Review : Bellman and Black by Diane Setterfield
Bellman and Black by Diane Setterfield
Pages : 336
Genre : Fiction
Stand alone
My Rating : 3.5/5
From the back of the book :
Years later, when a stranger mysteriously enters William’s life, his fortunes begin to turn—and the terrible and unforeseen consequences of his past indiscretion take root. In a desperate bid to save the only precious thing he has left, he enters into a rather strange bargain, with an even stranger partner. Together, they found a decidedly macabre business.
My Thoughts :
If you have read Diane Setterfield’s The Thirteenth Tale, then you already know how gorgeous and evocative her writing is! When I heard of Bellman & Black, the one thing I had high expectations for was her beautiful prose, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. Her writing was even more engaging than I remembered, and it was a pleasure to follow her through the dark and gothic tale of William Bellman.
The setting was rich and the atmosphere really gripping. From the start, I was pulled into William’s life and I love how we followed him from childhood to his career to his own adult life. As readers, we got to witness most of William’s important life events, and even though it was quick, it felt slow in a good way, just the right pace. There’s an air of mystery that envelops his whole life, and while it does take a little while before we get to the heart of it (this isn’t a instant-adventure kind of book), it is absolutely worth the trip.
I did enjoy this book a little less than The Thirteenth Tale though, and I think there were two reasons for this. First, I found there were a lot of details about his work, which didn’t bring anything to the story or the feel of it. While I admire the research the author must have put into it, it was at times a little too technical, almost jarringly so compared to her beautiful writing.
I also found it difficult to relate to William or any of the characters. There was a constant distance between me and them I felt, a distance the narration didn’t manage to diminish. So while I was absolutely in love with the gothic atmosphere and the writing, I was a little disappointed I didn’t feel strong love or hate or anything passionate for the characters.
All in all though, I really liked this one. Diane Setterfield has been part of my two participations to the R.I.P. challenge, and I’m a little sad there isn’t more from her waiting for me. Even with its little flaws, this book has some gorgeous qualities, and I’ll be happy to recommend it to readers looking for a dark, enigmatic tale.
Bellman & Black will be available for sale on November 5! Thanks to Atria Books for generously providing a digital copy of the book for this review.
I have been looking for a new book to read – I might have to pick this one up.
Based on the comments I got on my mailbox post, this one is getting very mixed reviews. I’m anxious to read it to see how I react.