Inspiration From The Distant Past

Inspiration From The Distant Past
Found note in an old book... warms the cockles of my bookish heart...

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Lesa's Book Banter: The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

Synopsis from Amazon: Arthur Kipps is an up-and-coming London solicitor who is sent to Crythin Gifford--a faraway town in the windswept salt marshes beyond Nine Lives Causeway--to attend the funeral and settle the affairs of a client, Mrs. Alice Drablow of Eel Marsh House. Mrs. Drablow's house stands at the end of the causeway, wreathed in fog and mystery, but Kipps is unaware of the tragic secrets that lie hidden behind its sheltered windows. The routine business trip he anticipated quickly takes a horrifying turn when he finds himself haunted by a series of mysterious sounds and images...
 
ooOOOoooOO-- what a good old fashioned ghost story! The setting is post-Victorian but the style is reminiscent of old Victorian ghost stories by Dickens, Wilkie Collins, ect. So it is not 'in your face' scary like most contemporary horror novels/movies but rather has an eerie slow atmospheric build of suspense and uneasiness. And it has the obligatory tragically horrifying 'drive the hero mad' clencher of an ending. 

If you have an appreciation for old fashioned ghost stories, give this novella a try.

Oh yes, I absolutely loved the character of Spider, the brave little terrier. So clever of the author to add Spider to the story because there is nothing more unnerving than a dog growling and bristling at something that isn't there or at least at something we humans can't see. 


 I abandoned a trek to behind the house last night after dark (even with a flashlight) to turn off the water because my dogs wouldn't go with me. And they always go with me. Then one dog barked.  I thought of little Spider and scurried back into the house and locked the door.  Bigfoot might have been back there! (I live in the woods and there have been Bigfoot sightings around here.. and mountain lions and bears, oh my!)

One more thing, this book was recently made into a movie starring Daniel Radcliffe. Not sure if I plan to see it or not since the movie is probably way scarier than the book. I may not want to actually see the specter or hear the eerie sounds since I'm easily creeped out. 

Do you like ghost stories?  Will you watch the movie or read the book? If you already have, what did you think?

My Goodreads rating: four stars out of five which means I really liked it and had fun reading it. 

Source: Library  




8 comments:

  1. +JMJ+

    It's so nice to see you again, Lesa! Yes, I know that we see each other quite a bit on Twitter, but blogs are still something else. ;-)

    I knew about the Daniel Radcliffe movie, but didn't recognise the title when I read this post. I probably won't be seeing the former, but if the latter is as spooky as you say, then I should give it a try this October!

    What are the Bigfoot legends in your area? I've just realised that I don't know anything about him or why he'd be scary. Yes, he's huge and hairy and all, but isn't he also supposed to be shy around humans? And that's about all I know, so if you've got a hair raising tale to share, it will be most welcome! =)

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    Replies
    1. Thanks! I had planned to be seen a lot more in Blogland but guess I'm now a member of the Slow Blogging Society! I love visiting with you so thank goodness for Twitter and Goodreads for staying in touch with friends.

      Yes, do read it in October! It will be perfect for the RIP challenge-- not real scary but you will appreciate the old fashioned spooky mood.

      Yes, Bigfoot does usually seem shy and certainly elusive-- But not something one would want to run into face to face on a dark moonless night!! He was in the newspapers here about 4 years ago and even a show or two about the Oklahoma Bigfoot was made for the Discovery Channels. Some of the local tales involve dogs retreating and whining in fear and something banging real hard on houses. I heard these tales from an investigator of the paranormal and all things weird that we kept running into at a local diner. He is a bit of a kook obviously but very entertaining to talk to.

      Thanks so much for reading and commenting!

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  2. This sounds like an amazing ghost story. The cover is simple but yet I am thrilled of what I am going to expect.I am fond of ghost stories and I hope this will scare me out. Great review.

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  3. I LOVE LOVE LOVED the movie for this one. I'm not a fan of scary movies, I'll tell you that, but this movie blew my mind! I'll be getting my hands on this book soon enough :D Great review!

    Rabiah
    Confessions of a Readaholic

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  4. I love ghost stories. I haven't read this one nor have I seen the movie. I have put this on my TBR list for the fall. :) Great spooky cover!
    ~Jess

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  5. I really like this book. It's such a classic horror story, and the movie is good as well. It is a little scarier (seems a lot more intentional more than anything else) but still good.

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  6. Wonderful blog....I love your header. That would be a treat to find in a book.

    GREAT posts as well. NEW E-MAIL SUBSCRIBER and GOOGLE FRIEND FOLLOWER.

    Found you on the Skinny Scoop Page.

    Elizabeth
    Silver's Reviews
    http://silversolara.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete

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