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unisonlibrarian 's review for:
Bellman & Black
by Diane Setterfield
William Bellman is quite a happy-go-lucky sort, until life happens to him. This book is the story of a man who is kind, warm, diligent and very much a product of his age in the middle of the Industrial Revolution. Without giving anything away, tragedy knocks on his door which changes him entirely. A series of chance meetings with a mysterious stranger persuades him to embark on a new challenge; one he plans meticulously down to the finest detail. Was this what the stranger really wanted him to do, and why does he feel he owes the stranger anything? This is a tale of suppressed guilt and of a man's inability to deal with grief while at the same time surrounding himself with it. It has interesting gothic elements to it and a darkness at its core while providing a hint of commentary on vice and virtue alongside the difference in the shrinking rural landscape in comparison to the growing behemoth of London, and all this time the rooks are watching William's every move. A good novel for those who like detail and can cope with a slower paced narrative than the average book.