Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Publisher Unknown (1969)
Description
Fiction. Horror. Thriller. Historical Fiction. HTML: The classic ghost story by Susan Hill: a chilling tale about a menacing spectre haunting a small English town. 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--a rocking chair in a deserted nursery, the eerie sound of a pony and trap, a child's scream in the fog, and, most terrifying of all, a ghostly woman dressed all in black. Psychologically terrifying and deliciously eerie, The Woman in Black is a remarkable thriller of the first rate..… (more)
Media reviews
I love this style of writing... very detailed and descriptive. Although some of our students have said that they had a hard time getting through the first few chapters, I was immediately captivated.
User reviews
LibraryThing member krizia_lazaro
I do not love horror. I stay away from it because I'm a coward so to read and finish this one is a big feat for me. Surprisingly, I loved it. It IS scary but not in a conventional way. There are no demon possession, flying objects or ghosts that walks through walls. It only has a woman in black and
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the sound of a child dying. I wouldn't be that scared if not for Susan Hill's narrative. She is the queen of adjectives. She'll describe fear in 20+ words that you won't have any excuse but to feel it! I was reading this book while riding to train (never in the dark or alone!) but still I got goosebumps. That's how good Susan Hill is. There is something poetic in the way she writes and I would probably read more of her works - horror or not. Show Less
LibraryThing member Meredy
Within the frame tale of the old English tradition of telling ghost stories on Christmas Eve, the author delivers plenty of creepy atmosphere, suspense, and spooky happenings. She does quite a nice job of imitating the style of an educated writer of the 19th century without going overboard with
The narrator's voice has an authentic quality that is enhanced by his assertion that he refuses to tell his tale for the entertainment of others and instead will leave it to be found after his death. His horror and sadness are very present and credible in context.
Unfortunately there was a spoiler right on the back cover of the paperback. It ruined a good buildup to one of the shivery effects.
I'm not much of a reader of Gothic novels in general, but I've read all of Poe and a number of other 19th-century writers who went in for spine-chilling tales. I can't remember a moodier or more weirdly hypnotic setting than Eel Marsh House, Crythin Gifford--not even Dracula's eerie castle in Transylvania.
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archaic verbal and grammatical effects. I was bothered by the many comma splices (complete sentences joined by commas but no conjunctions) and a few conspicuous editorial lapses.The narrator's voice has an authentic quality that is enhanced by his assertion that he refuses to tell his tale for the entertainment of others and instead will leave it to be found after his death. His horror and sadness are very present and credible in context.
Unfortunately there was a spoiler right on the back cover of the paperback. It ruined a good buildup to one of the shivery effects.
I'm not much of a reader of Gothic novels in general, but I've read all of Poe and a number of other 19th-century writers who went in for spine-chilling tales. I can't remember a moodier or more weirdly hypnotic setting than Eel Marsh House, Crythin Gifford--not even Dracula's eerie castle in Transylvania.
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LibraryThing member laytonwoman3rd
If you like a good ghost story, this one has all the usual elements---a young man sent to a remote village with an assignment; a local populace that warns him mysteriously against the place he must go to complete this assignment; a healthy dose of skepticism gradually replaced by a healthy dose of
Reviewed in 2014
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the daylights scared out of said young man; strange noises and visitations in the night; a vision no one else sees (or admits to seeing); a retreat from the scene of the haunting; a partial explanation; and, finally, an ending with a barb in its tail. All told from the perspective of that young man, now grown old, looking back on it all many years hence. A little Shirley Jackson, a little Edgar Allan Poe, a little Daphne DuMaurier...Reviewed in 2014
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LibraryThing member abbottthomas
Susan Hill creates a wonderfully creepy introduction to this ghost story, very much in the tradition of M R James and Sheridan Le Fanu. As with most ghost stories, the build up is scarier than the denoument, but she gives us a nasty sting in the tail. The action takes place in salt marsh country,
I would put the period of the story in the early part of the inter-war years. 'Pea-soup' fogs largely disappeared from London by the 1950s - 'London particulars' is a very 19th.C. term but motor transport is clearly described in London and was not uncommon at his destination despite the use of pony and trap by some. Gas light in London streets suggests the first half of the 20th.C. but the isolated Eel Marsh House has mains electric light - improbable, I would have thought, until the 1920s at least.
Despite Kipps' initial enthusiasm for the strange beauty of the marshes we quickly become aware of an unhappy atmosphere in the area. No one wants to discuss his late client or her house, even the local man who will drive him there and back does so with scarcely a word. The house itself rings all the right bells, windswept with moaning in the chimneys, a ruined abbey complete with graveyard in the garden, gloomy and dusty and with a closed door, apparently locked but without a keyhole, at the end of an upstairs passage. Read it for yourself - it won't take long - to experience the steady jacking-up of the tension. When Kipps has recovered from his nasty experience and returns to London you may feel you can relax, but don't. Not just yet....
