A Ghost Story. Pffttt! A ghost story my ass. How did that even get IN the title here? Because, it's not ANYWHERE in my book. Not on the cover. Not on the title page. Nowhere. It's Bellman & Black, A Novel. Full stop. No mention of 'A Ghost Story'. Anywhere.I feel so cheated.Imagine me, a grown woman, throwing myself onto the floor, kicking my feet, pounding my fists, and screaming in frustration. That just about perfectly describes the tantrum I envisioned myself having at the end. Because, I re...

If you loved The Thirteenth Tale, as I did, Bellman and Black will feel like it wasn't even written by the same author. I stayed with it through page 161. That's over half the book, so I gave it a fair shot, and way more of my time than it deserved. What is the stinking point of the story? Nothing happens. A lot of people die, but Setterfield doesn't make you care about them. If you want to read a boring novel about the textile industry, this is exactly the book you've been waiting for.

‘’In the few minutes since the boys had left the place, rooks had come. They circled above the oak, fifteen or twenty of them. More were arriving from all directions. They stretched across the sky, loose skeins of dark marks, converging on this place. One by one they descended to alight in the branches of the tree. Ordinarily such a congregation would be accompanied by the noise of strong chatter as the birds flung sound at each other like gravel. This gathering was different: it took place i

After reading Once Upon a River, I decided to check other novels by Diane Setterfield. Bellman & Black is did not disappoint me with its Gothic atmosphere and beautiful writing style. I somehow enjoyed the first part of the novel more, probably because it is so very much Victorian and I am not that much into horrors, however part two with its creepiness and the black colour omnipresent did give me some shivers ……. I believe Diane Setterfield is one of those authors whose every next book is bette...

As usual, I received this book not through actually purchasing it but because someone gave it to me for review. In this case the book came from a galley giveaway on ShelfAwareness. Despite that kind consideration I'm still not afraid to roast even a free book with a scathing review. Luckily in this case, no such conflagration is necessary.Firstly, it should be noted that I religiously avoid reading the back jackets of books, so going into this one I had only the cover and the subtitle "A ghost s...

Diane Setterfield is a new author for me & I wanted to try something in this genre out of my comfort zone, unfortunately this wasn't for me, although the beginning had me hooked but it was way to slow. William was an interesting character being a Bellman, there were so many red herrings in this it made my head spin was well written & crafted, just the pace of it was dragging, will try someone else in this genre you never give up after one book. 2.5 stars

I’d have to say it’s rather difficult to describe my emotional state after finishing BELLMAN & BLACK: A GHOST STORY. On the one hand, this was a well-written, slowly developing story that caused me to contemplate the consequences of all my actions, not just the major, life changing experiences; on the other, it did have ghostly elements, but when I picture a ghost story, this isn’t exactly what I have in mind. It’s more of a literary ghost story where you realize the ghosts are there, but they h...

I know this is largely regarded as her poorest showing, but as a Diane Setterfield completionist I’m just going to have to see for myself!

I had read the reviews for this and was aware that many people did not like it so I started in with fear and trepidation. All unfounded because I really enjoyed it! It took a while to get into the story but by the second half I was completely engrossed and had to keep reading to the end. I loved the parallel chapters featuring the ravens and the little comments about the different names for a group of them. And the clever little paragraph at the end where we discover what ravens call a group of

English author Diane Setterfield's debut novel, The Thirteenth Tale, was a big seller in America, reaching #1 in the charts. I didn't actually know this when I read it: I happened upon it at the library, thought it sounded like my kind of thing, and really enjoyed reading it, although I didn't find it particularly remarkable. Subsequently finding out about Setterfield's huge success in the US made me more interested in the author's next move than I probably would have been otherwise, and when I

I have been eagerly waiting for a second book by Setterfield, hope it will be as engrossing as the first one!

2.5 starsDespite all the write ups saying this is a ghost story, for me it clearly is not. It is certainly a hefty slice of Victorian gothic which reads very easily. Essentially it is the life of William Bellman with some detailed descriptions of the milling business and the Victorian funeral industry. There is also a great deal about rooks and the mythology surrounding them. When he is ten William is playing with three friends. He aims his catapult at a bird at an impossible distance. By some f...

I don't remember being any more conflicted with a review rating as I am with Diane Setterfield's latest Bellman & Black. On one hand it's beautifully written and on the other, I just felt so hollow inside upon finishing it. After reading rave reviews for her bestseller The Thirteenth Tale I may have set the bar too high but... where can you go wrong when the word Ghost is a part of its title?William Bellman is 11 when the story begins and progresses with him as an adult. Everything about Bellma...

Bellman & Black wasn’t just the worst novel I’ve read all year (and I’ve read some humdingers this year!) but it’s down there amongst the worst novels I’ve ever had the misfortune to read. The pathetic story (I can’t put enough quotation marks around that word so I won’t try) is about a Victorian entrepreneur called William Bellman who makes his mill a success and then sets up a successful funeral shop called Bellman & Black in London. I shit you not, that is 97% of the book! Some 300 pages devo...

I knew from the book's synopsis that a pivotal moment in William Bellman's life was the day he killed a rook with a rock and catapult. This hardly seems like a momentous occasion, but this childhood incident weaves a mysterious and macabre thread throughout the book.Set in early Victorian England, this story centers around the local Bellman Mill. William Bellman begins life with the handicap of being born of scandal. His father married beneath his family's station in life, and was shunned therea...

This is a wonderful novel - rich and fascinating, powerful and wonderfully written. I love the characterisation, and the exploration of death and grief is fantastic. I'd highly recommend.

Beautifully written, but I struggled to connect with any of the characters. I could not feel happy or sad for them. I actually liked the first quarter of the book, but then the story just became flat. I felt no tension building towards the conclusion, and was left wondering, so what?I am in no doubt that the author can write wonderful books, and I was captivated by her previous novel. Unfortunately this one missed the mark for me.The story: As a boy, William Bellman commits one small cruel act t...

To put it rather bluntly, this book is not very popular among fans of Diane Setterfield's previous novel, The Thirteenth Tale, who I suppose wanted something more along the same lines in her new novel, Bellman and Black and didn't get it. I sort of feel like one of the lone holdouts -- I actually liked this book. Then again, I went into it without any expectations: even though I also liked The Thirteenth Tale, I wasn't expecting this one to be a carbon copy. I still don't understand why people c...