The Woman in Black

I went with the audible original of this, narrated by Paapa Essiedu. It was fantastically done, with music and all the ghostly thuds. The only hiccup was dialogue was lowered as if those speaking to Arthur were further away—a cool idea, but I found these lines to be hard to hear both at work with an AirPod in and in the car. The narration as fantastic though.

I found myself truly blown away that this novel is from the 80s. The author’s voice, the way it’s written, the way the content is presented, just all speaks to it being a classic of much older origin. With that sort of Victorian-gothic creeping atmosphere you’d expect from the ghost stories that started it all. Even following in the footsteps of the likes of The Turn of the Screw and the later The Haunting of Hill House with its focus on the feel of the haunting much more than the actions of any ghost. And while this novel does turn into actual consequence, I felt that it still toed the line.

Arthur is a junior solicitor, so when the chance to prove himself is presented, he jumps at the opportunity. Penning a brief explanation to his fiancée, certain she will understand, he leaves for the job. He has been tasked with attending the funeral of Mrs. Drablow, the sole occupant and owner of Eel Marsh House. After representing his firm at the funeral, he must go to the house and search it for any document of worth before her final business is settled. However, the house is at the end of a causeway, wreathed in fog and mist, and becomes unreachable during the tide. As if that wasn’t enough to raise his hackles, there’s also something more at work here. Her secrets, some of which are even sinister, are boiling just below the surface.

I really enjoyed how the author made the reader feel each and every thudding heart beat from Arthur. That each eerie instance is drawn out for all it’s worth. It excels as an atmospheric ghost horror, and that’s a genre I don’t always think succeeds. And I still can’t believe the facsimile quality of their much older sounding writing, it’s honestly a triumph.

While you’ll most likely find yourself uneasy, or feeling suspense, I doubt anyone will actually feel genuine fear or terror. While the ending is truly horrific and bleak, the story is just much more understated than that. Definitely for fans of those ghostly tales of old.