What do readers think of Bellman & Black by Diane Setterfield? Write your own review.

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.

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.

First of all, I was eagerly anticipating this book. I loved Diane Setterfield's previous book, The Thirteenth Tale. The cover mentions Bellman & Black A Ghost Story. Who doesn't' like a good ghost story? I was about half way through the book when I realized there wasn't any character development. The reader would meet a character and then they were gone in a chapter. Its about William Bellman. He had an incident in his childhood that will haunt him later in life. By the time I got to this part of the book- I didn't care. It isn't clear what time period the book is set. I tried to get through this book. I feel badly that I had to skim to the end. Maybe it's just me--I like to connect to a story by the characters. There wasn't that connection for me. I'm so sorry to say that I can't recommend this book.