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estuarine, and almost certainly on the east coast of England between the Wash and the Humber - the word fret for a sea-fog is an east coast usage. We are left in some doubt as to the location as Arthur Kipps, the main protagonist of the tale, leaves a fog-bound London from King's Cross Station, but rather than take the East Coast line, he travels first to Crewe. Changing trains, he tells us that he is going north and veering to the east before his final change onto a branch line at the fictitious Homerby. If we assume the train from Crewe is heading for Grimsby, the most significant town on the south side of the Humber estuary, Kipps will end up near the coastal flatlands between Cleethorpes and Mabelthorpe. Certainly he is not on any moors. The name of Mrs Drablow's house, Eel Marsh House, would sit well on a North Lincs coastal property as there used to be a significant eel fishing industry around there.I would put the period of the story in the early part of the inter-war years. 'Pea-soup' fogs largely disappeared from London by the 1950s - 'London particulars' is a very 19th.C. term but motor transport is clearly described in London and was not uncommon at his destination despite the use of pony and trap by some. Gas light in London streets suggests the first half of the 20th.C. but the isolated Eel Marsh House has mains electric light - improbable, I would have thought, until the 1920s at least.
Despite Kipps' initial enthusiasm for the strange beauty of the marshes we quickly become aware of an unhappy atmosphere in the area. No one wants to discuss his late client or her house, even the local man who will drive him there and back does so with scarcely a word. The house itself rings all the right bells, windswept with moaning in the chimneys, a ruined abbey complete with graveyard in the garden, gloomy and dusty and with a closed door, apparently locked but without a keyhole, at the end of an upstairs passage. Read it for yourself - it won't take long - to experience the steady jacking-up of the tension. When Kipps has recovered from his nasty experience and returns to London you may feel you can relax, but don't. Not just yet....
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LibraryThing member Kasthu
The back cover of this short novel says: “What real reader does not yearn, somewhere in the recess of his or her heart, for a really literate, first-class thriller—one that chills the body, but warms the soul with plot, perception, and language at once astute and vivid? In other words, a ghost
I first read The Woman in Black in 2002 after seeing the play of the same name in London’s West End. The story features a young solicitor named Arthur Kipps who’s dispatched to the north of England to settle the affairs of the recently-deceased Mrs. Drablow, an elderly woman who lived at the remote Eel Marsh House.
The Woman in Black is a ghost story with all the requisite elements: a strange woman dressed in black, a locked room with a rocking chair that won’t stop moving; and the eerie sound of a pony and trap in the fog. It’s one of the creepiest books I’ve read in a long time—Company of Liars may be the exception. There’s no blood here, just a spine-tingling yet subtle mystery. There's really nothing more I can say; this book is perfect.
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story written by Jane Austen?” How can you resist a hook like that?I first read The Woman in Black in 2002 after seeing the play of the same name in London’s West End. The story features a young solicitor named Arthur Kipps who’s dispatched to the north of England to settle the affairs of the recently-deceased Mrs. Drablow, an elderly woman who lived at the remote Eel Marsh House.
The Woman in Black is a ghost story with all the requisite elements: a strange woman dressed in black, a locked room with a rocking chair that won’t stop moving; and the eerie sound of a pony and trap in the fog. It’s one of the creepiest books I’ve read in a long time—Company of Liars may be the exception. There’s no blood here, just a spine-tingling yet subtle mystery. There's really nothing more I can say; this book is perfect.
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LibraryThing member eleanor_eader
A short-ish tale, but none the less unnerving, for that. Susan Hill manages to convey all the chill and creep of the house on the moors, separated from civilisation by the daily-flooded causeway and the mysterious ‘frets’ or mists that roll in off the sea without lingering so long on the
If I ever have to spend a night in a lonely house on the moors, I’m taking a small terrier with me.
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landscape that the story gets bogged down; the story itself is a simple one, but truly shiver-inducing, perhaps because the author artfully engages our sympathies with the narrator, Mr. Arthur Kipps, retired estate lawyer, whose reluctant unfolding of the story immerses the reader in a cold, sad tale that exceeds the pleasantly horrible boundaries of most ghost-stories and snaps its fingers in the face of complacency.If I ever have to spend a night in a lonely house on the moors, I’m taking a small terrier with me.
