The Man in the Picture

By: Susan Hill

Narrated by: Paul Andsell, Jessica Rushton

Length: 2 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's Summary

A mysterious depiction of masked revellers at the Venice carnival hangs in the college rooms of Oliver's old professor in Cambridge. On this cold winter's night, its eerie secret is revealed by the ageing don. The dark art of the Venetian scene, instead of imitating life, has the power to entrap it.

To stare into the painting is to play dangerously with the unseen demons it hides, and become the victim of its macabre beauty....

©2007 Long Barn Books Ltd (P)2008 Long Barn Books Ltd

Fun spine tingler

Susan Hill has the ghost story down pat. She writes with great economy - no frills, just chills. Hers are the fun, tingle-up-your-spine campfire stories in which you may see what's coming, but enjoy getting there anyway. The premise of The Man in the Picture has been seen before in other formats, but Hill's writing is good enough to make it a worthy read. Paul Andsell's reading is mostly good, although his voicing of the ancient Countess is too old lady falsetto for my taste. I just enjoyed this short little tale for what it is - a nice spooky snack between larger reads.

Haunting and evocative

I love Susan HIll's writing. She has many gifts, but the one I most enjoy is her ability to create a haunting, suspense-filled atmosphere full of sensory detail. THE MAN IN THE PICTURE is a jewel of a ghost story in the tradition of M.R. James and I loved every minute of it. The narration was superb. You may never again regard a painting of masqued Venetian revelers without awe...

So So

Where does The Man in the Picture rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Towards the bottom

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Man in the Picture?

The twist at the end

What three words best describe Paul Andsell and Jessica Rushton ’s performance?

Sing song

Who was the most memorable character of The Man in the Picture and why?

Contessa

Any additional comments?

I found myself drifting while listening to this book. It seemed like there were a lot of times in would go into too much detail. I enjoyed this book. Both Readers have a British accent.

Classic style horror story with great twist

Would you consider the audio edition of The Man in the Picture to be better than the print version?

Yes, the narration brings the sense of suspense and doom inherent in the story vividly to life.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The final chapters add an ironic twist to the expected outcome. It was sometimes difficult to follow the level of the story as it was being told through several layers.

Have you listened to any of Paul Andsell and Jessica Rushton ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Both did a great job.

Any additional comments?

If you liked the Woman in Black, you will like this story.

Quick, enjoyable, old-fashioned ghost story

An enjoyable story within a story within a story; there are four narrators embedded within each other. Don't let that throw you off; this is one of those horror stories that makes you tense and nervous without blood or grime. It is the reader's imagination that provides the horror behind the loss and the mysteriously-powered painting. A concise, quick-read novella, the author of the Woman in Black has created a tight tale, an old-fashioned horror/ghost story that is a real pleasure to read and makes fear and literary anxiety fun.

Tea-Time at the Horror Show...

Terrible performances undo an otherwise excellent story. But the performances, so caught up in the accuracy of their accents, make an otherwise gripping horror story sound like 'My Dinner with Andre' over high tea.

Sadly not one of Susan Hill’s best.

I am a great fan of Susan Hill. I enjoy her detective series and her gothic horror (particularly The Woman in Black). This book however is not up to her usual standard at all. Moreover, in some places one could be forgiven for thinking it was written by an amateur attempting to write for the first time. Let’s hope it is just a temporary blip.

Good but not great.

Nice naration and story but not quite in the same league as Woman in Black. Worth a listen for the price.

Intriguing

Kept in suspense although never really explained the picture's origin. All narrators were good and easy to listen to.

Another scary story from Susan Hill

You can rely on Susan Hill to deliver a story that is genuinely spooky and without resorting to crass over the top horror. This is a fantastic example and just the right length for one atmospheric sitting.

The Man in the Picture

A wonderful reading of the excellent book by Susan Hill. An incredible atmosphere and telling that catapults the reader to the conclusion. This story should definitely be made into a television or film version.