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4.5 stars
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield is one of my favorite books. I read it around the same time that I read The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton and Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger. All three books were similar yet very different and I loved all three. I’ve been waiting for a new book by Diane Setterfield and this month, I got my wish!
Bellman and Black is a beautifully written dark tale. I’ve heard some readers complain that the story is slow moving but I found I enjoyed ...more
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield is one of my favorite books. I read it around the same time that I read The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton and Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger. All three books were similar yet very different and I loved all three. I’ve been waiting for a new book by Diane Setterfield and this month, I got my wish!
Bellman and Black is a beautifully written dark tale. I’ve heard some readers complain that the story is slow moving but I found I enjoyed ...more
Because I have not read The Thirteenth Tale, I didn't have to be disappointed by comparing it to Bellman $ Black. However sine the cover indicates that this is a ghost story I felt it fell short of that. I realize that in a novel set in this time period something bad must happen to Bellman because of his childhood transgression, but what happened didn't make much sense to me, and the ending was flat.
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I loved this. It's creepy, in a Gothic novel sort of way. It's not a scary book by any means, unless you consider contemplating Death to be scary. It put me very much in mind of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, which I also loved. I would go so far as to say that if you didn't care for that one, you probably won't like this one much, either. It has a very similar feel about it.
Mr. Bellman is the protagonist here and as a boy, sets the arc of his life into motion when he kills a rook. He spends ...more
Mr. Bellman is the protagonist here and as a boy, sets the arc of his life into motion when he kills a rook. He spends ...more
Diane Setterfield is a wonderful story teller. However, I hated the premise of this story. A ten year old child makes a mistake and then (view spoiler) Just seems way too harsh. The thing is, though, I couldn't stop reading this. I guess I was waiting for a redemption that never really came. Though I hated the premise, the writing is very good.
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Setterfield sets a gothic mood well, but the plot, such as it is, is too thin to sustain a full novel; this likely would have been more successful as a short story or novella. An interesting idea, but needs more oomph to make the most of it.
Aug 07, 2010
Daisy
marked it as to-read
Sep 05, 2013
Efe
marked it as to-read
Sep 12, 2013
Stephanie
marked it as to-read
Oct 16, 2013
Deedee
marked it as to-read
Oct 31, 2013
Denise
marked it as to-read
Nov 13, 2013
Anika
marked it as to-read
Dec 12, 2013
Chantal
marked it as to-read
Jul 20, 2015
Vesra (When She Reads)
marked it as to-read
Shelves:
horror,
e-book,
b,
author-s,
fiction,
mystery-thrillers,
science-fiction-fantasy,
pub-atria,
gothic,
c-black
Feb 24, 2021
Sharon
marked it as to-read
Nov 14, 2023
Shabz
added it
