A classic ghost story: the chilling tale of a menacing specter haunting a small English town. Arthur Kipps is an up-and-coming London solicitor who is sent to Crythin Gifford--a faraway town in the windswept salt marshes beyond Nine Lives Causeway--to attend the funeral and settle the affairs of a client, Mrs. Alice Drablow of Eel Marsh House. Mrs. Drablow's house stands at the end of the causeway, wreathed in fog and mystery, but Kipps is unaware of the tragic secrets that lie hidden behind its sheltered windows. The routine business trip he anticipated quickly takes a horrifying turn when he finds himself haunted by a series of mysterious sounds and images--a rocking chair in a deserted nursery, the eerie sound of a pony and trap, a child's scream in the fog, and, most terrifying of all, a ghostly woman dressed all in black.
The Woman in Black: A Ghost Story (Vintage)
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle. Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||
Browse the best books for every age and adventure including popular series, classics, and editors' picks in our Kids Summer Reading Store. |
Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Editorial Reviews
Review
"A rattling good yarn, the sort that chills the mind as well as the spine." --The Guardian
"Excellent. . . . magnificently eerie. . . . compulsive reading." --Evening Standard
"The most brilliantly effective spine chillder you will ever encounter." --The Daily Telegraph
"[A] highly efficient chiller. . . . Nerve shredding." --The Daily Express
"Excellent. . . . magnificently eerie. . . . compulsive reading." --Evening Standard
"The most brilliantly effective spine chillder you will ever encounter." --The Daily Telegraph
"[A] highly efficient chiller. . . . Nerve shredding." --The Daily Express
About the Author
Susan Hill’s novels and short stories have won the Whitbread, Somerset Maugham and John Llewellyn Rhys Prizes. Her novels include The Mist in the Mirror, the Simon Serallier crime series, and I’m the King of the Castle. She also wrote Mrs. de Winter, the sequel to Rebecca, and her ghost story The Woman in Black was adapted for the stage and has been running in London for over 21 years. She lives in Gloucestershire, where she runs her own small publishing company, Long Barn Books.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? |
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
42 of 45 people found the following review helpful
By AJ
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
No neat and tidy endings here, folks. Just strap yourselves in for a great ghost story, complete with nighttime hauntings galore. This is one of those stores that might keep you up at night, just envisioning everything again and again. The author does a great job of making the reader feel like he or she is there with this young attorney - suffering through the whole thing.
Enjoy! I'm now looking forward to the movie next year - shame they couldn't have released it around Halloween...
Enjoy! I'm now looking forward to the movie next year - shame they couldn't have released it around Halloween...
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
By Miss Bonnie
Format:Paperback
'Yes, I had a story, a true story, a story of haunting and evil, fear and confusion, horror and tragedy.
Storyline
Arthur Kipps is a junior solicitor from London who has been asked by his employer to attend the funeral of Mrs. Alice Drablow in Crythin Gifford. He must also visit her residence in order to collect any important paperwork that she may have been left behind. Arthur sees the woman in black at Mrs. Drablow's funeral and again at her residence at Eel Marsh House. She doesn't appear to be a malevolent spirit so Arthur doesn't worry too much and decides to spend the night at the house so that he can quickly finish his work and return to London. But that night, Arthur begins to hear unexplainable sounds and worries that he may have underestimated the woman in black.
'...piercing through the surface of my dreams, came the terrified whinnying of the pony and the crying and calling of that child over and over, while I stood, helpless in the mist, my feet held fast, my body pulled back, and while behind me, though I could not see, only sense her dark presence, hovered the woman.'
Thoughts
I quite enjoyed this quick little read and am glad I finally got around to reading it. I love ghost stories even though I tend to scare quite easily... and this book was no exception. The writing was beautiful and vividly creepy and definitely manages to get under your skin even though the real scary parts don't even start till the latter half of the book. The descriptions were spot on and the whole book is simply eerie even though, in thinking back to it, nothing real huge actually happens. The ghost doesn't come alive and smother him in his sleep or glue the windows shut or anything absurd like that.... Read more ›
Storyline
Arthur Kipps is a junior solicitor from London who has been asked by his employer to attend the funeral of Mrs. Alice Drablow in Crythin Gifford. He must also visit her residence in order to collect any important paperwork that she may have been left behind. Arthur sees the woman in black at Mrs. Drablow's funeral and again at her residence at Eel Marsh House. She doesn't appear to be a malevolent spirit so Arthur doesn't worry too much and decides to spend the night at the house so that he can quickly finish his work and return to London. But that night, Arthur begins to hear unexplainable sounds and worries that he may have underestimated the woman in black.
'...piercing through the surface of my dreams, came the terrified whinnying of the pony and the crying and calling of that child over and over, while I stood, helpless in the mist, my feet held fast, my body pulled back, and while behind me, though I could not see, only sense her dark presence, hovered the woman.'
Thoughts
I quite enjoyed this quick little read and am glad I finally got around to reading it. I love ghost stories even though I tend to scare quite easily... and this book was no exception. The writing was beautiful and vividly creepy and definitely manages to get under your skin even though the real scary parts don't even start till the latter half of the book. The descriptions were spot on and the whole book is simply eerie even though, in thinking back to it, nothing real huge actually happens. The ghost doesn't come alive and smother him in his sleep or glue the windows shut or anything absurd like that.... Read more ›
21 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
From the first page of this exciting novel I am reminded of the pleasure of reading good literature, of the sensory acclaim of a Charles Dickens or a Henry James. I relaxed into the narrative knowing I should be on edge, expecting the subsequent horrors, but Ms. Hill's writing is simply so superb that relaxing quickly became the order of the day. What a pleasure, also, to encounter a protagonist who suffers from a form of Seasonal Affective Disorder, which he acknowledges but of course has no way of putting a title to it.
