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3.14 AVERAGE
3.14 AVERAGE
Disappointing when read directly after the authors other book, but if taken alone would be an interesting tale of subtle revenge.
What? What happened in this book? What did I do with my time over the past few days? I was so excited to hear that Setterfield was coming out with a new book because I loved The Thirteenth Tale! But the more I think about it, the more I am disappointed.
The cover of this book is beautiful and lends a certain mystery. The writing is well-done and I enjoyed the sections on the rooks. Reading the prologue got me excited but by the end of the book, it had fizzled. But what was the story about? What was Black? A ghost? The rook come back to haunt him all of his days? I guess I was hoping for more! More action! More suspense! More mystery! But at the end of the book, I was left asking, "What did I read?"
The cover of this book is beautiful and lends a certain mystery. The writing is well-done and I enjoyed the sections on the rooks. Reading the prologue got me excited but by the end of the book, it had fizzled. But what was the story about? What was Black? A ghost? The rook come back to haunt him all of his days? I guess I was hoping for more! More action! More suspense! More mystery! But at the end of the book, I was left asking, "What did I read?"
A clamour of rooks. An unkindness of ravens. A parliament of rooks. The sections on the Rooks were wonderful! I really enjoyed this book as it was well written and the story gradually hooked you in. It is more of a ghost story along the lines of a subtle Jacob Marley - no rattling chains - yet there is a presence. Black that is suddenly not black but iridescent.
http://theprettygoodgatsby.wordpress.com/2013/11/05/bellman-and-black-by-diane-setterfield-giveaway/ You can enter to win a copy on my blog! Giveaway ends November 9.
Bellman and Black is that rare kind of novel that enchants and haunts and refuses to relinquish its hold on the reader - even well after the book is over. This was my introduction to Ms. Setterfield's work but let me say, if The Thirteenth Tale is anywhere near as amazing as this book, I'll be picking up a copy ASAP.
When Will Bellman was a boy he killed a rook. He didn't actually think he could hit it from where he stood, but he wanted to prove himself to the group of boys he played with and boasted that with his slingshot and the perfect stone he could hit anything. When the rook fell William Bellman became something of a legend to those boys and his life was never the same.
As he grew he came to inherit Bellman Mill and it was clear to everyone Will had the touch. Even at 19 he was an incredible businessman, fully able to predict and chart and know what to do and when to do it. The mill quickly expanded and grew and soon Will held quite a pretty penny. When he came to the age where it was expected he start a family, Will married a sweet girl and together they raised four children. All the while, the rooks were ever present.
With the arrival of a deadly illness, Will sought the aid of the only man who could help him and a bargain was struck. The sole survivor of the sickness, Will's eldest daughter, miraculously pulled through and Will's newly launched business made him a very rich man. Just as it always had, things seemed to mold themselves to Will's wishes. Time fixed itself in a way to where he could always get through whatever paperwork needed done, any business decision Will made was a profitable one. Unbeknownst to Will, the other constant in his life - the rooks - was there as well.
It's not a stretch to say the climax is Will's slow descent into madness. Mr. Black makes himself known and Will comes to the realization that he had never been in charge at all. Bellman and Black is the kind of novel I loved so much I'm actually afraid to discuss it; I don't want to say the wrong thing that could turn away a potential reader. I'm also aware that anything I say won't do it justice - it's that good.
I wish this had a late-September or an October release date rather than November. Bellman and Black's gothic atmosphere is absolutely perfect for fall and put me in the Halloween spirit. There was just the right amount of creepiness and the gorgeous language made me yearn for crunchy leaves, ghost stories, and pumpkin-flavored everything.
Bellman and Black is a book I will be forcing upon family and customers alike and I highly recommend it. Don't be surprised if this one shows up again on my Top Reads of 2013 list!
'I always knew he'd do well, that Will Bellman.'
Bellman and Black is that rare kind of novel that enchants and haunts and refuses to relinquish its hold on the reader - even well after the book is over. This was my introduction to Ms. Setterfield's work but let me say, if The Thirteenth Tale is anywhere near as amazing as this book, I'll be picking up a copy ASAP.
When Will Bellman was a boy he killed a rook. He didn't actually think he could hit it from where he stood, but he wanted to prove himself to the group of boys he played with and boasted that with his slingshot and the perfect stone he could hit anything. When the rook fell William Bellman became something of a legend to those boys and his life was never the same.
As he grew he came to inherit Bellman Mill and it was clear to everyone Will had the touch. Even at 19 he was an incredible businessman, fully able to predict and chart and know what to do and when to do it. The mill quickly expanded and grew and soon Will held quite a pretty penny. When he came to the age where it was expected he start a family, Will married a sweet girl and together they raised four children. All the while, the rooks were ever present.
With the arrival of a deadly illness, Will sought the aid of the only man who could help him and a bargain was struck. The sole survivor of the sickness, Will's eldest daughter, miraculously pulled through and Will's newly launched business made him a very rich man. Just as it always had, things seemed to mold themselves to Will's wishes. Time fixed itself in a way to where he could always get through whatever paperwork needed done, any business decision Will made was a profitable one. Unbeknownst to Will, the other constant in his life - the rooks - was there as well.
It's not a stretch to say the climax is Will's slow descent into madness. Mr. Black makes himself known and Will comes to the realization that he had never been in charge at all. Bellman and Black is the kind of novel I loved so much I'm actually afraid to discuss it; I don't want to say the wrong thing that could turn away a potential reader. I'm also aware that anything I say won't do it justice - it's that good.
I wish this had a late-September or an October release date rather than November. Bellman and Black's gothic atmosphere is absolutely perfect for fall and put me in the Halloween spirit. There was just the right amount of creepiness and the gorgeous language made me yearn for crunchy leaves, ghost stories, and pumpkin-flavored everything.
Bellman and Black is a book I will be forcing upon family and customers alike and I highly recommend it. Don't be surprised if this one shows up again on my Top Reads of 2013 list!
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was something different from what I usually read, but that's what readathons are about right? At first it was an interesting read about the early adventures of the main character. I had a feeling of reading about T. Bata at how Bellman established the business with all the benefits for the workers (perhaps it was the inspiration for it?). I had also taken a moral from the story, so I guess it wasn't that bad of a book - even if the last pages dragged by.
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
I have not read Setterfield’s highly acclaimed novel, The Thirteenth Tale, and so had no real expectations going into her most recent published work, Bellman & Black: A Ghost Story. Upon finishing this book, I had to gather my thoughts and think for a bit about what I had just read. It made me think and opened me up to a whole new type of ghost story that I had never seen nor imagined before.
Bellman & Black begins with the event that spins the entire plot into motion; three boys playing a game of slingshot near their home and one of them with impeccable aim. From then on, we follow the boy, William Bellman, as he grows up and makes a name for himself, all the while being shadowed by this mysterious figure we know only as Black.
There have been some bad reviews of Bellman & Black, and I can understand why some people wouldn’t take to the story. It is incredibly unique and not at all like any ghost story you have ever read. I went into the book expecting to be creeped out and not able to read it in the dark. No, this is very much not that type of ghost story. This is partly what I loved about it. It is a bit of a slow read, so be aware of that. Personally, Setterfield is a magician of storytelling for me and I could read her prose for days.
There was a good bit of obscurity in this novel. Several times, I had to reread and process certain passages. At the end, I had to sort through all of the events of the story to capture the closure at the end. Once I realized things however, it was marvelous. I am so glad that I chanced reading Bellman & Black despite the bad reviews I had seen of it.
My advice is to at least give it a try. It might not be for you, but you might also love it like I did. And if you are the latter, you will be so happy you tried it.
Bellman & Black begins with the event that spins the entire plot into motion; three boys playing a game of slingshot near their home and one of them with impeccable aim. From then on, we follow the boy, William Bellman, as he grows up and makes a name for himself, all the while being shadowed by this mysterious figure we know only as Black.
There have been some bad reviews of Bellman & Black, and I can understand why some people wouldn’t take to the story. It is incredibly unique and not at all like any ghost story you have ever read. I went into the book expecting to be creeped out and not able to read it in the dark. No, this is very much not that type of ghost story. This is partly what I loved about it. It is a bit of a slow read, so be aware of that. Personally, Setterfield is a magician of storytelling for me and I could read her prose for days.
There was a good bit of obscurity in this novel. Several times, I had to reread and process certain passages. At the end, I had to sort through all of the events of the story to capture the closure at the end. Once I realized things however, it was marvelous. I am so glad that I chanced reading Bellman & Black despite the bad reviews I had seen of it.
My advice is to at least give it a try. It might not be for you, but you might also love it like I did. And if you are the latter, you will be so happy you tried it.
The audio narration was perfect, and the first 80% of was good but by the time the end was coming I was waiting. .. and waiting. But the ending is just flat. All that William Bellman goes through, I expected something different. If I hadn't been listening to the audiobook I don't know if I would have finished this book.
This book was not what I expected, and hence not what I wanted. I think the varied responses to it can be seen by the extreme differences in reviews, whereas for me it was a blend of enjoying Setterfield's masterful writing but being dismally disappointed by the story.
This is not 13th Tale, and the style is not the same. The story is almost clinical in its precision, and that is why I did not feel it was worth it. It's a long, long walk to this Gothic tale's finale, and it might have been worth it if she used the same kind of artful language that beguiled us in her previous novel. But in the end I feel I only know more about 19th century British capitalism, and I don't feel much of anything having finished what should have been a dark and heart-wrenching book.
Per the precedent set by 13th Tale, I kept waiting for the huge, satisfying reveal, but there is none. This has more in common with the tone of Crime and Punishment than anything else, and is the same wordy and overly detailed retelling of a tortured life that you find with Dostoevsky. It doesn't feel modern or unique, and is lacking the sallacious Gothic tale of Woman in White or Rebecca. Can't rate it less than 3 stars, because there IS something meaningful here, but it just wasn't my preference in literature.
This is not 13th Tale, and the style is not the same. The story is almost clinical in its precision, and that is why I did not feel it was worth it. It's a long, long walk to this Gothic tale's finale, and it might have been worth it if she used the same kind of artful language that beguiled us in her previous novel. But in the end I feel I only know more about 19th century British capitalism, and I don't feel much of anything having finished what should have been a dark and heart-wrenching book.
Per the precedent set by 13th Tale, I kept waiting for the huge, satisfying reveal, but there is none. This has more in common with the tone of Crime and Punishment than anything else, and is the same wordy and overly detailed retelling of a tortured life that you find with Dostoevsky. It doesn't feel modern or unique, and is lacking the sallacious Gothic tale of Woman in White or Rebecca. Can't rate it less than 3 stars, because there IS something meaningful here, but it just wasn't my preference in literature.