Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by callum_mclaughlin
The Old Nurse's Story by Elizabeth Gaskell
3.0
There are two stories in this little volume, so I'll talk briefly about each, especially since it was very much a book of two halves for me.
The Old Nurse's Story is exactly what I wanted it to be: gothic, Victorian, and ghostly; with a sprawling manor home, snowy moorlands, a family keeping secrets, unexplained noises, and the presence of a strange child. It tells a full and satisfying story, within the confines of just 30 pages, which is really impressive. Despite its relative brevity, Gaskell manages to conjure up a good amount of both intrigue and atmosphere, whilst delivering a few memorably chilling moments. [4*]
Curious, if True worked considerably less well for me, not least because it simply wasn't creepy. It certainly has a strange air to it, and there is something oddly charming about the concept of someone stumbling upon a party populated by fairy tale characters, but I found the narrator frustratingly snobby, and the ending very cliché (though I respect it probably wasn't so in the mid-1800s, when it was written). [2*]
Especially for its age, Gaskell's prose was very readable, and she painted the scenes vividly. This was an intriguing introduction, and I'd certainly be open to trying more of her work.
The Old Nurse's Story is exactly what I wanted it to be: gothic, Victorian, and ghostly; with a sprawling manor home, snowy moorlands, a family keeping secrets, unexplained noises, and the presence of a strange child. It tells a full and satisfying story, within the confines of just 30 pages, which is really impressive. Despite its relative brevity, Gaskell manages to conjure up a good amount of both intrigue and atmosphere, whilst delivering a few memorably chilling moments. [4*]
Curious, if True worked considerably less well for me, not least because it simply wasn't creepy. It certainly has a strange air to it, and there is something oddly charming about the concept of someone stumbling upon a party populated by fairy tale characters, but I found the narrator frustratingly snobby, and the ending very cliché (though I respect it probably wasn't so in the mid-1800s, when it was written). [2*]
Especially for its age, Gaskell's prose was very readable, and she painted the scenes vividly. This was an intriguing introduction, and I'd certainly be open to trying more of her work.