I am so enjoying this book-similar to Henry James' The Turn of the Screw and Charles Dickens' The Mystery of Edwin Drood, even to Wilkie Collins' The Woman in White, the terror creeps up on us subtly, with silent little cat feet, and we don't know at first it is all around us until we look into the eyes of others, read their expressions, listen to the fluttering in their voices.
But before very long there is a shift of consciousness, subtly yes, even unpredictably, until we find ourselves standing on solid ground just as flimsy as that of Eel Marsh, to which our protagonist, at first a simple and ordinary solicitor in London, repairs on an errand set him by his employer. Out there not only is the weather unpredictable and the tides unalterable, but reality is shifting and mutable-and frightening. Nothing is what it seems-and what seems to be is-terrifying.
The Woman in Black is a novel both to be savoured, for its beauty and poignancy, but also to be raced through, as our hearts' rate speeds up in companionship with the narrator, and his ever-intensifying fear and uncertainty. Altogether a wonderful novel-to read and reread and ponder and enjoy.
Read more ›
I am so enjoying this book-similar to Henry James' The Turn of the Screw and Charles Dickens' The Mystery of Edwin Drood, even to Wilkie Collins' The Woman in White, the terror creeps up on us subtly, with silent little cat feet, and we don't know at first it is all around us until we look into the eyes of others, read their expressions, listen to the fluttering in their voices.
But before very long there is a shift of consciousness, subtly yes, even unpredictably, until we find ourselves standing on solid ground just as flimsy as that of Eel Marsh, to which our protagonist, at first a simple and ordinary solicitor in London, repairs on an errand set him by his employer. Out there not only is the weather unpredictable and the tides unalterable, but reality is shifting and mutable-and frightening. Nothing is what it seems-and what seems to be is-terrifying.
The Woman in Black is a novel both to be savoured, for its beauty and poignancy, but also to be raced through, as our hearts' rate speeds up in companionship with the narrator, and his ever-intensifying fear and uncertainty. Altogether a wonderful novel-to read and reread and ponder and enjoy.
Read more ›
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Having seen the recent movie version of The Woman in Black, I decided to reread the book and compare the two on certain points. The novel by Susan Hill is a classic English gothic ghost story, and it holds up very well without all the elements, such as the dying children and the menacing villagers, which were added to the screenplay. One of the advantages that the original version possesses is that the narration places the reader inside the mind of Arthur Kipps, the young solicitor who attempts to settle the estate of the recently deceased, reclusive mistress of Eel Marsh House. In the film, viewers are led to wonder what could possibly induce Arthur to return to the house after his first frightening experiences, but the reader can follow the reasoning process that brings him back. The language is appropriately period (very early 20th century British), and Author Hill very skilfully conjured up the perfect setting for her tale, a remote house on an island that is surrounded by the sea for half of each day, accessible only when the tide is at its lowest. In the finest tradition of the genre, the hauntings do not result in anything gruesome or gory, relying instead upon the psychological power of suggestion and small, unexplained perceptions.
I enjoyed the movie with Daniel Radcliff, and was so drawn into the book that I read it all (160 pages) in one sitting. They're both entertaining and worth experiencing, and not a little creepy.
I enjoyed the movie with Daniel Radcliff, and was so drawn into the book that I read it all (160 pages) in one sitting. They're both entertaining and worth experiencing, and not a little creepy.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Different
I saw the movie with Daniel Radcliff and bought the book to read. Like so many books there are quite a few differences between the book and the movie, but it is a really good book.
Published 7 days ago by Kerensa Evans
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gothic Literary Treasure
Once I opened this 1983 horror novella, I did not put it down.
Susan Hill nails the genre. Read more
Susan Hill nails the genre. Read more
Published 15 days ago by Davonna Juroe
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great ghost story
I just wish this movie had been a little longer and the ending surprised me. This is not a children's movie.
Published 18 days ago by Adonna P. Cook
1.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointment!!
I saw the movie first and loved it!! I figured the book would be even better, boy was I wrong on that!! I found this book to be dull and no life to it. Read more
Published 19 days ago by Khfreak13
4.0 out of 5 stars
Intriguing story that will leave you chilled
Quick plot summary: a young solicitor is sent to an remote village by his boss to get the paperwork in order for a recently deceased elderly client who lived alone in an isolated... Read more
Published 21 days ago by Z. Freeman
4.0 out of 5 stars
Creepy
A little bit predictable, but I enjoyed the writing style. It was different than what I usually read. It had the feel of an old style novel.
Published 22 days ago by Leslee
4.0 out of 5 stars
Chilling
I wanted to read the book before the movie. it was a little slow going in but then grabbed you for the ride. The end really takes you off guard.
Published 27 days ago by Jennifer
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not the best
Rather boring. It doesn't stand the test of time. I didn't want gruesome but I did want exciting and this wasn't.
Published 2 months ago by Rebekah White
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good book
Nice scary story about the possibilities of ghosts continuing their misery for more any years. Understand why the movie didn't do so well,too short of tale for hour and half.
Published 2 months ago by Sally Fuller
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good story
I enjoyed this book. Creepy,
damp and well written. A good read. I would recommend to ghost lovers any where.
damp and well written. A good read. I would recommend to ghost lovers any where.
Published 2 months ago by wendy jadczak
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Listmania!
|
|
