Bellman & Black

A Ghost Story

By: Diane Setterfield

Narrated by: Jack Davenport

Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

As a boy, William Bellman commits one small, cruel act: killing a bird with his slingshot. Little does he know the unforeseen and terrible consequences of the deed, which is soon forgotten amidst the riot of boyhood games. By the time he is grown, with a wife and children of his own, William seems to be a man blessed by fortune - until tragedy strikes and the stranger in black comes. Then he starts to wonder if all his happiness is about to be eclipsed. Desperate to save the one precious thing he has left, William enters into a rather strange bargain, with an even stranger partner, to found a decidedly macabre business.

And Bellman & Black is born.

©2013 Diane Setterfield (P)2013 Simon & Schuster

If you loved the Thirteenth Tale you will love this. Enthralling!

I was totally engrossed by this book from the beginning. I “Felt” this. The Narrator was perfect for this wonderful story. I’m going to listen to it again and again.

Disappointing

I looked forward to reading another book from this author of The Thirteenth Tale. However,I did not enjoy Bellman and Black. Very slow and somewhat predictable story. I frequently had to go back and relisten to parts because my mind would wander.

Nothing like the Thirteenth Tale

This book barely kept my interest. The thirteenth tale was 100 % better. I'll look for her next one.

Wanted it to be better

Love Dine Setterfield’s writing, but this one just did not do it for me. I was hoping for more character development with other characters then just Bellman. This one was just not up to my expectations. O well!

Historical drama with a touch of the Supernatural

Fantastic! Absolutely enthralling. Not a mystery like other Diane Settterfield books (which I also loved), and this was cited by other reviews as a complaint, a disappointment. Don't Fall For It.

very slow start but worth it

in my opinion and my opinion only both of these authors books were amazing slow to start the swim slowest yet but once you can mark the halfway mark it is entrancing creepy and overall an amazing story

Well written but not like Thirteenth Tale

I listened to Thirteenth Tale first which was very interesting with twists and unexpected revelations. B & B is quite different. Very well written but without the same intrigue and discovery.

A magical piece of storytelling.

While it wasn’t quite what I expected, I was completely taken in my this fascinating telling of a man’s life and the special connections his future made to his past. I was second guessing myself constantly as I tried to predict the motivation of certain characters and how the story would ultimately end. Be a she is such a great author, I was surprised more often than not. The twists and turns were compelling, and I highly recommend this book.

Nevermore

Not everyone will like this one, but I did. I love how Diane Setterfield takes books like Jane Eyer in the Thirteenth Tale and now Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven and constructs a new story around the same premise. If you don't get "The Raven" you probably won't get Bellman and Black. The story is so well done. It is a slow moving story of the life of William Bellman. He spends half of his life in pursuit of riches, but at what price? The Raven's sorrowful words of "never more" are brought to mind over and over again. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It makes me want to enjoy the relationships of those around me and never take a moment for granted of the time I have with those I hold so dear.

Memory and thought

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. Setterfield's prose is exquisite. She weaves dark sensual landscapes and folklore into a rich narrative.

What did you like best about this story?

The imagery created by the author's prose and the characters.

What does Jack Davenport bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He is excellent.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No, but I developed an intimacy with the characters and a sadness in response to their suffering.

Any additional comments?

Although the plot is not as clever as her previous work, she still held me spellbound.