The Woman in Black - Susan Hill

the woman in black
susan hill
c. 1989
144 pages
completed 7/28/2009

read for: themed reading challenge

*may contain spoilers*

As a young attorney, Arthur Kipps travels to the north of England following the death of a Mrs. Drablaw. As a representative of his firm, he attends Mrs. Drablaw's funeral and moves into her old house for a few days to go through her papers and attend to any outstanding legal affairs. The other inhabitants of Mrs. Drablaw's town refuse to go near her house and even to speak much of her. And Arthur soon discovers why.

I saw the play that was based on the novella when my family took a Christmas trip to London in 2002. We managed to squeeze in five shows during our week long trip. In case anyone cares, the other four were Les Miserables, HMS Pinafore, 125th Street, and The Lion King. So this was the only non musical. And I have to say, the play was much scarier than the book. I had nightmares for months which, at 17 years old, was somewhat embarrassing.

This is not to say the book was bad, far from it in fact. Even though I'd seen the play, it was years ago and I remembered next to nothing about the actual mystery. So I was just as intrigued as poor Arthur. Just the emotion the book was able to elicit was more one of sadness than of terror. The book was definitely creepy, old house and rising mists and ghosts in the graveyard and all that, but I never felt the terror I think I was supposed to feel.

3/5