluso con el mismo final, pero bajo mi punto de vista la han ventilado deprisa y corriendo. Menos mal que no tiene muchas páginas (igual ese es uno de sus problemas) porque me he quedado con la sensación de haber perdido el tiempo.
The story is perfect for what it is, every part building onto the atmosphere and leaving that unsettling feeling on you, as though you might look up and see exactly what you hope will not be there. It’s never outright horror. No gore and outright disturbing imagery, but it all happens in passing. So quick that I would wrinkle my nose in thought as I imagined I could find myself where Kipps stood. Was that noise all in my head, or was there something just outside my door? If I glanced up from the pages, would I took catch that rare glimpse of the titular Woman in Black?
It’s a hard feeling to shake.
The ending settled the deal for me, with Kipps experiencing the tragic loss of his wife and child - the final act of our villain. There’s no rhyme or reason to it - revenge against a lack of wrongdoing. Revenge against pain, perhaps, and Kipps was her unwitting target. It’s tragic and even knowing he comes out the other side not consumed by her last actions, we’re left with the painful reminder that to heal does not mean the scars leave us.
There’s more questions here than answers, but I can’t imagine the book had the goal to leave us with much else. This is not just a ghost story: it’s about loss, misguided anger, and sorrow. Fitting and yet it gives us the reminder that we can go on.
Perhaps be carful when you look into the dark tonight - you might not like what you find staring back.
I'm not sure how I haven't read this before, but I'm glad I finally have! This was truly creepy - and I had a hard time remembering that this was written in the modern age. She does a great job getting a very Gothic feel - it's very subtle and sneaks up on you and grabs you by the throat! Very well done.
Read it, whoever you are - it's very short and well worth it!
Read it, whoever you are - it's very short and well worth it!
So.Many.Words. I skimmed through at least the first 20 pages, waiting for something interesting to happen. Laden with description, it eventually got to the point and I mostly read the rest of the book without skimming much. This really would have been much better as a short story. I could sum up the book in four sentences: