You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
rubenstein 's review for:
Bellman & Black
by Diane Setterfield
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!