The Mist in the Mirror

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful book - but the ending spoiled it somewhat ...
Review: While I was reading this book I had mentally awarded it a five, even from the first few pages. Susan Hill evokes a wonderful, eerie vision of Victorian London, and the novel kept my attention all the way through. It is essentially an old fashioned ghost story, about a man who returns from the colonies to London in the latter half of the last century and begins a quest to discover the truth about his own mysterious past. It is an extremely well written story and I was filled with anticipation about what would be revealed at the end - how all the mysterious clues would tie together - but I am afraid that the ending when it came was a big disappointment. I felt that Ms Hill has no more idea than the reader about how the book should end, and the startling plot twist I was hoping for never came, so despite my enjoyment of the bulk of the novel I can't give it more than 4 marks. I would still recommend this book to other readers because of the excellent standard of writing and the wonderful Victorian atmosphere it evokes - and I also admit there is a possibility that I missed some hidden significance in the ending which will be crystal clear to other readers!

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful book - but the ending spoiled it somewhat ...
Review: While I was reading this book I had mentally awarded it a five, even from the first few pages. Susan Hill evokes a wonderful, eerie vision of Victorian London, and the novel kept my attention all the way through. It is essentially an old fashioned ghost story, about a man who returns from the colonies to London in the latter half of the last century and begins a quest to discover the truth about his own mysterious past. It is an extremely well written story and I was filled with anticipation about what would be revealed at the end - how all the mysterious clues would tie together - but I am afraid that the ending when it came was a big disappointment. I felt that Ms Hill has no more idea than the reader about how the book should end, and the startling plot twist I was hoping for never came, so despite my enjoyment of the bulk of the novel I can't give it more than 4 marks. I would still recommend this book to other readers because of the excellent standard of writing and the wonderful Victorian atmosphere it evokes - and I also admit there is a possibility that I missed some hidden significance in the ending which will be crystal clear to other readers!