The Woman in Black

I chose to read this book as there is much hype at the moment due to the film starring Daniel Radcliffe coming out in the cinema, and because I am not brave enough to put myself through the theatre experience, and after reading the book, probably the film as well! The book starts with Arthur Kipps and his family on Christmas Eve telling ghost stories, and when it is his turn, he is reluctant to tell it. It is written as if he is speaking to the reader directly and he decides to share his story with you. The descriptions Susan Hill uses in the book are excellent in creating suspense and terror. As I have not been to see the theatre show and have only seen trailers for the new film, it was as if I was working from scratch, so any image I had in my head was created only by my own imagination. Arthur Kipps makes the journey to Crythin Gifford to attend the funeral of Alice Drablow and to deal with her house and correspondence. He is sent by his boss and is happy to take on the case as he feels it will set him in good stead with the solicitors. However, when he arrives there and starts speaking to the inhabitants of the town, they are reluctant to engage in a conversation about it the house (Eel Marsh House) or Mrs Drablow. He puts it down to rudeness. He attends the funeral and while he is there he sees a woman dressed all in black, and this is the first time the book started to take on its scary form. He describes the woman as looking as if her skin is stretched across her bones and she is extremely pale and deathly. When he mentions it to somebody, it is brushed off as nobody wants to talk about it or acknowledge it. He then goes to Eel Marsh House which he can only get to by a pony and trap because he has to travel across Nine Lives Causeway which you can only travel on when the tide is out. It is there that he starts to experience the ghostly goings on of the house, and when he starts to realise that all is not what it seems with Eel Marsh House, Alice Drablow or, indeed, the woman in black. This book truly terrified me!! I read it as I thought it would be the coward's way out so I would know the story without having to go to the theatre or watch the film, however, the book is just as bad, if not more scary as it is only your own imagination creating how you see it. A brilliant story, and I did not see the end coming. Not so much a twist in the story, but definitely the best way to end this classic ghost tale. If you are going to be watching the film or seeing the show, I would highly recommend you read the book first, as I am a strong believer that the book is always better! And if anything, it will hopefully prepare you for the terrifying encounter upon which you are about to embark. Strongly recommended read and the only reason I won't be reading it again is because it scared me so much!

Creepy Victorian ghost story for a dark wintry night in front of the log fire with a glass of Brandy. Brilliant in every way. Heard a rumour that Hill's doing a sequel. Hope so.

Remember looking through the category books, historical, fiction, ghost about a month ago and close to the bottom of the list was this, (not great) then saw the film twice and its shot up to 18th most sold book on the store already and I don't blame it. Great