We're nearing the end of our Halloween scary book extravaganza and I've saved one of the best of the lot to finish up with. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill is a wonderful ghost story in the tradition of both M.R. James and Shirley Jackson. The first time I read the book, I was living alone in an apartment in a big, old, Victorian home and I absolutely could not sleep. I couldn't turn off the lights. I couldn't close my eyes for fear of what might be waiting when I opened them. Isn't this sort of reaction what we all want from a good ghost story?
This classic ghost story is, at it's heart, as simple as they come. It is about a menacing and malevolent spirit that haunts a small English village. Our story begins with the successful young solicitor, Arthur Kipps and his journey to the remote village of Crythin Gifford to represent his firm at the funeral of one of their clients, a Mrs. Alice Drablow. As Arthur attempts to settle Mrs. Drablow's affairs at the eerily named Eel March House, a series of dark and disturbing happenings serve to distract and unnerve him. As these events escalate and Arthur struggles to uncover the secrets of Eel March house and the dreaded Woman in Black, the reader is racing toward an ending that is both tragic and shocking.
The level of terror and suspense that Hill creates in The Woman in Black is almost unmatched in any modern ghost story. The book has rightfully become something of a classic and it has been made into an incredibly successful play, as well as a television film and, coming in 2012, a major motion picture starring one of my favorites, the extraordinarily talented Ciaran Hinds and some guy who played a wizard or something as the lead. Here's a quick look at the trailer:
I am crazy excited about this film, as it appears that they have followed the book fairly closely and the look of the film is deliciously spooky! I can't wait! In the mean time, if you haven't read Susan Hill's The Woman in Black, you simply must. Why not get an early start on your Halloween celebration? Just be sure and leave the lights on!
Seconded -- this is a good and creepy book! Enjoyed your suggestions. I'm currently reading a graphic novel called Locke & Key, about this family with a tragic past that moves back to the ancestral home, where different keys lead to different places (and there's an evil, supernatural twist to it).... Must read something funny before I sleep. :-)
ReplyDeleteDid someone say "Ciaran"?
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