Tommy Karr

I loved The Woman in Black: A Ghost Story when I originally read it and thoroughly enjoyed both film adaptations (both the 2012 film starring Daniel Radcliffe and the 1989 British production). I just finished the audio version featuring the talents of Paul Ansdell. Not only is Susan Hill‘s text rich in atmosphere and texture but Mr. Ansdell’s performance breathes life into the foggy ambience of the English countryside and steals it from the depths of Eel Marsh House.

For those unfamiliar with the story, it follows Arthur Kipps, a retired attorney who, at the urging of his wife and stepchildren, decides to face the (literal) ghost of his past and the lifetime of horror it laid upon him.

Arthur decides that, in lieu of sharing his story orally, he must write it down in an attempt to exorcise the spirit from his life. And so he begins his story, with his assignment by his former employer to visit the home of a recently deceased client, Alice Drablow, near the village of Crythin Gifford.

It isn’t long before Arthur comes to meet the titular figure, there in the graveyard at Mrs. Drablow’s funeral. And soon he sees her on the Drablow property, Eel Marsh House, now void of any residents. Choosing to stay in the house to complete his duties as quickly as possible, and thus ensure a prompt return to London where he can resume his life as normal, Arthur is plagued by sounds that send him into a frenzy of abject terror. He is, at times, trapped in the dark estate, unable to return to the village for hours at a time due to the rising tide and the loss of the only road to and from the small island on which the home sits.

Locked away with only his work about him, Arthur begins to wear his dread like a shawl that he may never shake off.

If you have not familiarized yourself with the story, either the novel, films, radio presentations, or the long-running stage production, I won’t spoil the jumps and scares for you, nor will I divulge the ending… but it is safe to say that Mr. Kipps is far from free from the Woman in Black’s hold. Much as a bad memory lingers on, so does her grip on him.

I highly recommend it to anyone who loves an old-fashioned ghost story.

You can enjoy the audio performance by downloading the book from Amazon/Audible.

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