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3.14 AVERAGE
3.14 AVERAGE
I am not sure of what to do with this book. It took me forever to reach the halfway mark. Then I decided to buckle down and finish it (and did so in 2 1/2 days). Setterfield kept me reading--though I don't know why. There weren't any hooks or cliffhangers. AAAAAAAAAHHHHHGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG. I want to say great things about it because I see what Setterfield is trying to do here, and it is haunting in a way, but this book lacked emotional connection, much suspense, and a whole lot of satisfaction.
The novel leaves me with a sense of melancholy. It also left me with a feeling that I had missed something. An author of Setterfield's gifts had to deliver more than I was taking away from this. One reviewer had commented on a "vicious twist" at the end, but I wasn't getting that. Upon reading a review from Christine Cavalier ( http://www.purplecar.net/2013/11/review-bellman-black/ ), I saw part of my mistake. The problem is that it would seem that Diane Setterfield is to blame for me (and many others) missing the point because she goes to great lengths to emphasize everything else. Ms. Cavalier's take on the novel makes perfect sense, but upon rereading earlier chapters I realize that the novel is not constructed to point to these conclusions. If Setterfield is trying to make this point (and I'm not going to spell it out for you or go to the work of hiding spoilers) then she should have edited things to make these conclusions more obvious.
Several reviewers have commented on how distant the characters are. This was a problem for me too. The main character is William Bellman and I had a really hard time caring all that much about him. I think Setterfield would have done us all a favor if she would have taken some time at the beginning of the book and made us connect with him emotionally.
Honestly, this book feels like a really well written rough sketch. But...that's kind of the point.
My advice to readers is to read the first 26 pages twice to get them firmly in mind before continuing with the rest of the book. Perhaps, then, it would make for a stronger ending. I don't know. This book has an interesting concept, but I'm not sure Setterfield quite pulled it off.
The novel leaves me with a sense of melancholy. It also left me with a feeling that I had missed something. An author of Setterfield's gifts had to deliver more than I was taking away from this. One reviewer had commented on a "vicious twist" at the end, but I wasn't getting that. Upon reading a review from Christine Cavalier ( http://www.purplecar.net/2013/11/review-bellman-black/ ), I saw part of my mistake. The problem is that it would seem that Diane Setterfield is to blame for me (and many others) missing the point because she goes to great lengths to emphasize everything else. Ms. Cavalier's take on the novel makes perfect sense, but upon rereading earlier chapters I realize that the novel is not constructed to point to these conclusions. If Setterfield is trying to make this point (and I'm not going to spell it out for you or go to the work of hiding spoilers) then she should have edited things to make these conclusions more obvious.
Several reviewers have commented on how distant the characters are. This was a problem for me too. The main character is William Bellman and I had a really hard time caring all that much about him. I think Setterfield would have done us all a favor if she would have taken some time at the beginning of the book and made us connect with him emotionally.
Honestly, this book feels like a really well written rough sketch. But...that's kind of the point.
My advice to readers is to read the first 26 pages twice to get them firmly in mind before continuing with the rest of the book. Perhaps, then, it would make for a stronger ending. I don't know. This book has an interesting concept, but I'm not sure Setterfield quite pulled it off.
More reviews at Book Lust.
Seven years after the publication of The Thirteenth Tale, Diane Setterfield has at last put out a second book, again dark and engrossing.
At the turn of the 19th century, William Bellman is seemingly just another ordinary boy. However, one afternoon he astounds himself and his friends by using a slingshot to kill a rook from what seemed an impossible distance. William’s friends praise him as some kind of a hero for his achievement, though he is secretly deeply disturbed and immediately sets to suppressing the memory. But though William may not remember the rook, the rooks themselves remember his crime.
Throughout William’s remaining life he is met with great success and devastating loss. In his darkest hours he is haunted by the mysterious stranger, Black. Who is he, and how is he tied to William’s fate?
I received an advance review copy of this book on Thursday and had finished it by Friday night. It was difficult to put down for long, being enthralling and dark in the way that I most enjoy. What’s more, it’s an original story, one that is refreshing to read. My only criticism is that I don’t think it matches up to The Thirteenth Tale. I didn’t come away from it as impressed as I was by Setterfield’s first book. Regardless, I think it’s worth picking up or renting from the library. In any case, the cover art is just beautiful!
