Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.14 AVERAGE
3.14 AVERAGE
I was so disappointed in this book! So much so that I quit reading it about half way through. It lacks the mastery of storytelling as can be found in her first novel, The Thirteenth Tale. I won't be recommending it.
True confession: I hated The Thirteenth Tale, Diane Setterfield's much acclaimed first novel. I've tried to get through it three different times with long intervals in-between and I just can't do it. I found the characters just too cold and removed and the story too derivative of Jane Eyre; these elements along with the book's glacial pacing left me cold. It was obvious, however, that M. Setterfield is a good writer - her settings in The Thirteenth Tale were wonderful and the bones and structure were there so I was curious about what she'd write next.
Bellman and Black is a much-anticipated sophomore outing for Ms. Setterfield and I loved it. This tale of Memory and Thought and of the consequences of small actions that redound throughout a life, tells the story of William Bellman - who killed a rook in his childhood and was haunted by it to his grave. A truly Victorian magic box written in shades of black and grey, Ms. Setterfield kept me on the edge of my seat and her writing enthralled me.
A long-form exploration of death and its rituals and the industries surrounding it, Ms. Setterfield flawlessly threads rooks, members of my favorite bird family - the corvidae. Rooks and other corvidae (crows, ravens, jays, magpies, et al) have always been seen as psychopomps - messengers that travel seamlessly behind the veil and back (according to Jung, between the conscious and unconscious minds). They bring news, most often of change. Corvids are bright, inquisitive, and sly and deceptive when it comes to survival. They bring mischief, make unseen forces visible, and strengthen spirituality. They are amazing and beautiful birds some of whom feature in Native American tales, Raven especially, as tricksters and the creators of the earth. The necessity of rooks to what might have been an ordinary story makes Bellman and Black something special.
The pace of Bellman and Black is slow and easy filled with mounting suspense and this works within the tale - highly detailed and fascinating, this is one of the best books I've read all year. Must read.
Bellman and Black is a much-anticipated sophomore outing for Ms. Setterfield and I loved it. This tale of Memory and Thought and of the consequences of small actions that redound throughout a life, tells the story of William Bellman - who killed a rook in his childhood and was haunted by it to his grave. A truly Victorian magic box written in shades of black and grey, Ms. Setterfield kept me on the edge of my seat and her writing enthralled me.
A long-form exploration of death and its rituals and the industries surrounding it, Ms. Setterfield flawlessly threads rooks, members of my favorite bird family - the corvidae. Rooks and other corvidae (crows, ravens, jays, magpies, et al) have always been seen as psychopomps - messengers that travel seamlessly behind the veil and back (according to Jung, between the conscious and unconscious minds). They bring news, most often of change. Corvids are bright, inquisitive, and sly and deceptive when it comes to survival. They bring mischief, make unseen forces visible, and strengthen spirituality. They are amazing and beautiful birds some of whom feature in Native American tales, Raven especially, as tricksters and the creators of the earth. The necessity of rooks to what might have been an ordinary story makes Bellman and Black something special.
The pace of Bellman and Black is slow and easy filled with mounting suspense and this works within the tale - highly detailed and fascinating, this is one of the best books I've read all year. Must read.
As a child William Bellman was someone who's neighbours thought could go good or bad. As an adult he seems well adjusted, with a happy marriage, a brood of strong children and a successful business. As his life progresses though things take a turn for the worst, and one by one those around him begin to die. At each funeral he sees the man in black, smiling at him. At first the deaths are distant relatives, but eventually his wife and children pass, all except for his eldest daughter Dora. After his wife's funeral, Bellman is wrought with grief, and finally meets the man in black properly. Surprisingly the man in black has a business propositin for him - a mysterious business called Bellman and Black.
Oh where to start with this one. I've read a couple by Diane Setterfield now so had high hopes, the other books I've read of hers have blown me away with her story-telling abilities. This one definitely shows some of that same writing style, but I struggled with the plot, and ultimately it ended up being a disappointment.
I loved the first part of the book, I found Bellman fascinating and was eager to see how he developed. I hadn't taken much notice of the blurb or cover hooks so didn't really have a pre-concieved idea of where the story was going. By about a third of the way through though I decided to investage the description more as I was starting to wonder where the book was going. By the middle Setterfield had lost me, and didn't ever really get me back.