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LibraryThing member craso
Arthur Kripps is a retired country gentleman who decides to put pen to paper and write down the frightening and tragic events of his youth. When he was twenty-three he was sent by his law firm to attend to funeral and settle the affairs of a client, a strange lady who lived alone in a mansion on
This is a great gothic novel, but the setting is not Victorian. It is hard to tell what time period it is set in. There are telephones, motorcars, and electricity even though the characters still use candles and some of the towns people drive horse and trap. Like all great gothic novels there is an almost constant fog or mist and the house sits in the middle of the English moors.
The novel is very short and my copy has nice pen and ink illustrations. I recommend this story for a dark and dreary night.
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the moors. The people living in the town close to the estate are stoic and refuse to talk about the lady or the house. At the funeral he sees a lady in black standing in the grave yard. No one wants to talk about her. Once he reaches the mansion he starts to hear strange and unexplainable things and becomes very uneasy.This is a great gothic novel, but the setting is not Victorian. It is hard to tell what time period it is set in. There are telephones, motorcars, and electricity even though the characters still use candles and some of the towns people drive horse and trap. Like all great gothic novels there is an almost constant fog or mist and the house sits in the middle of the English moors.
The novel is very short and my copy has nice pen and ink illustrations. I recommend this story for a dark and dreary night.
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LibraryThing member rainpebble
The Woman in Black by Susan Hill; (3 1/2*)
A good story of haunting, The Woman in Black holds the reader's interest. It has everything a good ghost story entails. A dark & aboding house, the eerie marshlands surrounding said house, strange things that "go bump in the night", the small village where
Mrs. Alice Drabble of Eel Marsh House is a client of Arthur Kipps' soliciting house in London and when she dies, his employer sends him out to her lonely house on the marsh to dig through her private papers to speed up dealing with her estate.
When Arthur gets to the village he finds no one there will speak with him of the reclusive Mrs. Drabble, her house nor her life. However the man who trundled her groceries & needs out to her house in his pony cart is willing to take him to the house & return for him.
While at the house Arthur hears the most frightful sounds, sees apparitions and literally hears things that "go bump in the night." He is there alone and tries to remain calm and continue with his work but it becomes more and more difficult. As he goes through Mrs. Drabble's papers he finds very little of use until he comes across a bundle of letters regarding a distant relative of Mrs. Drabble's who is unmarried and in the family way. The young lady wishes to keep the baby but doesn't have the means and so the little boy is adopted by the Drabbles. He later comes across legal paperwork that suggests the reasons for the hauntings of Eel Marsh House and the more he learns the more the hauntings continue until Arthur becomes ill in heart, soul & body. He is rescued from the house in a collapsed state and taken to the home of a gentleman he met on the train coming out who says he must remain until he is on the road to recovery. He is attended by the local doctor, fed nourishing broths and that coupled with much bed rest does Arthur much good. He is surprised one day to receive his fiance, Stella, who has come to take him back to London on the train.
They marry soon after and Arthur puts the experience behind him until one day.........one day................
Well, you will have to read the book to discover more of the particulars and the finale. Needless to say I enjoyed this book as I have every Susan Hill I have read. (Mrs. de Winter aside) I like the spare way she writes without throwing in flowery phrasing and unnecessary wording. I found this to be a good read and recommend it for those who enjoy a little spooking and haunting.
A good story of haunting, The Woman in Black holds the reader's interest. It has everything a good ghost story entails. A dark & aboding house, the eerie marshlands surrounding said house, strange things that "go bump in the night", the small village where
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no one wishes to speak of the strange goings on out at the house, and of course your innocent who is sent to the house to do some sleuthing work.Mrs. Alice Drabble of Eel Marsh House is a client of Arthur Kipps' soliciting house in London and when she dies, his employer sends him out to her lonely house on the marsh to dig through her private papers to speed up dealing with her estate.
When Arthur gets to the village he finds no one there will speak with him of the reclusive Mrs. Drabble, her house nor her life. However the man who trundled her groceries & needs out to her house in his pony cart is willing to take him to the house & return for him.
While at the house Arthur hears the most frightful sounds, sees apparitions and literally hears things that "go bump in the night." He is there alone and tries to remain calm and continue with his work but it becomes more and more difficult. As he goes through Mrs. Drabble's papers he finds very little of use until he comes across a bundle of letters regarding a distant relative of Mrs. Drabble's who is unmarried and in the family way. The young lady wishes to keep the baby but doesn't have the means and so the little boy is adopted by the Drabbles. He later comes across legal paperwork that suggests the reasons for the hauntings of Eel Marsh House and the more he learns the more the hauntings continue until Arthur becomes ill in heart, soul & body. He is rescued from the house in a collapsed state and taken to the home of a gentleman he met on the train coming out who says he must remain until he is on the road to recovery. He is attended by the local doctor, fed nourishing broths and that coupled with much bed rest does Arthur much good. He is surprised one day to receive his fiance, Stella, who has come to take him back to London on the train.
