I first encountered Diane Setterfield with her first book, The Thirteenth Tale. It was amazing and wonderful and I loved it so much that I bought my own copy. The one I read was from my friends at the library. Well, my friends at the library have supplied me with yet another fix from this wonderful writer.
I have read some of the reviews posted online for this book. I suppose all I can say is everyone’s taste is different. I can see how many would not find this book to their liking. And there are also those that are upset that it is so different from The Thirteenth Tale. But, I believe the fact of how different it is shows how good of a writer Diane Setterfield is.
The story is beautiful, slow and haunting. Its rather “slow” by today’s standard. Far more belonging with the Gothic tales of the Victorian Era. Much more a study of the characters and how a person’s interpretation of one incident can relay the chart of their lives.
The story begins with the murder of a rook by a flawless shot of a child. And the rooks haunt the story throughout. The boy grows to manhood and masters all he touches, till one day it all comes crashing back down. And unnamed bargain is made with the man in Black, a bargain that is assumed but never defined. And it is upon this that the new world is built and the web of mystery woven.
Its a fascinating look into the mind of obsession, of human frailty and how foolish we humans often are. I think my favorite line is we are, “an entertainment of humans”.