I'm not a fan of anything 'scary'. No thank you horror films. I still remember when I was at school and the drama kids went on a trip to see The Woman in Black in the theatre and spoke about how terrifying it was. Everyone else was gutted they couldn't go on the trip but I was pretty glad I didn't have to watch something that would make me scream. Anyway, I've found the prettiest little copy of the book and after finally going to see it in the theatre last year I can confirm I would/did scream and also have nightmares. Such fun.
Arthur Kipps is an old man now, and can hardly bear to hear his grandchildren tell ghost stories. When they finally badger him into telling them one, he launches into his tale of the woman in black, a tale that wasn't just a story for him.
When Kipps is a young man, he is asked to secure the estate of Alice Drablow by his boss, and arrange her affairs after her recent death. He travels to her home unaware of what awaits him. The townspeople avoid the house, and warn him to look after himself. The more time he spends there the more he feels as though he's not alone, and after he asks around as to who the woman in a black dress that he sees wandering around is, he realises that he's the only one who sees her.
This book was honestly frightening. Susan Hill is incredible at creating a terrifying atmosphere that builds and builds as the novel grows more tense. There's some twists and turns in it that I absolutely did not see coming, and I finished the book fully shocked. I can see this as something I'll come back to over and over again in coming years as it was such a good quick read that's different to what I would normally go for. I've given this 4 stars.
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