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3.13 AVERAGE
3.13 AVERAGE
This book is part of my 2015 reading challenge
I was curious about Diane Setterfield for a long time and always wanted to read something of hers.
When I saw the cover of Bellman & Black I just had to buy it. This book is about William Bellman, who as a child killed a shiny black rook with a catapult; little did he know that this little mistake would bring on consequences in his adult life. At first his life seems blessed – he has a happy marriage, beautiful children and a successful business. But that doesn’t last forever, one by one people around him die and at each funeral, he see a strange man in black, smiling at him. One night William gets drunk and stumbles to his wife’s fresh grave and there this stranger in black is waiting for him. He has a proposition, a mysterious business called “Bellman & Black”.
Both the cover and the plot were very promising, and I couldn’t wait to start reading it. Unfortunately, it did not follow through. This book is not at all mysterious, interesting or scary. To be honest, this is a very boring book. The characters aren’t vivid and our hero, William is not believable. As a reader you never really get to know the other characters in the book. The writing, however, is great. Setterfield is a good writer, but the story is too boring. Nothing really happens and the mysterious business is really not that mysterious. The only thing I truly got out of this book is a very detailed story about the textile industry and how it works.
I’m really disappointed, but I’m still curious about her other books.
More book reviews here: Elzas book reviews
I was curious about Diane Setterfield for a long time and always wanted to read something of hers.
When I saw the cover of Bellman & Black I just had to buy it. This book is about William Bellman, who as a child killed a shiny black rook with a catapult; little did he know that this little mistake would bring on consequences in his adult life. At first his life seems blessed – he has a happy marriage, beautiful children and a successful business. But that doesn’t last forever, one by one people around him die and at each funeral, he see a strange man in black, smiling at him. One night William gets drunk and stumbles to his wife’s fresh grave and there this stranger in black is waiting for him. He has a proposition, a mysterious business called “Bellman & Black”.
Both the cover and the plot were very promising, and I couldn’t wait to start reading it. Unfortunately, it did not follow through. This book is not at all mysterious, interesting or scary. To be honest, this is a very boring book. The characters aren’t vivid and our hero, William is not believable. As a reader you never really get to know the other characters in the book. The writing, however, is great. Setterfield is a good writer, but the story is too boring. Nothing really happens and the mysterious business is really not that mysterious. The only thing I truly got out of this book is a very detailed story about the textile industry and how it works.
I’m really disappointed, but I’m still curious about her other books.
More book reviews here: Elzas book reviews
A page-turner, for sure, as well as an interesting look at Victorian milling and the creation of a funerary emporium -- I had no idea that such things existed.
This review and others can be found on Cozy Up With A Good Read
This is a story about William Bellman, who at the beginning is just a small boy and we follow him as he grows up and his life changes. William is someone who people see as a hard worker and very smart and he shows that off well, he impresses his superiors at work and eventually he takes the business higher. Throughout his life though, there is a ghost that is following him and yet you are not sure who this person is, he is referred to as Mr. Black.
This Mr. Black gives the entire book a great creepy feel to it, and I loved the mystery around him. William's life changes through many deaths, he loses almost everyone he loves and after an interesting proposition from Mr. Black, William works hard to make this business happen. I love seeing William's determination to make something successful. He works around the clock and is always there to help, his life ends up revolving around his work.
This book really shows how one person can rise through a lot of adversity and really make a name for himself. He comes up with such a smart way to make money, this business "Bellman & Black" is one that is easy to cash in on. It's impressive how hard William works to have everything and in a way he does get everything that matters. Readers get to see William enjoy a successful life though he misses out on a lot because of the time he must put into his work.
The ending really brought things full circle, I will admit I would have liked a little more of this Mr. Black but I think his presence really brought out William's character more. This mysterious Mr. Black made William work harder, I admire William for his work ethic, but he is someone who needs to understand the difference between work and life and not merge the two. He ends up living at work and missing out on his daughter's life, and eventually his work begins to resemble his life.