They marry soon after and Arthur puts the experience behind him until one day.........one day................
Well, you will have to read the book to discover more of the particulars and the finale. Needless to say I enjoyed this book as I have every Susan Hill I have read. (Mrs. de Winter aside) I like the spare way she writes without throwing in flowery phrasing and unnecessary wording. I found this to be a good read and recommend it for those who enjoy a little spooking and haunting.
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LibraryThing member suzanneadair
Images from The Woman in Black hung with me long after I'd finished reading it. When I returned to it after a year, it was still creepy, even though I knew what was going to happen. Because I'm an author, I've picked apart the book to analyze how Susan Hill masters such atmosphere. Lots of
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techniques. For example, she sneaks psychological downers in on the reader with her choice of names. Eel Marsh House. An adorable little dog named Spider (ack!). All her techniques add up to greater than the sum of their parts. Show Less
LibraryThing member coloradogirl14
As with many of the books I read, I picked this one up after watching the movie, which scared the living daylights out of me. The book, on the other hand was a much tamer experience - more atmospheric than downright terrifying, but still pleasantly spooky.
This is a traditional English ghost story
While this story doesn't offer anything radically new, it's a solid, well-crafted ghost story that relies on subtle atmosphere and creepiness rather than bold scares. And it's a short read too. I think I finished this one in 24 hours, if not one sitting.
I've suggested this book several times to people looking for a "tame" horror novel, usually around Halloween. In fact, I've labeled this as one of the best novels for reading on a chilly autumn night.
So in terms of plot, character, and theme, this book doesn't have many secrets. In terms of atmosphere, it delivers big time. I think this book should be considered a "mood" read - the sort of book you pick up when you want to have a very specific reading experience.
(On a semi-related note, if you're looking for a horror movie that delivers scares without blood & guts, the movie is excellent.)
Readalikes:
The Turn of the Screw - Henry James. Classic English ghost story with a slightly different twist: is the spiritual phenomena actually paranormal or is it psychological?
The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson. The story doesn't point to a specific soul haunting the halls of Hill House, but in terms of atmospheric haunted house stories that rely on subtlety rather than big scares, this story can't be beaten.
The Little Stranger - Sarah Waters. Two historical haunted house tales set in England, albeit during slightly different time periods. However, the paranormal phenomena in The Little Stranger is more ambiguous than in the Woman in Black. Are there really spirits in the house? Or are they figments of the imagination.
This is a traditional English ghost story
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in every way - isolated and derelict mansion, superstitious English town, lots of fog and mist, vengeful spirit - so, yes, the story will have some predictable elements. A young lawyer, Arthur Kipps, is sent to Eel Marsh House to settle the estate of Mrs. Alice Drablow. Eel Marsh House, being the isolated and derelict mansion mentioned above, is not happy to see him. Arthur starts seeing the haunting vision of a mysterious woman dressed all in black, and he comes to find out that whenever the woman has been seen, a child dies a horrible death.While this story doesn't offer anything radically new, it's a solid, well-crafted ghost story that relies on subtle atmosphere and creepiness rather than bold scares. And it's a short read too. I think I finished this one in 24 hours, if not one sitting.
I've suggested this book several times to people looking for a "tame" horror novel, usually around Halloween. In fact, I've labeled this as one of the best novels for reading on a chilly autumn night.
So in terms of plot, character, and theme, this book doesn't have many secrets. In terms of atmosphere, it delivers big time. I think this book should be considered a "mood" read - the sort of book you pick up when you want to have a very specific reading experience.
(On a semi-related note, if you're looking for a horror movie that delivers scares without blood & guts, the movie is excellent.)
Readalikes:
The Turn of the Screw - Henry James. Classic English ghost story with a slightly different twist: is the spiritual phenomena actually paranormal or is it psychological?
The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson. The story doesn't point to a specific soul haunting the halls of Hill House, but in terms of atmospheric haunted house stories that rely on subtlety rather than big scares, this story can't be beaten.
The Little Stranger - Sarah Waters. Two historical haunted house tales set in England, albeit during slightly different time periods. However, the paranormal phenomena in The Little Stranger is more ambiguous than in the Woman in Black. Are there really spirits in the house? Or are they figments of the imagination.
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LibraryThing member lseitz
Be prepared to stay awake all...night...long.
LibraryThing member Finxy
To me this rates up there with Dickens' Signalman or many of M.R. James best stuff. Really good ghost stories are so hard to find so all seekers of a supernatural chilling should throw another log on the fire and reach for The Woman in Black.
