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3.14 AVERAGE
3.14 AVERAGE
That isn't a *bad* two stars, it's just a "meh" two stars. This book was so, so dark. Every part of it was about death, from prologue to epilogue. I need more fingers and toes than I have to add up the number of characters who died, and there was something strange and unsettling about the lightness with which all that death was handled. Ultimately, my "meh" comes not from that, but from the fact that I never really understood what message this story was trying to convey. What was the relationship between Bellman and Black? Did Black have an active role in any of it, or was he somehow a manifestation of Bellman's subconscious? Eh...
I really enjoyed the trip, although it seemed a bit anti climatic at the end. The prose was very lyrical, and maintained a good pace throughout, but it just wasn't an exciting story. Intriguing, you keep reading to find out what's going on, but all in all, its a story of life and death.
Those readers hoping for a reprise of Setterfield's debut novel "The Thirteenth Tale" would do well to recalibrate their expectations before proceeding. "Bellman & Black" is not "The Thirteenth Tale". That bears repeating, "Bellman & Black" is not "The Thirteenth Tale".
So, how unlike are they? To answer that question, Audrey Niffenegger's first novels provide (at least to this reader) a near perfect analogy; "Bellman & Black" is not the "The Thirteenth Tale" in almost exactly the same way "Her Fearful Symmetry" was not "The Time Traveler's Wife". Granted you'll recognize the voice of the author and certain stylistic flourishes, but structurally, thematically, and categorically, B&B and TTT are birds of a very different feather and cut from very different cloth (Sorry. I couldn't resist).
Further, and on the subject of "what it's not", I'm not sure "Bellman & Black" is even a ghost story. I know that's how it's being sold, but let's remember the first rule of branding: your brand isn't what you say it is, it's what others say it is. If that is indeed the case, Goodreaders and Amazon customers alike are in agreement that this particular ghost story is not particularly ghosty.
So what is "Bellman & Black"? On the surface, it's the story of William Bellman, a Victorian era entrepreneur whose success in business belies a nagging unease that flirts at the periphery of all his endeavors. This unease appears most often in the form of a unidentified man who shows up at the most inopportune moments. So it's that, but it's also a lot of other things.
"Bellman & Black" is a meditation on time; how we account for it and how we spend it. It's an exploration of mortality, of facing (or not facing) death; the death of others and more importantly our own. It's a little Faust, a little Tell-Tale Heart, and perhaps a little Dorian Grey. Ultmately "Bellman & Black" is many things; a morality play, an historical novel, a supernatural tale and an epic prose poem all at once. Does that last point sound like a stretch? Trust me, it's not. The writing here is so lyrical, so inventive, so rich with imagery that the form often overshadows the content. Put another way, if the strength of "The Thirteenth Tale" was Diane Setterfield's storytelling, the strength of "Bellman & Black" may be Setterfield's writing.
"Bellman & Black" demands a lot of readers. Those who are comfortable with ambiguity, with filling in blanks, with negotiating all manner of greys will be content in its hazy embrace. Those hoping for a more straightforward tale of hauntings and spirit worlds should probably look elsewhere.
So, how unlike are they? To answer that question, Audrey Niffenegger's first novels provide (at least to this reader) a near perfect analogy; "Bellman & Black" is not the "The Thirteenth Tale" in almost exactly the same way "Her Fearful Symmetry" was not "The Time Traveler's Wife". Granted you'll recognize the voice of the author and certain stylistic flourishes, but structurally, thematically, and categorically, B&B and TTT are birds of a very different feather and cut from very different cloth (Sorry. I couldn't resist).
Further, and on the subject of "what it's not", I'm not sure "Bellman & Black" is even a ghost story. I know that's how it's being sold, but let's remember the first rule of branding: your brand isn't what you say it is, it's what others say it is. If that is indeed the case, Goodreaders and Amazon customers alike are in agreement that this particular ghost story is not particularly ghosty.
So what is "Bellman & Black"? On the surface, it's the story of William Bellman, a Victorian era entrepreneur whose success in business belies a nagging unease that flirts at the periphery of all his endeavors. This unease appears most often in the form of a unidentified man who shows up at the most inopportune moments. So it's that, but it's also a lot of other things.
"Bellman & Black" is a meditation on time; how we account for it and how we spend it. It's an exploration of mortality, of facing (or not facing) death; the death of others and more importantly our own. It's a little Faust, a little Tell-Tale Heart, and perhaps a little Dorian Grey. Ultmately "Bellman & Black" is many things; a morality play, an historical novel, a supernatural tale and an epic prose poem all at once. Does that last point sound like a stretch? Trust me, it's not. The writing here is so lyrical, so inventive, so rich with imagery that the form often overshadows the content. Put another way, if the strength of "The Thirteenth Tale" was Diane Setterfield's storytelling, the strength of "Bellman & Black" may be Setterfield's writing.