Seven years after the publication of The Thirteenth Tale, Diane Setterfield has at last put out a second book, again dark and engrossing.
At the turn of the 19th century, William Bellman is seemingly just another ordinary boy. However, one afternoon he astounds himself and his friends by using a slingshot to kill a rook from what seemed an impossible distance. William’s friends praise him as some kind of a hero for his achievement, though he is secretly deeply disturbed and immediately sets to suppressing the memory. But though William may not remember the rook, the rooks themselves remember his crime.
Throughout William’s remaining life he is met with great success and devastating loss. In his darkest hours he is haunted by the mysterious stranger, Black. Who is he, and how is he tied to William’s fate?
I received an advance review copy of this book on Thursday and had finished it by Friday night. It was difficult to put down for long, being enthralling and dark in the way that I most enjoy. What’s more, it’s an original story, one that is refreshing to read. My only criticism is that I don’t think it matches up to The Thirteenth Tale. I didn’t come away from it as impressed as I was by Setterfield’s first book. Regardless, I think it’s worth picking up or renting from the library. In any case, the cover art is just beautiful!
I very much liked the Thirteenth Tale - the Setterfield I had read before this book. Bellman & Black, however, is too creepy for my tastes. It's not creepy all at once, but in a slow-building way that is more as you get deeper into the book.
I think it would be very enjoyable for those who like this kind of story, but for me it was too much.
I think it would be very enjoyable for those who like this kind of story, but for me it was too much.
Plot follows William Black from young boy to old man. With a sling shot he kills a rook from a far distance and becomes legendary among his childhood friends. Setterfield intertwines introductory information about rooks periodically, providing foreshadowing, and intertwines rooks throughout the plot, providing symbolism. Black is the "rook" part of Blackman's life. Gothic and epic feel. Dark.
Part one was well-written, part two was compelling, and part three was poetic. Bellman & Black captured my attention for the entire story, as I followed William Bellman's journey through a whole lot of tragic and seemingly fortuitous life events. Not as good as Setterfield's magnificent The Thirteenth Tale, but stull spell-binding, unusual, creepy, and well-written. 3.8 stars.
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A fascinating tale of a man and rooks. It felt like there was something deeper to the story, but I've yet to work it out. There was a lot of mundanity, but it kind of worked in the story.
Bellman and Black follows the story of William Bellman, whose life and rise in society is an interesting tale. By all accounts I should have really enjoyed this novel, it has all of the elements that I enjoy in a historical fiction: family drama, main character working his way in and up a family that rejected him, a touch of strange, almost Gothic atmosphere.
Instead, I found myself trudging through the novel. It wasn’t quite what I expected it to be compared to the premise provided: the novel focused a lot on William’s backstory and family affairs and everyday business dealings. I don’t mind backstory as it gives the reader a sense of who the character is but 30% into the novel, I found myself wondering when Mr. Black and the “macabre” side of the story would start. And when the macabre/Gothic elements did kick in, it felt rather mute compared to the rest of the story.
Bellman and Black I think would make a visually interesting movie but as a novel, it felt like a miss to me: something was missing to make it really interesting for me (especially compared to her first novel, which I loved). Maybe my expectations were too high but the novel lost my attention somewhere halfway.
You can read this review in its entirety over at caffeinatedlife.net: http://www.caffeinatedlife.net/blog/2013/10/14/review-bellman-and-black/
Instead, I found myself trudging through the novel. It wasn’t quite what I expected it to be compared to the premise provided: the novel focused a lot on William’s backstory and family affairs and everyday business dealings. I don’t mind backstory as it gives the reader a sense of who the character is but 30% into the novel, I found myself wondering when Mr. Black and the “macabre” side of the story would start. And when the macabre/Gothic elements did kick in, it felt rather mute compared to the rest of the story.
Bellman and Black I think would make a visually interesting movie but as a novel, it felt like a miss to me: something was missing to make it really interesting for me (especially compared to her first novel, which I loved). Maybe my expectations were too high but the novel lost my attention somewhere halfway.
You can read this review in its entirety over at caffeinatedlife.net: http://www.caffeinatedlife.net/blog/2013/10/14/review-bellman-and-black/
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated