|
`You won't find plastic fangs or Dulux blood in Helen Dunmore's perfect little ghost story ... Dunmore conveys a shivery menace and concealed tragedy; this is the most elegant literary flesh-creeper since Susan Hill's THE WOMAN IN BLACK.' --The Times
`An atmospheric and accomplished ghost story.' --Woman & Home
`This is a haunting and exquisitely crafted tale where the line between the real and the imaginary becomes blurred.' --Glamour
`THE GREATCOAT is a well-written ghost story that observes the traditions of the genre without subsiding into pastiche ... Dunmore uses motifs and themes as a kind of Greek chorus ... these are subtly deployed, and enhance the atmosphere in this disturbing, thoughtful novel.' --The Literary Review
`A powerful evocation of the period, and the tricks the mind can play on itself, its unadorned prose builds a chilling effect reminiscent of THE TURN OF THE SCREW.'
--Prospect
`The art of the ghost story requires delicate balance. The supernatural itself does not have to be convincing. It is enough that characters in the fiction are convinced by it ... in this beautifully written tale, and because Dunmore achieves this delicate balance, it comes off splendidly.' --The Scotsman
`A taut, elegantly written ghost story ... Dunmore is on fine form here, wielding her skill at bringing history to life in the small, dismal details of the post-war period, and showing off her talents as a poet in her mesmerizing depiction of a possession ... Spines are delicately, deliciously chilled when she reveals just who is doing the possessing - ghost stories don't have to be long or gruesome, to be thoroughly scary.' --The Sunday Times
`Dunmore could take you anywhere with her otherworldly tale ... There just aren't enough serious writers publishing ghost stories. THE GREATCOAT boasts much of the power I devoured as a teen but it is a far more sophisticated example of the genre.' --Sunday Express
`Dunmore writes with passion and precision; her recreation of an early Fifties world is immaculate.' --Daily Mail
`The terror in Helen Dunmore's ghost story lurks in the title ... Dunmore truly excels in her description of a nation still clenching its teeth from the trauma of war.' --Independent
`A classic ghost story ... where the novel stands out is in its wonderful sketches of the utter creepiness of life in Carey's dark little flat ... a perfect ghost story, that will reward Hammer horror readers as well as open-minded Dunmore fans. This ghostly, literary war story could be the start of a beautiful friendship.' --Independent on Sunday
`Powerfully creepy and strangely romantic, this is a story that gets under the skin.' --Net-a-porter magazine
`The art of the ghost story requires delicate balance. The supernatural itself does not have to be convincing. It is enough that characters in the fiction are convinced by it. This was Scott's way in, to give only one example, THE BRIDE OF LAMMERMOOR and also Buchan's in that remarkable and uncanny novel, THE DANCING FLOOR and in his short stories about the supernatural. It is Dunmore's here too, in this beautifully written tale, and because she achieves this delicate balance, it comes off splendidly.' --The Scotsman
`A powerful evocation of period, and the tricks the mind can play on itself, its unadorned prose builds a chilling effect reminiscent of THE TURN OF THE SCREW.'
--Prospect
`A great read, peopled with likely characters and a satisfyingly spooky outcome.' --Candis
|
