Reviews

Beyond Black by Hilary Mantel

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stoofer64's review against another edition

4.0

I almost gave up on this about 30% in, it reminded me of Goblin Market by by Christina Rossetti in that it seemed to be a treatise on how terrible men were, and what it was to be a woman living among them. I'm not disagreeing with that as a premise but I wasn't sure I wanted to stay with the book the whole way being told how bad I was as a man. Well I am so glad I stuck with the book, I wasn't wrong about the theme of the book per se but it was such a heartfelt and harrowing jourmey that I recommend it for the sheer depth of feeling it evokes in you. Beyond Black is in many ways the story of a woman being haunted by herself, not to mention the motely collection of actual ghouls that hang around her all the time. A ghost story that goes in a direction I have never seen before, a vision of hell in many ways, and what it's like to live without hope of redemption but striving anyway. This was the first book of Hilary Mantel's that I've read but will not be the last.

eepemma's review

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

varric's review

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dark sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

averagehuman85's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

angelica_jardinerica's review against another edition

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3.0

I'm not sure how I feel about this book. We follow medium Alison and her cynical "assistant/manager" Collette as they strive to make a living from the public's desire to contact the dead. They both have back stories which have brought them to where they are, and Alison's is particularly traumatic. There were parts I really got into while others just seemed really disjointed and I found my mind was wandering. The juxtaposition of incredibly realistic comic writing with extremely disturbing accounts of child abuse and neglect are so disconcerting that it really threw me off balance. Above all, I found the Morris sections really irritating and difficult to read - he is Alison's repulsive, evil spirit guide who hangs out with a bunch of equally wicked petty criminals. I just didn't get what the author was aiming at with those dialogues - even in the light of what is revealed towards the end - and they almost made me abandon the book.

imogenoakes's review against another edition

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dark slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Content Warnings

madeline29's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Content Warnings

thinkspink's review against another edition

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4.0

Really enjoyed this - the first I've read from Hilary Mantel, and will definitely read more. Possibly the only ghost story I've read where the scares come from "real" life. I found this like a grown up Good Omens.

And the detail on the orbital towns is spot on. I have also often considered the best places to commit suicide while in Woking.

lizzy_balmain's review against another edition

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challenging dark funny tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

abbey_s02's review against another edition

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4.0

Very intriguing! Maybe a 3.5? I don’t know how to feel. Colette is absolutely abhorrent, to the point where I was getting sick of hearing from or about her, which I guess is the point. Love the world-building of spirit and airside and how Mantel plays with language and time. Very enjoyable read. I adored the Wolf Hall series, and though nothing is comparable to those, I’m very excited to read the rest of her work. RIP Queen

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