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3.14 AVERAGE
3.14 AVERAGE
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
I was extremely disappointed with this book. Having loved Dianne Setterfield's other books I was very excited to get to this one. However, I was extremely bored and couldn't wait for the book to end. Parts of the book were rushed, there was far too much information regarding businesses that just wasn't for me and I still don't fully understand the point of the rooks. Generally disappointed!
Diane Setterfield's debut, The Thirteenth Tale, was one of my favorite reads in the last few years. I recently reread it, in light of the new television movie which aired last year, starring Vanessa Redgrave and Sophie Turner. I snagged Bellman & Black at the library, hoping it would live up to the elegant Gothic style of the first, and I do believe it did.
The book is centered on a man named William Bellman, son of a poor and unloved second son. After his father leaves him and his mother Dora, Bellman begins working at the fabric mill of his uncle, and soon makes himself indispensable to the operation. His work ethic and innovations help the mill to become even more successful than it already does, and it's not long before his uncle begins to think of him as another son. Bellman's good fortune continues as he meets and marries a beautiful and kind woman, Rose, who gives him two daughters and two sons in quick succession.
Bellman's life is darkened, however, by the shadow of a careless and cruel act he performed as a young boy. While with his cousin and friends in a field, he picks up a stone and uses his carefully built sling to fire it at a tree where many rooks come to nest. The stone kills a young rook, and Setterfield implies that that action is at the heart of a ripple effect that eventually brings death and destruction to William's life. After undergoing terrible tragedy, Bellman decides to start a new business with a mysterious man he has seen at too many family funerals. Fittingly, that business is named Bellman & Black, and it is a funeral outfitter, providing all services that may be necessary in the wake of someone's death.
Setterfield spends a great deal of time in the novel talking about Bellman's businesses, the mill and the Bellman & Black, delving into great detail on every aspect. I loved reading these sections, as they were engaging and also informative, Setterfield clearly did her research on Victorian era mills and businesses. At the same time, she inserts small interludes about rooks, who are all descended from Thought and Memory, the companions of Odin. I had never known much about the animals, except that they are supposed to be quite clever, even able to use tools. But Setterfield wrote about them in a way which made them seem dark, mysterious, and brilliant.
This novel has cemented Diane Setterfield in my authors to watch list. When her next novel comes out, I will definitely pick it up as soon as I can.
The book is centered on a man named William Bellman, son of a poor and unloved second son. After his father leaves him and his mother Dora, Bellman begins working at the fabric mill of his uncle, and soon makes himself indispensable to the operation. His work ethic and innovations help the mill to become even more successful than it already does, and it's not long before his uncle begins to think of him as another son. Bellman's good fortune continues as he meets and marries a beautiful and kind woman, Rose, who gives him two daughters and two sons in quick succession.
Bellman's life is darkened, however, by the shadow of a careless and cruel act he performed as a young boy. While with his cousin and friends in a field, he picks up a stone and uses his carefully built sling to fire it at a tree where many rooks come to nest. The stone kills a young rook, and Setterfield implies that that action is at the heart of a ripple effect that eventually brings death and destruction to William's life. After undergoing terrible tragedy, Bellman decides to start a new business with a mysterious man he has seen at too many family funerals. Fittingly, that business is named Bellman & Black, and it is a funeral outfitter, providing all services that may be necessary in the wake of someone's death.
Setterfield spends a great deal of time in the novel talking about Bellman's businesses, the mill and the Bellman & Black, delving into great detail on every aspect. I loved reading these sections, as they were engaging and also informative, Setterfield clearly did her research on Victorian era mills and businesses. At the same time, she inserts small interludes about rooks, who are all descended from Thought and Memory, the companions of Odin. I had never known much about the animals, except that they are supposed to be quite clever, even able to use tools. But Setterfield wrote about them in a way which made them seem dark, mysterious, and brilliant.
This novel has cemented Diane Setterfield in my authors to watch list. When her next novel comes out, I will definitely pick it up as soon as I can.
I got this book at NCTE and thought it would be good for the classroom. Note to all teachers: it's not :P. That being said, this is a great book. I absolutely adore Setterfield's writing style. She's very detail oriented and focuses on the thin threads of the story. By the end, they are all woven together in a way you'd never expect. It's a great read, especially if you're looking for something a little dark.
It is difficult to provide a synopsis for Bellman and Black, but it is basically the story of how a seemingly small action that is done with little thought, can have consequences that follow you for the rest of your life. Now overlay that with a gothic tone and historical feel, and you have Bellman and Black.
I thoroughly enjoyed Diane Setterfield's previous novel, [b:The Thirteenth Tale|40440|The Thirteenth Tale|Diane Setterfield|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1346267826s/40440.jpg|849453], but I feel this one is completely different in pacing and setup. The beginning did not draw me in instantaneously, but by around 15% I was settled into the story. The pacing is slower as Setterfield tells this story in a gentle, gradual way, though I found her prose at times to be rather beautiful and poetic.
There are strings left untied by the end of the story, which isn't a bad thing unless you are one of those readers that requires everything to be tied up neatly in a bow and thoroughly explained. I liked that some things were left to the reader's imagination from which to draw your own conclusions and deductions. Overall, this is a worthwhile read that is beautifully written, but know going in that it is not a "heart thumping" tale and that it is a bit light on the ghost factor. I think the subtitle, "A Ghost Story" may be a bit misleading to readers seeking a different sort of tale.
Favorite Quotation: A great many people, he had noticed, spent large parts of their time worrying about things they were powerless to alter. Had they concentrated all this energy on things they could influence, think how different their lives would be.
An ARC copy was provided in exchange for this honest review via netgalley.
I thoroughly enjoyed Diane Setterfield's previous novel, [b:The Thirteenth Tale|40440|The Thirteenth Tale|Diane Setterfield|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1346267826s/40440.jpg|849453], but I feel this one is completely different in pacing and setup. The beginning did not draw me in instantaneously, but by around 15% I was settled into the story. The pacing is slower as Setterfield tells this story in a gentle, gradual way, though I found her prose at times to be rather beautiful and poetic.
There are strings left untied by the end of the story, which isn't a bad thing unless you are one of those readers that requires everything to be tied up neatly in a bow and thoroughly explained. I liked that some things were left to the reader's imagination from which to draw your own conclusions and deductions. Overall, this is a worthwhile read that is beautifully written, but know going in that it is not a "heart thumping" tale and that it is a bit light on the ghost factor. I think the subtitle, "A Ghost Story" may be a bit misleading to readers seeking a different sort of tale.
Favorite Quotation: A great many people, he had noticed, spent large parts of their time worrying about things they were powerless to alter. Had they concentrated all this energy on things they could influence, think how different their lives would be.
An ARC copy was provided in exchange for this honest review via netgalley.
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
It was an interesting story, but when all was said and done I wasn't really sure what it was supposed to be about.
I enjoyed this in the end even though I am not sure what to do with it. Part ghost story, part allegory, full of atmosphere and strong writing. I guess I just didn’t fully enjoy the story arc, or maybe I just want more.
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I loved the 13th Tale!!! With that said..I listened to Bellman and Black and would like to give it 3.5 stars. The story was creepy and gothic but had too much detail which at times bogged down the movement of the plot. William Bellman does not quite know what he has gotten himself when he kills a rook (raven) as a ten year old boy...it will follow him for the rest of his life.