The Woman in Black: Amazon.ca: Susan Hill: Books

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‘A rattling good yearn, the sort that chills the mind as well as the spine’ -- Guardian

‘She writes with great power… Authentically chilling’ -- Daily Telegraph

‘An excellent ghost story… magnificently eerie… compulsive reading’ -- Evening Standard

Book Description

Set in Victorian England, Arthur Kipps, a junior solicitor in London, is summoned to Crythin Gifford to attend the funeral of Mrs Alice Drablow, and to sort through her papers before returning to London. It is here that Kipps first sees the woman in black and begins to gain an impression of the mystery surrounding her. From the funeral he travels to Eel Marsh House and sees the woman again, plus he also hears the terrifying sounds of adult and child passengers sinking into the quicksand on a pony and trap.

Despite Kipps’s experiences he resolves to spend the night at the house and fulfil hi professional duty.It is this night at Eel Marsh House that contains the greatest horror for Kipps. Rescued by Mr Daily, a friend he met on the train, Kipps discovers the reasons behind the hauntings at Eel Marsh House. The book ends with tragedy, with the woman in black exacting a final, terrible revenge.

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Customer Reviews

17 Reviews

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
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Average Customer Review

4.6 out of 5 stars (17 customer reviews)

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Strange Tale of a Lonely House, Aug 17 2007

By

Nolene-Patricia Dougan "Dougs" (Ravara, Ireland) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: The Woman in Black (Paperback)

My first experience of The Woman in Black was at the age of 12. It was Christmas Eve, and there was an adaptation of the story on the television that night. My family wanted to watch Legal Eagles on another channel, but I was firm in my resolve - I had to see The Woman in Black. Eventually, I won the argument and we all settled down to watch the chilling tale on a cold Christmas Eve night. I have to admit at 12 years - old, this was a mistake; I was terrified. I had never seen anything quite as frightening before or since.

The Woman in Black is now enjoying a revival as a stage play being performed on the West End. With this knowledge, I recently decided to face my childhood fear and read the book...I was not disappointed.

The book begins on Christmas Eve (as all good ghost stories should!), when a family is gathered around the fire telling each other ghastly tales of spectres and spirits. The patriarch of the family, Arthur Kipps, has remained tight lipped as he listens to the frivolous and gratuitous fables that are pouring out of his family's mouths. When finally pressed to see if he has a story to tell, he reacts angrily, not wanting to tell the tale that has haunted his dreams for decades - for his tale is far more disturbing, far more terrifying and, most shockingly, his story is completely true.

The premise is far from original: Arthur Kipps, a junior solicitor in a London law firm, is asked to attend the funeral of Mrs Drablow. While Kipps attends the funeral at the little, seaside town of Crythin Griffin, he has been asked to go through any papers that Mrs. Drablow has left behind in attempt to find a benefactor, as she has no living children. Kipps travels to the town, grateful for the opportunity, and not knowing what he will find there. And this is where the story begins to stand apart from its often-used classic scenario.

When Kipps reaches the town, he discovers the Ell marsh (Mrs. Drablow's house) is separated from the town by a narrow causeway and when the tide is in, anyone who occupies the house is totally isolated from the rest of the world and the safety and reassurance that the living offer. While there, the woman in black appears to Kipps only a handful of times, but each time more terrifying than the last, with the malevolence and sense of danger increasing with her every visit. Kipps' anxiety at seeing her increases until he is terrified of the harm she may do.

The Woman in Black is a gripping tale that will have its readers on the edge of their seat. If I have one criticism, it is the final appearance of the woman in black and that her sinister intentions seem rushed in the last few pages of the book. Otherwise, the book is paced to perfection, but the ending comes all too quickly as up until this point the book has built tension with every glimpse of this nefarious apparition. In the end, this robs the reader of the uneasy feeling that readers of this sort of novel crave!

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3.0 out of 5 stars Nice read, but not too scary, Mar 15 2012

By

Reading in Winter (Edmonton, AB CANADA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: The Woman in Black (Paperback)

I've been finding, in my quest for the scariest horror read, that movies scare me more than books. I really think that books should come with a soundtrack because even as I was watching the movie trailer for Susan Hill's book, The Woman in Black, I was getting freaked out. After seeing the trailer, I knew I had to read the book because it looked delightfully thrilling and just what I was looking for.

Though, as I read through the book's pages, I realized that I should stick to movies because they're just creepier than any book will be. Does that make me a bad reader?

Regardless, I defend my idea: if someday in the future, everyone read at the same pace, maybe books should come with soundtracks to listen to as you read, especially horror books because I think that would really amp up the horror.

But I digress. This is a book review, isn't it?

The Woman In Black is a story told by Arthur Kipps as he recalls events that happened when he stayed at an old house while going through the papers of its deceased owner. Things start to happen and he starts seeing things and hearing things that are definitely not of this world.

While I didn't find this book particularly scary, I did find it somewhat creepy. The atmosphere is spine-chilling and the narrative definitely sucks the reader in.

Of course, that being said, it wasn't my favourite read. I felt certain parts dragged the short novel down and I ended the book having wanted more from the story. While it had its creepy moments, I thought that it was lacking in suspense and was a wee biti predictable.

I do look forward to seeing the movie as I'm eager to see Daniel Radcliff in a non-Harry Potter role.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Good old fashioned spooky tale, Mar 6 2012

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Dawn - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Woman in Black: Movie Tie-in (Paperback)

I watched the movie with Daniel Radcliffe first, and was taken by the intelligence of the suspense. In a day and age of Saw movies which are not much more than "gore porn", it was refreshing to see something that was scary in it's subtleties. Because I enjoyed the film so much, I purchased the book. I would say that both media forms improved upon the other, or perhaps what I could say is... where the book lacked, the movie made up, and reading the book after the movie allowed me to appreciate the better parts of the original written form.

It's a great book... period appropriate language paints a haunting picture in the mind's eye. It really is a good old fashioned spooky tale... I definitely kept my eyes peeled for the woman in black as I went to bed each night ;)

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars The Woman in Black
I bought the book for $1.00 plus shipping which is still less expensive then in a store. It arrived rather quickly and was in near perfect condition. Read more

Published 19 months ago by No pen name

4.0 out of 5 stars Short and interesting story.
This novel keeps you guessing. Mysterious and just a little bit scarey. It's very short which is ideal for this type of story.

Published on Jan 15 2010 by Will Shakes