LibraryThing member SqueakyChu
What a terrific read! This book is small and engrossing enough to wrap you up in a creepy ghost story any time you're up for such an adventure. It's the tale of what happens to Arthur Kipp, a solicitor who is sent by his employer to settle the estate of the recently deceased Alice Drablow. Mrs.
I really like how the story develops. We know ahead of time that this is a scary story, yet the author allows us, at least part of the time, to have a dog for companionship. Thank you!
In the same way that Stephen King uses humor to alleviate anxiety during his tales of horror, Susan Hill has her own techniques for breaking the reader's terror, allowing us time to calm down and recharge. These "calming breaks" make this story immensely more readable as they enhance our curiosity to move ahead in the story.
I am most grateful to pbadeer, fellow LibraryThing member, for recommending this book to me. I enjoyed it so much.
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Drablow had lived in a secluded house accessible only via causeway during low tide as it became the only house on a virtual island when surrounded by water during high tide. The land surrounding the house was lovely during good weather: vast flat marshland, blue sky, calling sea birds. During bad weather, it was frightful: fog so thick it was impenetrable by sight, distressing sounds of unexplicable origins.I really like how the story develops. We know ahead of time that this is a scary story, yet the author allows us, at least part of the time, to have a dog for companionship. Thank you!
In the same way that Stephen King uses humor to alleviate anxiety during his tales of horror, Susan Hill has her own techniques for breaking the reader's terror, allowing us time to calm down and recharge. These "calming breaks" make this story immensely more readable as they enhance our curiosity to move ahead in the story.
I am most grateful to pbadeer, fellow LibraryThing member, for recommending this book to me. I enjoyed it so much.
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LibraryThing member TheBentley
While it's not particularly original, it's not really meant to be. If you're a fan of Victorian-style ghost stories--E.F. Benson, Henry James, and the like--it's wonderful to know that there are still writers crafting very good ones. The Woman in Black is an excellent example of the genre--spooky,
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atmospheric, and with a cast of appropriately staid and stoic English male professionals traveling in coaches, staying at country pubs and conducting business that takes them to "the marshes" far from home and hearth. It's like finding that someone still writes good English sonnets... Show Less
LibraryThing member anotherjennifer
This is the quintessential ghost story. The novel is narrated by a character named Arthur Kipps, now an elderly man, who recounts the eerie events that occurred decades earlier when he was a solicitor settling the estate of Alice Drablow.
As a young man, he was sent to a small town to attend Mrs
Author Susan Hill does a superb job of creating that foggy, damp atmosphere that's ideal for old-fashioned ghost stories. I saw the play which is based upon the novel when I was in England last year and actually jumped out of my seat a couple times. I went out to buy the book before the plane ride home. The book isn't scary in that same jump-out-of-your-seat-and-scream (as the group of school children in the audience did frequently) sense, but that's not to say that it's boring. If you enjoy subtly creepy stories, you'll devour this book.
As a young man, he was sent to a small town to attend Mrs
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Drablow's funeral and sort through the widow's papers. Although it was an ordinary task, Kipps' life was permanently altered by the appearances of a woman in black, the mystery he uncovered, and the strange occurrences in Eel Marsh House--Mrs Drablow's large home, surrounded by marsh and cut off from the mainland during high tides.Author Susan Hill does a superb job of creating that foggy, damp atmosphere that's ideal for old-fashioned ghost stories. I saw the play which is based upon the novel when I was in England last year and actually jumped out of my seat a couple times. I went out to buy the book before the plane ride home. The book isn't scary in that same jump-out-of-your-seat-and-scream (as the group of school children in the audience did frequently) sense, but that's not to say that it's boring. If you enjoy subtly creepy stories, you'll devour this book.
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LibraryThing member Banoo
This was a good old-fashioned ghost story, the kind of story that gets into your head, the kind that makes you lock the door... at least it was for me, especially that night, when reading about the noises coming from behind the locked door, and the dog was growling scared, and the noises didn't
Gothic, Victorian-like story of a woman in black in the northern coastal marshes of England. Trust me... you don't want to see her.
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stop, and the lights went out...Gothic, Victorian-like story of a woman in black in the northern coastal marshes of England. Trust me... you don't want to see her.
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LibraryThing member MusicMom41
This is the third book I’ve read for this years’ Halloween Read and is, so far, the least satisfying for me. Although I have no complaints about the writing, even from the beginning this book seemed somewhat flat. It was written in the 1980’s by an English author who seems to be attempting to
I also found that I was often able to anticipate what would happen and why rather than experiencing what the main character was feeling. This story might have been better told in third person rather than first person. The narrator was very analytical about himself and the strange occurrences going on, which made me also analytical instead of settling into the flow of the story. In spite of that, throughout most of the book I kept enough interest to want to finish the story. My biggest complaint is I felt manipulated by the ending. Even though I saw the final event coming I was still angry when it happened. Perhaps, because I did see it coming!
