LoveReading Says
The Thirteenth Tale, Diane Setterfield’s debut, was one of the most exciting first novels since The Time Traveler’s Wife (and recently adapted for TV by the BBC). Bellman and Black is darkly, satisfyingly mysterious. Not quite as much a ghost story as the sub-title would imply it is still rich and gothic and very enjoyable.
Reviewed by Sarah BroadhurstSarah Broadhurst spent her early working life in the book trade in both retail and wholesale until the arrival of children forced her to look for freelance work she could do from…
More reviews by Sarah Broadhurst About Bellman & Black
Bellman & Black is a heart-thumpingly perfect ghost story, beautifully and irresistibly written, its ratcheting tension exquisitely calibrated line by line. Its hero is William Bellman, who, as a boy of 11, killed a shiny black rook with a catapult, and who grew up to be someone, his neighbours think, who "e;could go to the good or the bad."e; And indeed, although William Bellman's life at first seems blessed--he has a happy marriage to a beautiful woman, becomes father to a brood of bright, strong children, and thrives in business--one by one, people around him die.
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Bellman & Black Synopsis
Bellman & Black is a heart-thumpingly perfect ghost story, beautifully and irresistibly written, its ratcheting tension exquisitely calibrated line by line. Its hero is William Bellman, who, as a boy of 11, killed a shiny black rook with a catapult, and who grew up to be someone, his neighbours think, who "e;could go to the good or the bad."e; And indeed, although William Bellman's life at first seems blessed--he has a happy marriage to a beautiful woman, becomes father to a brood of bright, strong children, and thrives in business--one by one, people around him die.
And at each funeral, he is startled to see a strange man in black, smiling at him. At first, the dead are distant relatives, but eventually his own children die, and then his wife, leaving behind only one child, his favourite, Dora. Unhinged by grief, William gets drunk and stumbles to his wife's fresh grave--and who should be there waiting, but the smiling stranger in black.
The stranger has a proposition for William--a mysterious business called "e;Bellman & Black"e; . . .
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Diane Setterfield Press Reviews
We have asked a select number of members and browsers to review Bellman & Black. You can read their reviews below.
Gill Wilmott - 'A skilful quirky book, written by someone with a bright unusual imagination, that I really enjoyed reading.' Click here to read the full review.
Angela Rhodes - 'If you want a creepy story, that will haunt you, one perfect, for a cold winters night, then let Dianne Setterfield's book, do it, Take a ride, on the back of a rook, into the world of Bellman & Black.' Click here to read the full review.
Berwyn Peet - 'A terrific read from a master story teller...it is one of the best-crafted and most captivating novels I have read this year.' Click here to read the full review.
Kath Martin - 'Having thoroughly researched the workings of a mill, Diane has woven her threads into a superb finished article. I just hope it's not too long before she writes another one.' Click here to read the full review.
Sue Broom - 'There is much here to enjoy. I loved reading everything she had to say about rooks and their behaviour, the folklore surrounding them and their persisting association with death.' Click here to read the full review.
Lynn Curtis - 'Jonathan Strange meets Mr Selfridge in this blacker than black morality/fairy story.' Click here to read the full review.
Richard Hamlin - 'This is a beautifully written novel, full of vivid description and metaphor; in fact Bellman & Black is, in essence, one great metaphor.' Click here to read the full review.
Lisa Redmond - 'This novel is a glorious return for a wonderful and talented writer.' Click here to read the full review.
Jane Carter - 'Lovely Victorian period details, a wonderful atmosphere, and a feeling of foreboding that never quite goes away.' Click here to read the full review.
Lindsay Healy - 'The gradual unfolding of events, the shadowy, ghostlike figure of Black and the discovery of Bellman’s destiny all rendered this an intriguing, mysterious and compulsive read.' Click here to read the full review.
Jill Peters - 'I learnt so much about the everyday trials of Victorian life facing William Bellman, striving to reach his vision and ambitions for his future success. But most of all, I learnt about the common and garden rook. They are not what they seem to mere human beings. I will watch my back and treat them with the utmost respect in future.' Click here to read the full review.
Carolyn Huckfield - 'Bellman and Black is a funeral service like no other in Victorian England. What is the mystery that surrounds it? An amazing read with a Victorian backdrop.' Click here to read the full review.
Vanessa Wild - 'An unusual, atmospheric and disturbing story set in the Victorian era. I will never look at a rook in the same way again!' Click here to see the full review.
Sarah Musk - 'A mysterious, dark book with a sense of unease pervading the whole story. William Bellman commits one rash act as a young boy which has a terrible impact on his adult life.' Click here to resad the full review.
JB Johnston - 'A creepy and brooding type of story with an undercurrent of something lurking. Very well written.' Click here to read the full review.
Kathy Howell - 'This has enough mystery to keep the reader interested but is a very easy read. I enjoyed this book and will look for others by this author.' Click here to read the full review.
Josie Barton - 'Bellman and Black is a quietly reflective novel which explores the Victorian’s morbid fascination for death, and in doing so, uncovers an unusual story about the pain of bereavement.' Click here to read the full review.
Teresa Majury - 'it's well written, you'll learn something about rooks and it captures the Victorians' morbid fascination with death but it left me cold.' Click here to read the full review.
About Diane Setterfield
Born in Berkshire, Diane Setterfield was educated at Theale Green Comprehensive School and Bristol University. Her degree in French literature led her to teach in universities in England and France, where she lived for several years. Diane's previous publications have been in the field of 19th and 20th century French literature, specialising in the writings of André Gide. After returning to the UK, Diane ran a business teaching French to those intending to live in France. She lives in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, with her husband.
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