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cher_n_books 's review for:
Bellman & Black
by Diane Setterfield
It is difficult to provide a synopsis for Bellman and Black, but it is basically the story of how a seemingly small action that is done with little thought, can have consequences that follow you for the rest of your life. Now overlay that with a gothic tone and historical feel, and you have Bellman and Black.
I thoroughly enjoyed Diane Setterfield's previous novel, [b:The Thirteenth Tale|40440|The Thirteenth Tale|Diane Setterfield|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1346267826s/40440.jpg|849453], but I feel this one is completely different in pacing and setup. The beginning did not draw me in instantaneously, but by around 15% I was settled into the story. The pacing is slower as Setterfield tells this story in a gentle, gradual way, though I found her prose at times to be rather beautiful and poetic.
There are strings left untied by the end of the story, which isn't a bad thing unless you are one of those readers that requires everything to be tied up neatly in a bow and thoroughly explained. I liked that some things were left to the reader's imagination from which to draw your own conclusions and deductions. Overall, this is a worthwhile read that is beautifully written, but know going in that it is not a "heart thumping" tale and that it is a bit light on the ghost factor. I think the subtitle, "A Ghost Story" may be a bit misleading to readers seeking a different sort of tale.
Favorite Quotation: A great many people, he had noticed, spent large parts of their time worrying about things they were powerless to alter. Had they concentrated all this energy on things they could influence, think how different their lives would be.
An ARC copy was provided in exchange for this honest review via netgalley.
I thoroughly enjoyed Diane Setterfield's previous novel, [b:The Thirteenth Tale|40440|The Thirteenth Tale|Diane Setterfield|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1346267826s/40440.jpg|849453], but I feel this one is completely different in pacing and setup. The beginning did not draw me in instantaneously, but by around 15% I was settled into the story. The pacing is slower as Setterfield tells this story in a gentle, gradual way, though I found her prose at times to be rather beautiful and poetic.
There are strings left untied by the end of the story, which isn't a bad thing unless you are one of those readers that requires everything to be tied up neatly in a bow and thoroughly explained. I liked that some things were left to the reader's imagination from which to draw your own conclusions and deductions. Overall, this is a worthwhile read that is beautifully written, but know going in that it is not a "heart thumping" tale and that it is a bit light on the ghost factor. I think the subtitle, "A Ghost Story" may be a bit misleading to readers seeking a different sort of tale.
Favorite Quotation: A great many people, he had noticed, spent large parts of their time worrying about things they were powerless to alter. Had they concentrated all this energy on things they could influence, think how different their lives would be.
An ARC copy was provided in exchange for this honest review via netgalley.