Beyond Black
9 journalers for this copy...
This is a paperback
From the back of the book:
'Hilary Mantel has done something extraordinary. She has taken the ethereal halfway house between heaven and hell, between the living and the dead, and nailed it on the page'
FAY WELDON,GUARDIAN
Alison Hart, a medium by trade, tours the dormitory towns of London's orbital road with her flint-hearted sidekick Colette, passing on messages from the dead ancestors. But behind her plump, smiling personna is a desperate woman: the next life holds terrors that she must conceal from her clients, and her own waking hours are plagued by the spirits of men from her past. They infiltrate her house, her body and her soul, and the more she tries to get rid of them, the stronger and nastier they become...
'Magnificient - a novel of desperate truthfulness. A majestic work' Philip Pullman
'A brilliant, extraordinary book...Hilary Mantel's most powerful novel to date' Helen Dunmore
'Darkly humorous and imaginative' Daily Mail
'Beyond Black' is chilling, creepy and endlessly inventive' The Times
From the back of the book:
'Hilary Mantel has done something extraordinary. She has taken the ethereal halfway house between heaven and hell, between the living and the dead, and nailed it on the page'
FAY WELDON,GUARDIAN
Alison Hart, a medium by trade, tours the dormitory towns of London's orbital road with her flint-hearted sidekick Colette, passing on messages from the dead ancestors. But behind her plump, smiling personna is a desperate woman: the next life holds terrors that she must conceal from her clients, and her own waking hours are plagued by the spirits of men from her past. They infiltrate her house, her body and her soul, and the more she tries to get rid of them, the stronger and nastier they become...
'Magnificient - a novel of desperate truthfulness. A majestic work' Philip Pullman
'A brilliant, extraordinary book...Hilary Mantel's most powerful novel to date' Helen Dunmore
'Darkly humorous and imaginative' Daily Mail
'Beyond Black' is chilling, creepy and endlessly inventive' The Times
Book Ring Members
Rillaith
loopy1
Knitnurse
dsc
Patchworkperson
martinburo
Rillaith
loopy1
Knitnurse
dsc
Patchworkperson
martinburo
Posted to Rillaith.
Arrived safe and sound, sorry for the delay in journalling, but I was unable to get at the PC for long enough!
This is #2 on my pile to be read and should be started before the weekend. Looking forward to it!
This is #2 on my pile to be read and should be started before the weekend. Looking forward to it!
I'm not sure what I expected from the description, but this wasn't it, and yet it was too. The story is has a feel of ebb and flow to it, yet the speed is always relaxed, whether we're zipping forward several years or taking it a day at a time. There's no "something happens! - everyone responds" as is often the case, but more of a gentle unfolding of Alison's life as a professional psychic and awakening of supressed memories of the trials and horrors of her childhood, which have been influencing the whole of her life.
A good read, an unusual style, thanks for sending it on. Will post to Loopy1 when I get an address.
A good read, an unusual style, thanks for sending it on. Will post to Loopy1 when I get an address.
Journal Entry 6 by Rillaith at Bookring in a RABCK, By Mail/Post/Courier -- Controlled Releases on Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Released 17 yrs ago (9/25/2006 UTC) at Bookring in a RABCK, By Mail/Post/Courier -- Controlled Releases
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
RELEASE NOTES:
Posted to Loopy1.
Posted to Loopy1.
I popped out this morning and came back to find the postman standing on the doorstep waiting for me to open the door!
I duly relieved him of this book, and am looking forward to reading it, thanks.
I duly relieved him of this book, and am looking forward to reading it, thanks.
I have to admit that I never really clicked with this book. While it kept me interested enough to read to the end, I was left feeling I didn't really understand what was going on.
I felt sympathy with Alison, while feeling irritated by Colette. As to the other characters, they were interesting, but the story as a whole had a very gentle, slow pace. Different from most things I've been reading lately.
I'll send this on as soon as I have an address.
I felt sympathy with Alison, while feeling irritated by Colette. As to the other characters, they were interesting, but the story as a whole had a very gentle, slow pace. Different from most things I've been reading lately.
