Book 170: The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

I read The Woman in Black because someone told me it was one of her favorite horror stories. I also picked it up because my book is taking forever to finish and this classic by Susan Hill was under 200 pages. Have I told you already that reading two books a week is not easy?

Arthur, the main character in this book, told the story of himself as a young lawyer in London sent to the coastal town of Crythin Grifford to settle the final affairs of his firm's client, Mrs. Drablow. He found himself on the receiving end of a haunting which changed his life forever, and he never had a chance.

As far as story lines go, The Woman in Black had a good one. I felt drawn in right away. The author's ability to describe landscapes was on point - the marshes and inn and Eel Marsh House were vivid. Her skill for building suspense was great. Still, I wasn't all that impressed with one character in the book who I felt would have certainly come forward with helpful information sooner had he actually had the relationship with Arthur that was described in the book. 

Although I liked the way the book was written (the Gothic style reminded me of Great Expectations by Dickens), the horror was a bit soft for me. The author's use of foreboding was fantastic, but I kept waiting for something new and terrible to emerge. Yeah, the end was bad, but I'm a seasoned horror junkie; I've read the worst of the worst, which has probably my shudder reflex and reduced my capability to feel real fear about ghosts. It's guts and gore and rabid dogs and real monsters that live among us that get me squirming. 

If you want a good story that will give you chills but you don't want to throw up, this would be the way to go. It's just creepy enough. 

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