Bottom line: A lot of people have really liked this book and I can see the attraction, even though it didn’t work for me. I consider it a 19th century Gothic wannabe without the style and the ability to create an atmosphere that would draw me into the story.
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write a ghost story in the 19th century Gothic style. At first I though maybe it was because it was more novella length without the time to really set up the atmosphere, but The Turn of the Screw was a novella and the atmosphere was skillfully built up to grab the reader and hold him breathless. It may have been that my problem was that I had just finished [The House of Seven Gables] with its heavy emphasis on atmosphere that develops much more slowly than in Hill’s story in which there seem to be sudden changes of both atmosphere and mood. I felt very detached as I read this book, almost to the point of analyzing why I thought it was "missing the mark!" Another problem may be that the first chapter of the story shows the protagonist many years removed from this part of his life, well and happy with his family around him at Christmas. It’s like feeling that obviously he managed to survive the experience and move on so there was not the sense of great urgency that catastrophe would befall him. I also found that I was often able to anticipate what would happen and why rather than experiencing what the main character was feeling. This story might have been better told in third person rather than first person. The narrator was very analytical about himself and the strange occurrences going on, which made me also analytical instead of settling into the flow of the story. In spite of that, throughout most of the book I kept enough interest to want to finish the story. My biggest complaint is I felt manipulated by the ending. Even though I saw the final event coming I was still angry when it happened. Perhaps, because I did see it coming!
Bottom line: A lot of people have really liked this book and I can see the attraction, even though it didn’t work for me. I consider it a 19th century Gothic wannabe without the style and the ability to create an atmosphere that would draw me into the story.
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LibraryThing member pidgeon92
I was hoping for a bit more substance.... but a good ghost story nevertheless.
LibraryThing member bkmcneil
A quick read, nice for tone and spook, but not particularly clever.
LibraryThing member CathrynGrant
I first heard about this story from a friend who saw the stage adaptation in London. She said it was terrifying. Because of that visceral review, I had high expectations for the book.
There are a number of very unsettling scenes, and the ending, although somewhat easy to see coming, sent chills
There are a number of very unsettling scenes, and the ending, although somewhat easy to see coming, sent chills
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through my spine. My only criticism is the set-up took much too long and there were a few other points where the story dragged a bit. But overall, a quick, scary read. And those unsettling scenes are the type that will linger in my mind for a very long time. Show Less
LibraryThing member arielfl
I picked this book up when I saw Daniel Radcliff, Harry Potter himself was going to be starring in the screen adaption of the book. I loved this book. I think it will be perfect for him to star in. I love the Gothic setting of the misty English manner on the moors. This is a slim little book
The story is about Arthur Kipp who is an old man and on his second family when we meet him. His stepchild asks him to tell a ghost story and he is so unnerved by the request that he snaps at his family. Wanting to make amends he decides to write his actual ghostly experience for his wife. As a young lawyer he was called to Eel Marsh house to settle the estate of Mrs. Drablow. What unfolds next is the story of what happens in the house and ultimately what became of his first family.
This a great Gothic ghost story. It was a quick read and I could not put it down. I would recommend it to lovers of the English ghost story.
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perfect for a straight read through.The story is about Arthur Kipp who is an old man and on his second family when we meet him. His stepchild asks him to tell a ghost story and he is so unnerved by the request that he snaps at his family. Wanting to make amends he decides to write his actual ghostly experience for his wife. As a young lawyer he was called to Eel Marsh house to settle the estate of Mrs. Drablow. What unfolds next is the story of what happens in the house and ultimately what became of his first family.
This a great Gothic ghost story. It was a quick read and I could not put it down. I would recommend it to lovers of the English ghost story.
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LibraryThing member clq
I found The Woman in Black to be disappointing. It's really a shame, as it was a personal recommendation, but for me it didn't work on any level.
When starting the book, I was surprised at how short it appeared to be. I'd heard that this book was "really scary" and figured it had to be pretty
I should disclaim, I have yet to find myself properly spooked by the supernatural, be it by books, films, or tv. However, I can appreciate the emotions of characters, and usually find myself empathising with them to the point where I am on the edge of my seat with my heart beating quickly along with theirs. The Woman in Black didn't come close to making me feel anything at all.
The entire story seems to rely heavily on an atmosphere of suspense, horror, and mystery that never even gets close to materialising. The main character hardly shows any emotion at all, and when he does it is along the lines of "I was scared". Done. No proper atmosphere, no build-up, nothing. The "scary" parts then last for all of a few sentences before the air fizzles out of a balloon that might as well have been in a vacuum the entire time for all the good it did.
