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There are currently 15 member reviews
for Bellman & Black
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Teresa R. (Evansville, IN)
Well written, but lacking
The story immediately drew me in... but about half-way through the book, it started to really falter in terms of character development and plot. The book was well written but very dark and lost steam about half-way through. I also wouldn't call it a ghost story. Liked this authors' previous work much better
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Elise B. (Macedonia, OH)
Bellman and Black
Fans of historical fiction will be much more likely to enjoy Bellman and Black than a reader looking for a good ghost story. The story moves slowly through a man's life and his experiences of handling great tragedies in his life while still managing to be a highly successful businessman. There is the occasional facts about rooks thrown in and some dealings with a "Mr. Black" which attempt suspense, but, in my opinion, fail.
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Alice R. (Alexandria, VA)
A Ghost Story?
I have not read The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield, but heard good things about it and was looking forward to reading Bellman & Black. Although B&B is described as "A Ghost Story" on the book cover and title page, I didn't really see it as one. For me, ghost stories should be somewhat haunting and maybe a bit terrifying--Bellman & Black was neither.
B&B takes place in mid-19th century England and is the tale of William Bellman. It begins with an incident in his childhood and pretty much ends at his death. Bellman is a driven man who has experienced more than his share of tragedy. His single-mindedness and acuity lead to his success and wealth as a businessman, but at the same time do not allow him to appreciate that success or any of the good things that he has. Instead, he expends all his energy to maintain and improve his success and is obsessed with a perceived debt that he owes his absent partner, Black.
Bellman & Black is very readable and Bellman's story interesting, but I came away a little disappointed. Bellman & Black is a ghost story only in the loosest sense but, beyond that and more importantly, Bellman is a tragic character who is never able to see the error of his ways.
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Catherine H. (Nashua, NH)
Where dit the ghost go?
If you are looking for a ghost story, please skip this book as the ghost could be named "L'Arlesienne" rather than Black. But if you are looking for a book on the industrial revolution in 18th century England, this book is for you.
The story made me think of Zola's Ladies' Paradise but for the location (London instead or Paris).
After reading The thirteenth tale, I was expecting a gothic kind of story: big was my surprise as I finished the last page, I was still waiting for the ghost to appear.
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Madeline M. (FL)
Bellman and Black
I was pulled in right away by the storytelling nature of the voice, and the underlying eerie quality of the prose. But after the first chunk of the book, I wasn't as hooked by the story or the characters as I wanted to be. I kept reading because the writing itself was lovely and I was interested enough to see what was going to happen.
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GH (Las Vegas, NV)
Feeling a little let down
It is difficult for me to write a neutral review on this book because I truly enjoyed much of the story but the ending, although not out of left field or purposely written to jar the reader, was not what I consider in line with where most of the key elements of the story seem to lead the reader. In fact some of the story, which I had to re-read several times after finishing the book, including the back cover summary and a statement on the front cover, technically creates a different underlying premise for the story than actually is the case. Several other story elements do the same. When I finished the book, I actually felt kind of mislead and somewhat annoyed that significant parts of the story were not really tied to a coherent ending or an ending that provided a satisfying conclusion and the feeling that the investment made by faithfully following the story was worth it.
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Terri O. (Chapel Hill, NC)
Well written but ultimately disappointing
There is no denying that Diane Setterfield is a good writer. Her prose is eloquent and atmospheric, and she does a good job in Bellman & Black of bringing Victorian England to life. Unfortunately, I found the characters to be largely flat and uninteresting, and the entire plot hinged on a childhood event that seemed too inconsequential to bear the weight of future events. The first part of the book held my interest but then the plot flagged and my interest along with it. In addition, I thought the ending was abrupt and unsatisfying. I expected that there would be more to the childhood story on which the plot hinged and that the revelation of the additional details would explain the plot satisfactorily, but unfortunately no further details were forthcoming. I can't say that I would recommend this book to anyone.
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