Tag: Dumb

Susan Hill – The Mist in the Mirror | Review

March 25, 2019
Authors F-J (By Surname)Fiction

Title: The Mist in the Mirror

Author: Susan Hill

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 298

Rating 4.5/5

 

 

I’ve had this book for a while now, but for some reason I’d never got round to picking it up. I think part of the reason for that is that a few of my friends have independently met her in person and both said that she wasn’t very likeable. A pretty dumb reason for not picking it up, really.

That’s particularly true because it turned out to be excellent, and while there were some similarities to The Woman in Black (such as the time setting and the fact that it’s about a young man looking into the buried past), it didn’t feel as though she’d just had a go at duplicating a winning formula.

The focus on mirrors got to me in particular because I’ve always had a little bit of a fear of mirrors and reflections for some reason. When I was a kid and my mum went on holiday, I used to cover all of the mirrors in the house with bedsheets so that I didn’t get too creeped out while she was away.

All in all then, if you’re looking for a creepy little read that’ll give you some chills without taking too much of your time, this is a good place to look. I got my copy pretty cheap from a charity shop and so that made it a no-brainer, but it’s also worth the full RRP if you only buy new. It’s also made me want to read some more of Hill’s work. I’ll get there eventually, I just have so much other stuff on my list.


 



 

Click here to buy The Mist in the Mirror.

Agatha Christie – At Bertram’s Hotel | Review

May 16, 2018
Authors A-E (By Surname)Fiction

Title: At Bertram’s Hotel

Author: Agatha Christie

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 320

Rating: 3*/5

 

Agatha Christie - At Bertram's Hotel

Agatha Christie – At Bertram’s Hotel

 

I wasn’t such a fan of this one, and I think a lot of that was because I just didn’t relate to either the characters or the situations they were in. I think that was one of Christie’s more far-fetched plots, and right at the end, someone just randomly admits everything despite there being no proof against them before jumping out of a window and climbing a drainpipe to the roof before somehow suddenly being on the ground and in a car. It was just super dumb.

Another thing that I didn’t like was the fact that a huge part of the plot relied on the fact that someone had been hit on the head and they’d forgotten who they were. I don’t know, it just all felt very forced to me, and it was a big disappointment after enjoying the last couple of Marple books that I picked up. I’d go so far as to say that it’s the worst Marple book I’ve read yet, although it’s probably not the worst Agatha Christie.

Still, it is worth reading if you’re working your way through all of the Marple books, I just wouldn’t suggest going out of your way for it. I know that my friend Mara enjoyed this one, but she also likes to read Christie to get a feel for the social mores of the time and the way that gender was perceived. If that’s your thing then you’re going to enjoy this. If not, and if you’re more into the actual murder mysteries, this might drag a bit.

But if you ask me, Agatha Christie is a little bit like Stephen King in that even at her worst, she’s better than most other authors at their best. This book is just fine, you know? That’s it.

 

Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie

 

Click here to buy At Bertram’s Hotel.