The Woman In Black - Novel

(1983)

Not often I read something older then myself but since seeing the movie and really enjoying it I really wanted to read the novel and I was shocked to see how small the novel was, I was expecting something you could murder someone with, a big brick shaped book but it's pretty slim.

Now if you have only seen the movie you are in for a slightly different story. There are similarities in the book and the movie but it's good to not re-read the same thing as you watched.

I don't know how to review without killing the plot same with all reviews I guess haha so yes SPOILERS LIKE YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE COMING.

First biggest change it's told in first person, it's from the thoughts of Arther Kipp as he recalls his time dealing with Eel Marsh House and the horrible things that transpired there. The movie and the book both have Krekwick, Arther, Samual Daily and Mr Jermone but what happens for the most part is different. The chain of events and how it all flows are near enough the same.

He's sent from London to do a job, the people around him know why he is here and act funny about it but instead of being cold and trying to banish him from the village the Inn keeper is very kind and allows him to stay, instead of hating him and wanting him gone people treat him with an awkward kindness.

Also kids don't drop like flies in horrid ways in the book like they do the movie and Arther sees the Woman In Black in the village at Mrs Drablows funeral which never happens in the movie version. He then goes to Eel Marsh House but no one tries and stops him. Once there he also sees the Woman In Black but has a stubborn mind set to not believe in ghosts.

During his stay all manner of creeping ghostly hauntings happen to him, similar to the movie version and it's Arther's wits against the creepy and eerie land around him shut off from the rest of the countryside by the causeway which is subject to tide and how he deals with it while trying to work.

The story unfolds and we find out more about the horrid things that happened in that house and why it's so haunted. Arther gets away with nothing more then frazzled nerves and returns to London to be with his wife and new baby but soon he sees the Woman In Black and suffers an awful tragedy.

The book ends with Arther finishing his story which he never intends people to read during his life time but he hoped writing about his past would chase away the returning nightmares.

So he doesn't die we realise this from the start of the book when he has remarried and with a new family.

Now the story is still fantastic, the ghostly bits you can picture in your head everything is very well described and builds up a world. There is a bit where he is in the nursery and there is pretty much 3/4 of a page telling us in detail what is in the room.

My only really big issue with Susan Hill's writing style is she uses 'AND' a little too much it'll be something and something and something and something... Yes I've seen four ands in a row like that at one time. If you don't mind that slight display of sloppy writing then go for it.

The movie wasn't miles and miles apart just the start and end are different then in the novel.

Now I plan on seeing the theatre show and maybe this year there will be a review of that up by me!

Story: 4/5

Writing: 3/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Over all: 5/5

A short, non taxing good old fashion ghost story.

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The Woman In Black

Harry Potter And The Woman In Black

2012

So I've never been one to go with the flow and dis a movie if the collective reviews are negative or love the fuck out of something that's a 'cult classic' I'm honest with my reviews and I like what I like and I liked this movie.

The very first scene gets right to it, we see three girls all playing with their dolls having a grand old time and the suddenly they all stop dead and slowly and eerily walk to their window and jump. Suicides are a popular theme in this movie.

The movie is well shot and once you get past all the Harry Potter jokes you see that Danny Radcliff is a rather fantastic actor and I think he breaks away from the role of Harry well enough that he can be a better and wider actor then he first started off.

My one issue with Mr Radcliff is his character has a four year old son... a FOUR YEAR OLD SON when Danny himself doesn't look more then 19 with a bit of bum fluff going on where a beard should be and sporting very wtf eyebrows..

His son is adorable and we find out about his tragic past,cus no good character can get away without some tragic past right?

We all have a giggle at the sons drawings showing how sadface the miserable and gritty looking main man is. He travels to a little village to get some dead woman's will in order and the village gives off one hell of a 'This is a local village for local people!' right away everyone hates him.

Cus he's a wizard outsider.

One guy who doesn't believe in all this mumbo jumbo be-friends Mr Kipp and even invites him to dinner. It's made more then clear that the people of the village don't want him there and he manages to bribe some very homeless looking guy to take him to the dead woman's house..

Which is on an island, on it's own, separated from the village by the sea. Cliche of all cliches I know but bare with us. The house the moment he goes in is very typical of a haunted house and right away we know shit is going down. He spends the day and in true supernatural horror form things go bump in the night.

Every scare is easy to see coming from the footsteps along the old wooden floors to the thunder storm raging out the window. And you know that EVERY SINGLE TIME Danny Radcliff looks into a reflective surface or out a window for a prolonged amount of time OMG THERE SHE IS THE WOMAN IN BLACK, EVERYONE SCREAM!!! AAAAAH!

Yes, 95% of the scares you do see coming but you WILL still jump. The movie is shot very well and the fading in and out of faces of the woman and the other dead is very well done and tastefull. If you want a good old fashioned super natural ghost story with great costumes and an old worldly feel this is good. Beats the fuck out of Paranormal 'this is a real story but has a sequel or two' Activity

So we find out that every time someone sees the woman in black someone in the village, a child DIES and it's all Danny's fault and they try once again run him out.

But that's be no fun right? so he stays anyway and low and behold more shit goes down, we even see zombie mud man son of woman in black. We find out more of her story, how her sister fucked up with her husband and took the child with them, how the child died and the woman's hatred for her sister.

Danny and his friend decide if they find the kids body and reunite it with the mother all will be well so we get to see Danny covered in mud and some over acting [although alot of the cast is a tad hamming it up] so the plan goes ahead and the son and mother are reunited but the words NEVER FORGIVE echo through the old ladies house.

The curse as it was, is not over and his son and nanny come to visit and once again the woman in black decides to tell a child to go and kill themselves.

The ending as more cheese then a double cheese and bacon whooper meal but it's sweet, very sweet and it a lovely ending as you do feel for this man and his troubles. Also this movie has alot of child killing which is still a mega taboo in alot of things.

If your looking for a movie with depth, maybe not this one but it is a good old fashion scary ghost story, it's so nice to have something like this over the gore, gore, gore slash stab kill gore that the horror genre is pretty much stuffed with.

If you want to watch a good movie that will make you and a few people scream in the movies, you need this one.

Acting: 3.5/5

Scares: 5/5

Gore: 0/5

Story: 4/5

Overall: 5/5

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