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A review by scrollingbooks
Bellman & Black by Diane Setterfield
5.0
A haunting tale of grief.
Having read [b:The Thirteenth Tale|40440|The Thirteenth Tale|Diane Setterfield|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1346267826l/40440._SX50_.jpg|849453] I assumed another book by the same author would be a safe bet. The verdict? Yes, a special read but with a very different vibe to The Thirteenth Tale and it won't be for everyone.
I won't reveal the story for fear of spoilers, but it's important to read right to the end to understand what the book is about. The final chapter made all the pieces drop into place (perhaps I'm slow on the uptake) so you have to be patient. That said, the writing is just beautiful and I loved William Bellman's story. The character's growth and then decline into self-destruction was both uplifting, distressing, and believable in equal measure.
This is a book about grief and the price of denying your feelings. That doesn't mean it's a depressing read, because grief is a character in the story, and the plot is about William Bellman's reaction to this character (the mysterious Mr Black.)
Bellman and Black may not be for everyone, but I found it a haunting story (forgive the pun) and can't stop thinking about it. I will definitely re-read at some point, to absorb the nuances I missed the first time around.
This was hovering around a 4 star, right up until the final chapters, but as everything fell into place I better appreciated the genius of the author, and its now a solid 5 stars from me.
Beautiful, just beautiful, and poignant.
Having read [b:The Thirteenth Tale|40440|The Thirteenth Tale|Diane Setterfield|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1346267826l/40440._SX50_.jpg|849453] I assumed another book by the same author would be a safe bet. The verdict? Yes, a special read but with a very different vibe to The Thirteenth Tale and it won't be for everyone.
I won't reveal the story for fear of spoilers, but it's important to read right to the end to understand what the book is about. The final chapter made all the pieces drop into place (perhaps I'm slow on the uptake) so you have to be patient. That said, the writing is just beautiful and I loved William Bellman's story. The character's growth and then decline into self-destruction was both uplifting, distressing, and believable in equal measure.
This is a book about grief and the price of denying your feelings. That doesn't mean it's a depressing read, because grief is a character in the story, and the plot is about William Bellman's reaction to this character (the mysterious Mr Black.)
Bellman and Black may not be for everyone, but I found it a haunting story (forgive the pun) and can't stop thinking about it. I will definitely re-read at some point, to absorb the nuances I missed the first time around.
This was hovering around a 4 star, right up until the final chapters, but as everything fell into place I better appreciated the genius of the author, and its now a solid 5 stars from me.
Beautiful, just beautiful, and poignant.