Wednesday 5 January 2011

The Small Hand, Susan Hill - A Book Review

Like the novella, this review is short and sweet.  I haven't written a review in a while and this is only from the top of my head, a month after reading the book!  Let me know if it's okay, I've been both complimentary and critical.  I have also read other reviews on Goodreads.com.  Either I'm a harsh critic or simply honest - I can't decide.  The reviews on there all rave on about how good the book is etc but I couldn't help but feel the description 'chilling' was an exaggeration.  What? Anyway, read the review, read the book and make your own mind up.

I've never read Susan Hill before and chose to read this after rave reviews of her previous books - often saying she's great at writing scary stories.  This story was the complete opposite despite it being a ghost story.  It came across as friendly and paternal almost.  Although the mood of the story wasn't what I expected, I found it to be beautifully written.  As it's only a novella there are parts of the story that left question marks engraved on my mind.  I felt some parts could have been developed further but as with all short stories, they must move quickly.  Although I was disappointed it didn't give me goosebumps I still enjoyed the story as a whole.  It was predictable in places and the time the story is set isn't clear until further in.  However it makes a lovely light read when you want to pass the time of day. 
The cover was absolutely stunning but £9.99 is still rather pricey for a small hardback - thank retail for discounts!!!

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