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Bellman & Black cover art

Bellman & Black

By: Diane Setterfield
Narrated by: Daniel Philpott
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Summary

As a boy, William Bellman commits one small cruel act that appears to have unforeseen and terrible consequences. The killing of a rook with his catapult is soon forgotten amidst the riot of boyhood games.

And by the time he is grown, with a wife and children of his own, he seems indeed, to be a man blessed by fortune. Until tragedy strikes, and the stranger in black comes, and William Bellman starts to wonder if all his happiness is about to be eclipsed.

Desperate to save the one precious thing he has left, he enters into a bargain. A rather strange bargain, with an even stranger partner, to found a decidedly macabre business. And Bellman & Black is born.

©2013 Diane Setterfield (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about Bellman & Black

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
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I enjoyed this book

I'm glad I wasn't put off by some underwhelmed reviewers. I enjoyed this book, as I have every single one of Diane Setterfield's audiobooks. I love the respect and detail that each character is granted and the beautiful pacing. I also really loved the narrator.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Save your credit!

If this book wasn’t for you, who do you think might enjoy it more?

I've no idea who is going to like this book, after writing such an audacious debut novel it can only be read as a painfully dull follow up.

What was most disappointing about Diane Setterfield’s story?

It was told as some sort of parable, very basic and limited - no layering, no complexity. What you read is what you get. A moralistic tale with an achingly dull story at the heart of it.

Would you be willing to try another one of Daniel Philpott’s performances?

No, the narrator had none of the gravitas that might have lifted this dirge to something with a bit more about it.

You didn’t love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities?

I stuck with it, so maybe it's not so bad. But then again, I think I only kept listening because I was sure at some point it would become as gripping as her last book. It never did.

Any additional comments?

Save your credit and listen to the unanimously mediocre reviews.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

What's with the obsession with death??

What would have made Bellman & Black better?

Seemed interesting at first, but why so much death everywhere? Eventually I became inured to it, and stopped caring. Deeply disappointing as "The Thirteenth Tale" was so good.

Has Bellman & Black put you off other books in this genre?

No

Would you listen to another book narrated by Daniel Philpott?

Yes

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Bellman & Black?

Most of the second half.

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5 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic tale!

I've no idea why there have been negative reviews for this. SO glad I ignored them!
It's a fantastical tale with its roots in the real world - or is it the other way around? It's a parabolic parable and is peppered with delightful rooky facts and fables. It also has one of the most gorgeous flights of literary fantasy endings of any book ever.
Yes, you probably have to be in the mood for it, but I clearly was, and loved and recognised every point on the clever parabola that it painted. Oh, and the writing itself is a joy.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

not a ghost story, just about grief

this is not a ghost story, it's a story of a likeable man descending into grief and mental illness. the main character becomes increasingly unlikeable and you get caught up in his mindset which I suppose it gives credit to the authors and narrators skill but it became a bit tedious. Williams final scene was a complete anticlimax as was the ending of the rook storyline, so much more could have been made of Dora and the rooks. I felt a bit cheated out of a good ending after persevering through the 2nd half of the book

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Stick with it!

I struggled with this story to start with but I am glad I stuck with it. The writing is beautiful and the story is thought provoking. Quite a haunting tale that will stay with me.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Gave up after about an hour.

Just couldn't get into this. Shame as I've really enjoyed her other books. But this just wasn't going anywhere and I just struggled to keep listening.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Haunting

Beautifully sad but sweet and deep.

The threads of this tale are wonderfully woven with messages and lessons throughout.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

disappointing

Would you try another book written by Diane Setterfield or narrated by Daniel Philpott?

no

Did Daniel Philpott do a good job differentiating each of the characters? How?

reader was ok

You didn’t love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities?

started well then fell away

Any additional comments?

I loved her first novel 'The thirteenth tale' and had looked forward to the second one but found it drab and disappointing.I would have returned this but made a mistake and sent another book back instead!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

disappointing

having read some of this author's other work I had high expectations. This story could have been told on one page, it was boring.

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