"Bellman & Black" demands a lot of readers. Those who are comfortable with ambiguity, with filling in blanks, with negotiating all manner of greys will be content in its hazy embrace. Those hoping for a more straightforward tale of hauntings and spirit worlds should probably look elsewhere.
dark
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Oh, Diane. Why?
The beginning of the book was good, but then it totally lost me. Pretty much nothing interesting happened. There was no attempt to engage the reader or make them care about the characters. What was the point of the book?! To make us care about rooks?!? What a waste of time!
Really really great. So thought-provoking and unique. I have not read anything like it before. After reading, you will never look at a rook or crow or the color black the same way again. So worth it.
Imagine a less talented Edgar Allen Poe writing his interpretation of the story of Job.
It is rather difficult to write a review for this book for some reason, because not much really happened.
That is not to say that it was a dull book, but the story progresses very slowly. The book begins with a young William Bellman, and slowly takes the reader through his life: from the start of the story where he kills a rook, through his advancement at the mill, through all the deaths and hardships of his life and on to the opening of his mourning emporium, Bellman & Black. And throughout his life, a mysterious figure, dressed all in black.
Although the book is snail-paced, it works very well for showing William’s character and nature: inquisitive and curious, hard-working and dedicated. The reader also gets a feel for how William’s life feels, with the people he loves dying all around him, whilst he still fights on. What’s most interesting is that, despite the book feeling this way, it skips over big chunks of time – one minute William is just a young boy, the next he is nearly twenty years old, then suddenly in his thirties.
The chapters are interspersed with facts about rooks, occasionally hinting at how rooks never forget, creating an eerie tone that looms over William throughout the course of the book. However, this is pretty much as eerie as it gets. There are no big shocks, no horrific moments, even the mysterious Mr. Black isn’t that creepy. For something labelled as a ghost story, it sure doesn’t feel like one.
I wasn’t very satisfied by the ending. I was expecting some sort of big surprise or revelation, some explanation for the previous events: but nothing. However, despite the slow pace of the book, and not much happening, it is when Bellman finally opens his ‘mourning emporium’ that things get much more interesting. I loved the description of the building and all the items within – who knew there could be so many shades of black?!
I also spent the majority of the book working out where it was supposed to be set. It kept mentioning Stroud in the chapters about the wool mill, which is the town where I went to school and used to play a big part in the wool industry, so I assume it is based in Gloucestershire. It also mentions Bristol and Oxford, which widens the area but I’ve just come to the conclusion that it’s set in the south-west of England somewhere!
Overall, definitely an interesting story and concept, although with some rather dull moments – however these aren’t too common – though I would have liked more of a resolution.
I received a copy of this book for free from Goodreads' First Reads program. This review was originally posted on my former blog, Rinn Reads.
That is not to say that it was a dull book, but the story progresses very slowly. The book begins with a young William Bellman, and slowly takes the reader through his life: from the start of the story where he kills a rook, through his advancement at the mill, through all the deaths and hardships of his life and on to the opening of his mourning emporium, Bellman & Black. And throughout his life, a mysterious figure, dressed all in black.
Although the book is snail-paced, it works very well for showing William’s character and nature: inquisitive and curious, hard-working and dedicated. The reader also gets a feel for how William’s life feels, with the people he loves dying all around him, whilst he still fights on. What’s most interesting is that, despite the book feeling this way, it skips over big chunks of time – one minute William is just a young boy, the next he is nearly twenty years old, then suddenly in his thirties.
The chapters are interspersed with facts about rooks, occasionally hinting at how rooks never forget, creating an eerie tone that looms over William throughout the course of the book. However, this is pretty much as eerie as it gets. There are no big shocks, no horrific moments, even the mysterious Mr. Black isn’t that creepy. For something labelled as a ghost story, it sure doesn’t feel like one.
I wasn’t very satisfied by the ending. I was expecting some sort of big surprise or revelation, some explanation for the previous events: but nothing. However, despite the slow pace of the book, and not much happening, it is when Bellman finally opens his ‘mourning emporium’ that things get much more interesting. I loved the description of the building and all the items within – who knew there could be so many shades of black?!
I also spent the majority of the book working out where it was supposed to be set. It kept mentioning Stroud in the chapters about the wool mill, which is the town where I went to school and used to play a big part in the wool industry, so I assume it is based in Gloucestershire. It also mentions Bristol and Oxford, which widens the area but I’ve just come to the conclusion that it’s set in the south-west of England somewhere!
Overall, definitely an interesting story and concept, although with some rather dull moments – however these aren’t too common – though I would have liked more of a resolution.
I received a copy of this book for free from Goodreads' First Reads program. This review was originally posted on my former blog, Rinn Reads.