The Woman in Black

The Woman in Black
By Susan Hill (164 pages)
Published by Vintage
Bookish rating: 4

I managed to squeeze in one more spooky book before Halloween. The Woman in Black is a the best, most classic type of gothic chiller. The creepiness occurs less in what we see and more in what we don't. Like our narrator, Hill lets our imagination get the best of us--in a very good way.

Arthur Kipps must tend to the estate of an old (now dead) woman who lives way past civilization in a mansion on some goopy marshes. Hauntings begin, of course. Sounds, sightings, general dread and creepiness.

During the book's climax, I was reading while feeding Lorelei in a dimly lit room, as wind and rain pelted and rattled the windows. It was dark outside. Chris had gone to the store with Charlotte, so we were alone and. . . . I might have had to set the book down once or twice to settle my nerves. That's awesome writing, my friends.

This is the perfect sort of pre-Halloween read to get you in the mood for stormy weather (oh, hello, Hurricane Sandy) and spooky autumn atmosphere. Recommended!