The real pity is that the concept itself isn't too bad. I haven't seen the film based on this book, but I've heard good things about it, and I can see how it might have been turned into a good movie. A movie could add all the things this book sorely lacked. This book badly needed to be longer. It needed to have build-up, atmosphere, suspense... actually, anything it all. Just something more than what it is, which seems like a bare-bones concept on which the meat was intended to be added later.
I also feel a need to mention that I read the first bit of this book on an almost empty bus driving through the dark, then walked through said dark, into my dark flat, and read the rest while lying in a dark room with a mysterious sound on the other sound of the wall I still haven't identified. It would be hard for me to come by an atmosphere that would seem more fitting to this book. I couldn't get engaged with it at all.
I'm confused at the relatively high rating this book has received. Unless the reader is really scared at the story, I don't see what else this book has to offer. And for someone to get properly scared at this book I imagine they not only have to believe in ghosts, but they have to believe that ghosts are, by their very nature, out to do acts of evil. If creaking-noises scare you, and you think that shadow on the wall is about to attack you, you might appreciate this book. Otherwise I don't think you will.
When starting the book, I was surprised at how short it appeared to be. I'd heard that this book was "really scary" and figured it had to be pretty
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amazing to deliver such a punch in so few pages. It never delivered.I should disclaim, I have yet to find myself properly spooked by the supernatural, be it by books, films, or tv. However, I can appreciate the emotions of characters, and usually find myself empathising with them to the point where I am on the edge of my seat with my heart beating quickly along with theirs. The Woman in Black didn't come close to making me feel anything at all.
The entire story seems to rely heavily on an atmosphere of suspense, horror, and mystery that never even gets close to materialising. The main character hardly shows any emotion at all, and when he does it is along the lines of "I was scared". Done. No proper atmosphere, no build-up, nothing. The "scary" parts then last for all of a few sentences before the air fizzles out of a balloon that might as well have been in a vacuum the entire time for all the good it did.
The real pity is that the concept itself isn't too bad. I haven't seen the film based on this book, but I've heard good things about it, and I can see how it might have been turned into a good movie. A movie could add all the things this book sorely lacked. This book badly needed to be longer. It needed to have build-up, atmosphere, suspense... actually, anything it all. Just something more than what it is, which seems like a bare-bones concept on which the meat was intended to be added later.
I also feel a need to mention that I read the first bit of this book on an almost empty bus driving through the dark, then walked through said dark, into my dark flat, and read the rest while lying in a dark room with a mysterious sound on the other sound of the wall I still haven't identified. It would be hard for me to come by an atmosphere that would seem more fitting to this book. I couldn't get engaged with it at all.
I'm confused at the relatively high rating this book has received. Unless the reader is really scared at the story, I don't see what else this book has to offer. And for someone to get properly scared at this book I imagine they not only have to believe in ghosts, but they have to believe that ghosts are, by their very nature, out to do acts of evil. If creaking-noises scare you, and you think that shadow on the wall is about to attack you, you might appreciate this book. Otherwise I don't think you will.
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LibraryThing member CarmenMilligan
This one was almost a stinker. The only reason for 2 looks is the writing was very description and lovely at times. However, the ghost story was just like the cover of this book: blah.
Arthur was a milquetoast, annoyingly stubborn and pig-headed, the people of the town were aloof and vacant, the
The beginning of the book, which sets up the story to be told in retrospect, had great momentum. The characters seemed real and the protagonist seemed to be a thoughtful patriarch to the family. However, when the storytelling began, it went downhill. Written in the vein of Victorian novels and intermittently rich character descriptions do not save this disappointing tale.
This is not recommended and I will probably not read another by this author.
Arthur was a milquetoast, annoyingly stubborn and pig-headed, the people of the town were aloof and vacant, the
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storyline was predictable and the ending was not at all fulfilling. The beginning of the book, which sets up the story to be told in retrospect, had great momentum. The characters seemed real and the protagonist seemed to be a thoughtful patriarch to the family. However, when the storytelling began, it went downhill. Written in the vein of Victorian novels and intermittently rich character descriptions do not save this disappointing tale.
This is not recommended and I will probably not read another by this author.
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LibraryThing member RBeffa
This is an odd book. It is illustrated thoughout my copy with pen and ink drawings which reminds me of things I read as a child, or perhaps an old New Yorker or maybe even a touch of Madeline. This is written in a very old fashioned style as if it was 100 years old rather than 30. I was so
Our main character Arthur Kipps tells us a story of something he experienced as a young man. For him it is supposedly true, but I think he may have just been telling us a tale. I would advise prospective readers to persevere past the beginning because it does get much better and does manage to slowly build with a rather surprising and dramatic ending.