I'll send this on as soon as I have an address.
Oops, thanks, I got this a couple of days ago but just remembered to do this. I made a start last night and am enjoying it already.
CAUGHT IN BRAINTREE ESSEX UNITED KINGDOM
CAUGHT IN BRAINTREE ESSEX UNITED KINGDOM
Argh! Didn't log in. That Anon is me, knitnurse.
I didn't enjoy this as much as I had hoped I would. It did keep me interested in what would happen, but in the end I was left a little disappointed. I think I expected something far more exciting.
Posted to dsc today 3rd Jan.
I didn't enjoy this as much as I had hoped I would. It did keep me interested in what would happen, but in the end I was left a little disappointed. I think I expected something far more exciting.
Posted to dsc today 3rd Jan.
Arrived safe and sound today, thanks knitnurse. I will have to put my knitting down for a few days to read this!!
This started off well, and had me hooked but I have now reached page 140 and have lost interest.
It started off with a stage show featuring a medium, and I thought it was going to be good but it has now turned into a history of the abuse she suffered as a child, and its not really my thing at all.
Sorry!
Will PM PatchworkPerson
Edit: Posted 20.1.07
It started off with a stage show featuring a medium, and I thought it was going to be good but it has now turned into a history of the abuse she suffered as a child, and its not really my thing at all.
Sorry!
Will PM PatchworkPerson
Edit: Posted 20.1.07
Journal Entry 13 by PatchworkPerson from Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire United Kingdom on Monday, January 29, 2007
Rec'd safely.
Journal Entry 14 by PatchworkPerson from Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire United Kingdom on Monday, March 19, 2007
Interesting book but can't say that I particularly enjoyed it. Couldn't 'get on' with some of the characters & I skimmed over the more unpleasant bits. It was interesting that it included recent real life events & how mediums lives were affected.
Journal Entry 15 by PatchworkPerson from Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire United Kingdom on Saturday, March 31, 2007
On its way to martinburo. My apologies for the delay.
Thanks. I'll read this as soon as I finish my current book, which is thin.
I really liked this novel. I think it's mostly because HM is such a good "parent" to her characters, loving them despite their obvious failings, and with an open heart for their pains and joys. And I loved the humor in the face of all the terrible things life comes up with, which makes it all bearable while acknowledging it's existence. Even suicide became forgiveable.
I also liked the P.S. about the author and the book. Even better than the guidance notes you sometimes get with classics.
RubyBlueLady, if you PM me your address I will send this back to you. Thank you very much for letting me take part.
Sent this off 3 May, sorry for the delay.
I also liked the P.S. about the author and the book. Even better than the guidance notes you sometimes get with classics.
RubyBlueLady, if you PM me your address I will send this back to you. Thank you very much for letting me take part.
Sent this off 3 May, sorry for the delay.
I forgot to journal this book''s arrival back home with me.
Finally got round to reading this myself. I love ghosts and the paranormal so this was always going to be of interest to me. It's quite dark isn't it? I too found the parts about Alison's abuse as a child difficult reading, but fortunately it wasn't a large part of the story.
The relationship between Collette and Alison was quite amusing, women can be so spiteful can't they. Fortunately there were lighthearted and downright funny moments in the book, so not all doom and gloom.
The relationship between Collette and Alison was quite amusing, women can be so spiteful can't they. Fortunately there were lighthearted and downright funny moments in the book, so not all doom and gloom.
Journal Entry 20 by RubyBlueLady at The Cherry Tree OBCZ in Steventon, Oxfordshire United Kingdom on Friday, May 16, 2008
Released 15 yrs ago (5/17/2008 UTC) at The Cherry Tree OBCZ in Steventon, Oxfordshire United Kingdom
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
RELEASE NOTES:
For some reason I have always liked the 'look' of this book. When I saw it at the meet today it seemed the obvious thing to do to snaffle it in my bag! Thanks for sharing RubyBlueLady and nice to meet you also.
