empresscirque 's review for:

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

5.0

---

If you’re looking for a spooky time and want something to do for a couple hours, this is the book for you. I managed to do just that and finished this book in a single sitting. Just what I needed while curled up under warm blankets on a cold and dark night.

The story is perfect for what it is, every part building onto the atmosphere and leaving that unsettling feeling on you, as though you might look up and see exactly what you hope will not be there. It’s never outright horror. No gore and outright disturbing imagery, but it all happens in passing. So quick that I would wrinkle my nose in thought as I imagined I could find myself where Kipps stood. Was that noise all in my head, or was there something just outside my door? If I glanced up from the pages, would I took catch that rare glimpse of the titular Woman in Black?

It’s a hard feeling to shake.

The ending settled the deal for me, with Kipps experiencing the tragic loss of his wife and child - the final act of our villain. There’s no rhyme or reason to it - revenge against a lack of wrongdoing. Revenge against pain, perhaps, and Kipps was her unwitting target. It’s tragic and even knowing he comes out the other side not consumed by her last actions, we’re left with the painful reminder that to heal does not mean the scars leave us.

There’s more questions here than answers, but I can’t imagine the book had the goal to leave us with much else. This is not just a ghost story: it’s about loss, misguided anger, and sorrow. Fitting and yet it gives us the reminder that we can go on.

Perhaps be carful when you look into the dark tonight - you might not like what you find staring back.