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thoroughly underwhelmed with the start of the novel that I was ready to throw it on the heap after about 25 pages. But ... I went and looked at some reviews and found other readers remarked on the blase beginning so I read on and it became a much better story. This book seems to have fans, and then there are a few who are underwhelmed. This is supposed to be a modern classic ghost story - and since I read close to none of that sort of story, at least as an adult, I can't give it a fair comparison. It reminded me a little of 'The Haunting of Hill House' by Shirley Jackson.Our main character Arthur Kipps tells us a story of something he experienced as a young man. For him it is supposedly true, but I think he may have just been telling us a tale. I would advise prospective readers to persevere past the beginning because it does get much better and does manage to slowly build with a rather surprising and dramatic ending.
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LibraryThing member bookworm12
Now this is my kind of ghost story. In the past I've enjoyed books like The Turning of the Screw and The Haunting of Hill House, but have always been left feeling just a little bit frustrated. You aren't quite sure if they are ghosts stories or tales of madness. You can't trust the narrator, which
The Woman is Black doesn't take that approach. It is absolutely a ghost story and it scared me more than I'd like to admit (but in a good way!)
A young solicitor, Arthur Kipps, is dispatched to a remote corner of England to resolve the affairs of a recently deceased client, Mrs. Drablow. She had lived alone in a huge, old mansion, Eel Marsh House, on the outskirts of town. Kipps quickly realizes that things won't be as simple as he'd hoped, but every attempt he makes to get more information is thwarted. The townspeople's furtive glances and refusal to talk about Eel Marsh House heighten his suspicions that there's something very wrong with the house.
I think if I could sum up the book in one word it would be: satisfying. It perfectly fulfilled my own personal taste for a ghost story. I don't like graphic scenes of horror, but I love a good scare. I also want good characters and a believable plot. This one had the perfect balance of all of those factors and on top of that, the writing was excellent.
It has the best and most disturbing description of fog that I've ever read...
"It was a mist like a damp, clinging cobwebby thing, fine and yet impenetrable. It smelled and taste quite different from the yellow filthy fog of London; that was choking and thick and still, this was salty, light and pale and moving in front of my eyes all the time. I felt confused, teased by it, as though it were made up of millions of live fingers that crept over me, hung on to me and then shifted away again."
Another reason I loved this story is Kipps himself. So often ghost stories seem to contain weak lead characters that are easily frightened. I think I trusted Kipps' description of the events more because he was determined not to be easily scared off by rumors. The story scares with both the tangible and intangible, both scary in their own way. For example...
"At that moment I began to doubt my own reality."
Is anything more terrifying than that?
I absolutely recommend this one for anyone and everyone who likes a good scare.
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makes them both wonderful and infuriating. The Woman is Black doesn't take that approach. It is absolutely a ghost story and it scared me more than I'd like to admit (but in a good way!)
A young solicitor, Arthur Kipps, is dispatched to a remote corner of England to resolve the affairs of a recently deceased client, Mrs. Drablow. She had lived alone in a huge, old mansion, Eel Marsh House, on the outskirts of town. Kipps quickly realizes that things won't be as simple as he'd hoped, but every attempt he makes to get more information is thwarted. The townspeople's furtive glances and refusal to talk about Eel Marsh House heighten his suspicions that there's something very wrong with the house.
I think if I could sum up the book in one word it would be: satisfying. It perfectly fulfilled my own personal taste for a ghost story. I don't like graphic scenes of horror, but I love a good scare. I also want good characters and a believable plot. This one had the perfect balance of all of those factors and on top of that, the writing was excellent.
It has the best and most disturbing description of fog that I've ever read...
"It was a mist like a damp, clinging cobwebby thing, fine and yet impenetrable. It smelled and taste quite different from the yellow filthy fog of London; that was choking and thick and still, this was salty, light and pale and moving in front of my eyes all the time. I felt confused, teased by it, as though it were made up of millions of live fingers that crept over me, hung on to me and then shifted away again."
Another reason I loved this story is Kipps himself. So often ghost stories seem to contain weak lead characters that are easily frightened. I think I trusted Kipps' description of the events more because he was determined not to be easily scared off by rumors. The story scares with both the tangible and intangible, both scary in their own way. For example...
"At that moment I began to doubt my own reality."
Is anything more terrifying than that?
I absolutely recommend this one for anyone and everyone who likes a good scare.
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Subjects
Awards
Original publication date
1983
Local notes
creepy, had the feeling I'd read this before as a short story
Other editions
The Woman in Black: A Ghost Story by Susan Hill (Paperback)