Reviews

Stummes Echo by Susan Hill

daja123's review

challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent

Moderate: Child abuse

obscuredbyclouds's review against another edition

3.0

The writing style is beautiful and it's a short, very readable book. But the story and the characters just left me cold.

autumn_dagaz's review against another edition

dark emotional slow-paced

2.75

avrilhj's review against another edition

4.0

Those who like closure in their stories will find this novella intensely irritating. Those who read for atmosphere and character will find it impossible to put down. I wonder whether Hill had any particular ‘misery memoirs’ in mind when she wrote about Frank Prime’s ‘The Cupboard Under the Stairs’.

bingsdings's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

lydiavsbooks's review against another edition

reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

5.0

My first non-horror Susan Hill, so I didn't really know what to expect but wow. I usually associate her writing with perfect spooky gloomy atmosphere, but her writing outside of a spooky setting was no less impressive or impactful.

The Beacon is a very quiet intimate story of a family dealing with the death of their mother. Nothing really happens, its just a beautiful in depth reflection of each of the siblings and their relationships to each other while looking at the ideas of loss, freedom and truth in a very gentle way. 

I loved May, I loved Berenice, and I loved getting to know each of the characters complexities in such a gentle way.

There is no conclusive answer, the ending is a little ambiguous in a way I think perfectly leaves you to ponder on how accurate memory and perception really are.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, and Child abuse

canadianbookworm's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

4.0

https://cdnbookworm.blogspot.com/2022/04/the-beacon.html

rebeccagee's review against another edition

4.0

This was definitely a little different to anything I've ever read, and an interesting concept. The whole book was well put together and a very enjoyable read that has stayed with me afterwards.

debumere's review against another edition

4.0

Eek! Susan Hill sure knows how to surprise the living daylights out of you.

Regular family until one throws a spanner in the works and causes a bit of an upset that will affect them for the rest of their lives. No-one or so you think until the end!

Susan Hill never fails to make me go 'Brilliant!'

abbyjoyw's review against another edition

mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death

Minor: Child abuse