I think the underlying tale here is meant to be one of consequences, but I didn't think it was tied together very well. We have a man experiencing devastating, all encompassing grief, almost to the point of madness. We also have various interludes relating to rooks (which loosely tie in to something William did as a child). There is never really an explicit link between the two, it's left to the reader to assume. I think the rooks could hae played a larger part in the tale and made things creepier or more sinister.
I've noted that the Goodreads summary calls this a ghost story (it definitely isn't), and mentions the tension ratcheting up. I didn't get that feeling at all, perhaps because I had lost interest part way through. I kept reading in the hope that she would bring me back, but unfortunately it didn't happen and I was glad when I finally finished the read.
Not for me, but I will still be looking out for Setterfield's next book.
Oh where to start with this one. I've read a couple by Diane Setterfield now so had high hopes, the other books I've read of hers have blown me away with her story-telling abilities. This one definitely shows some of that same writing style, but I struggled with the plot, and ultimately it ended up being a disappointment.
I loved the first part of the book, I found Bellman fascinating and was eager to see how he developed. I hadn't taken much notice of the blurb or cover hooks so didn't really have a pre-concieved idea of where the story was going. By about a third of the way through though I decided to investage the description more as I was starting to wonder where the book was going. By the middle Setterfield had lost me, and didn't ever really get me back.
I think the underlying tale here is meant to be one of consequences, but I didn't think it was tied together very well. We have a man experiencing devastating, all encompassing grief, almost to the point of madness. We also have various interludes relating to rooks (which loosely tie in to something William did as a child). There is never really an explicit link between the two, it's left to the reader to assume. I think the rooks could hae played a larger part in the tale and made things creepier or more sinister.
I've noted that the Goodreads summary calls this a ghost story (it definitely isn't), and mentions the tension ratcheting up. I didn't get that feeling at all, perhaps because I had lost interest part way through. I kept reading in the hope that she would bring me back, but unfortunately it didn't happen and I was glad when I finally finished the read.
Not for me, but I will still be looking out for Setterfield's next book.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is bad. Not the writing, the writing is very good, but the story. It goes no where. I mean we learn about Will and his life but it's just blah! I'm giving up on page 169, which is hard for me to do considering I'm a diehard start it finish it kind of gal, but life's to short to read something this bland.
I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley to review.
I had extremely high expectations for this book. The Thirteenth Tale is one of my favorite books. I recommend it to everyone I can think of at the library. I read it seven years ago and it still haunts me. When I read other books I think of things brought up in the book about how writers write. It literally changed how I think about books.
Bellman and Black did little except teach me about mills and rooks. If it had been advertised as such that would've been okay. It's not though. It's supposed to be a ghost story. The book does have some creepy, Gothic undertones during parts of the story. The problem is that most of the book is not about the ghost at all. It's about the protagonist and his mill. And his hatred of rooks. All of the details about running the mill and Bellman & Black were wonderfully done. The research and the way that Setterfield put everything together was fantastic. There needed to be more urgency with the ghost. He's playing the long game and so was Setterfield with the suspense.
I think that the book is worth recommending to people, but I won't mention that it's labelled as a ghost story.
I had extremely high expectations for this book. The Thirteenth Tale is one of my favorite books. I recommend it to everyone I can think of at the library. I read it seven years ago and it still haunts me. When I read other books I think of things brought up in the book about how writers write. It literally changed how I think about books.
Bellman and Black did little except teach me about mills and rooks. If it had been advertised as such that would've been okay. It's not though. It's supposed to be a ghost story. The book does have some creepy, Gothic undertones during parts of the story. The problem is that most of the book is not about the ghost at all. It's about the protagonist and his mill. And his hatred of rooks. All of the details about running the mill and Bellman & Black were wonderfully done. The research and the way that Setterfield put everything together was fantastic. There needed to be more urgency with the ghost. He's playing the long game and so was Setterfield with the suspense.
I think that the book is worth recommending to people, but I won't mention that it's labelled as a ghost story.
A story that unfortunately wasn’t for me. It failed to keep me focused on the story as I found my thoughts constantly drifting away and I just wished it would end because it was really boring. There was some deep and poetic elements woven into the story that I really appreciated and would have loved to delve deeper into. The writing was very good and professional, but at the same time it was very stiff and felt more like a historical overview of the main characters entrepreneurship than his way of dealing with his traumas and hardships. I felt as if I was reading someones genealogy of their great grandfather; it felt distant and uninteresting.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Read this book if you want to feel constant foreboding and despair. May the rooks forever haunt you.
dark
mysterious
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:
No