I really enjoyed the mysterious aspect of this book but I wanted a little more to the creepy and to Mr. Black. Though his presence is always lurking he was just that, a presence. All in all, this was definitely an interesting book and I think in a way William is a brilliant character.
This is a story about William Bellman, who at the beginning is just a small boy and we follow him as he grows up and his life changes. William is someone who people see as a hard worker and very smart and he shows that off well, he impresses his superiors at work and eventually he takes the business higher. Throughout his life though, there is a ghost that is following him and yet you are not sure who this person is, he is referred to as Mr. Black.
This Mr. Black gives the entire book a great creepy feel to it, and I loved the mystery around him. William's life changes through many deaths, he loses almost everyone he loves and after an interesting proposition from Mr. Black, William works hard to make this business happen. I love seeing William's determination to make something successful. He works around the clock and is always there to help, his life ends up revolving around his work.
This book really shows how one person can rise through a lot of adversity and really make a name for himself. He comes up with such a smart way to make money, this business "Bellman & Black" is one that is easy to cash in on. It's impressive how hard William works to have everything and in a way he does get everything that matters. Readers get to see William enjoy a successful life though he misses out on a lot because of the time he must put into his work.
The ending really brought things full circle, I will admit I would have liked a little more of this Mr. Black but I think his presence really brought out William's character more. This mysterious Mr. Black made William work harder, I admire William for his work ethic, but he is someone who needs to understand the difference between work and life and not merge the two. He ends up living at work and missing out on his daughter's life, and eventually his work begins to resemble his life.
I really enjoyed the mysterious aspect of this book but I wanted a little more to the creepy and to Mr. Black. Though his presence is always lurking he was just that, a presence. All in all, this was definitely an interesting book and I think in a way William is a brilliant character.
Reading Setterfield's The Thirteenth Tale (10-12 years ago) reminded me of childhood reading: I couldn't put the book down; spent an entire weekend immersed in the novel's world. I can't remember if that novel was that good, or if my weekend invited being lost in a book. Doesn't matter: it was exactly the book I needed at that exact time. A great reading memory.
This book was meh. Boring through stretches. Emotionally distant throughout.
This book was meh. Boring through stretches. Emotionally distant throughout.
Still as compelling and creepy as the first time I read it, albeit this time I was able to listen to the story as I was falling asleep, which I couldn't do the first time around. (This is my thing about re-reading / listening to books--once you have a good idea of what's coming, you can stop and savor how the writer develops the plot and uses language, which I for one am usually too wrapped up in wanting to know what's next to fully appreciate the first time I read something I love.) I've noticed a lot of reviews complaining that this novel is very different from Setterfield's first--which I agree with, although they're both creepy in their own ways--but I found this one much better.
I thought it would be an interesting and cozy type mystery but I found it kind of boring.
This book had potential and I think it would have been so much better as a short story or even a novella. Perhaps a better description on the back too. The description makes it sound like some supernatural entity is at work with dire consequences; I suppose that is accurate, but if that's what the book is really "about" then it needed to happen way sooner. The downward spiral to madness that was briefly at the end was what I was expecting the actual plot to be about.
Not so gripping as The Thirteenth Tale but glad I got round to it
Összességében azért csalódás volt a regény, mert míg az alapötlet kiváló lett volna, az írónő stílusa pedig továbbra is nagyon hozza a korszakot, addig a megvalósításban valahol valami félrecsúszott. Annyira misztikus lett, hogy képtelen voltam kitalálni a ködből és nem szeretek elveszett olvasó lenni. Márpedig ez a történet valahogy elveszett maradt számomra.
Részletek: http://olvasonaplo.net/olvasonaplo/2013/12/05/diane-setterfield-bellman-black/
Részletek: http://olvasonaplo.net/olvasonaplo/2013/12/05/diane-setterfield-bellman-black/