The Greatcoat
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Review
`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 LAMMERMORE 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
`Wrap yourself in a blanket, pour a glass of wine and lose yourself in this atmospheric ghost story ... full of twists, turns and jump-out-of-your-skin shocks, we'd advise you leave the lights on while reading.'
--WeightWatchers magazine
`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 LAMMERMORE 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
`Wrap yourself in a blanket, pour a glass of wine and lose yourself in this atmospheric ghost story ... full of twists, turns and jump-out-of-your-skin shocks, we'd advise you leave the lights on while reading.'
--WeightWatchers magazine
Book Description
A chilling and atmospheric ghost story by the Orange-prize-winning Helen Dunmore.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Cleverly constructed haunting story,
By
This review is from: The Greatcoat (Hardcover)
Set in 1952 in Yorkshire, a young couple move into a rented flat. Philip is the new, young doctor while his new wife Isabel struggles with the isolated life with no friends or family and Philip's frequent absence due to the demands of his job. Things take a turn to the spooky when, waking from under the warmth of the old greatcoat Isabel finds in the flat, she hears a tapping at the window and finds there an RAF pilot, Alec, who appears to know Isabel intimately.Ghost stories are not what you might expect from Helen Dunmore and this novella has her characteristic intelligence and strong writing. The central plot structure, of which I can of course not reveal, is very clever and the ending is suitably satisfying. However, the reader is left confused for much of the short book about time-frames (without giving too much away, we switch between 1952 and World War 2) and the brevity of the book doesn't allow for much beyond the basic characterization facts of the protagonists. Of course some of the reader's confusion is justified in the sense that Isabel herself is equally confused, although her fascination with Alec overrides any great questioning on her part. It is of course ridiculous to expect a ghost story to fit with reality, but there are certain areas where Isabel appears rather too accepting of strange events. Dunmore effectively captures the haunting feeling of the story but my sense was that we see rather too much of the workings of the story rather than getting a sense that the story develops organically. I could always see the author's hand at work in driving the story forward. This isn't an altogether bad thing when that author is someone of Dunmore's calibre, but I never felt caught up with Isabel's plight although the story itself is compelling and clever. I just felt a bit too distanced from it. Despite feeling ahead of Isabel with large parts of the story, the ending though was unexpected and even a quite moving. As a brief, very well constructed ghostly novella, it ticks all the boxes, but probably as much due to the length of the book as anything, it isn't as involving as I would have liked.
23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Greatcoat,
By
This review is from: The Greatcoat (Kindle Edition)
Helen Dunmore has long been one of my favourite novellists, so I was intrigued to read this new ghost story from her. A novella in length, it is a moving and carefully crafted story.Isabel is the new, young wife of Philip Carey. Only married for two months, Philip has a new job as a doctor at Kirby Minster, a country town. Their first home together is a ground floor flat with a creepy landlady. It is 1952 and England is still in the grip of rationing and memories of the war. Isabel's own parents died in Singapore and she is feeling isolated and a failure. What woman cannot relate to the feeling that other women are judging and looking down at her attempts to be the adult wife she almost feels she is pretending to be? As her steak and kidney pudding goes wrong and the butcher gives her the fatty cuts of meat, Isabel and Philip grow distant. Then Isabel discovers an RAF greatcoat in a cupboard, when she is cold one night, and is woken by a man tapping at the window. The man knows her name and she knows his. As Isabel loses touch with her husband, she wonders whose memories she is having and why she is driven to walk to the deserted airfield outside the town. This is not a scary book, but it is very atmospheric and sad, with good characters and sense of place and time. