42 pages • 1 hour read
Susan HillThe Woman in Black
Susan HillFiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1983A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Book Brief
164
Novel • Fiction
England • Early 20th Century
1983
Adult
18+ years
1360L
Super Short Summary
In Susan Hill's gothic novella The Woman in Black, solicitor Arthur Kipps reflects on a haunting experience from his youth. Kipps travels to a remote English village to settle the estate of Mrs. Alice Drablow at Eel Marsh House, encountering a mysterious woman in black and uncovering tragic secrets that intertwine with ghostly apparitions, affecting both him and the local community. This novel contains themes of child loss.
Mysterious
Unnerving
Dark
Melancholic
Suspenseful
Reviews & Readership
73,932 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Review Roundup
Susan Hill’s The Woman in Black masterfully revives the gothic horror genre with its atmospheric setting and evocative prose. Positive reviews commend the novel’s ability to generate suspense and genuine fright, while some critics feel the pacing is occasionally slow. Overall, it is praised for its skillful storytelling and eerie, memorable ambiance.
Who Should Read The Woman in Black?
Readers who enjoy The Woman in Black by Susan Hill are typically fans of classic Gothic literature and atmospheric ghost stories. They likely appreciate the suspense found in works like Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House and Henry James's The Turn of the Screw, valuing eerie settings, psychological horror, and rich, evocative prose.
73,932 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
164
Novel • Fiction
England • Early 20th Century
1983
Adult
18+ years
1360L
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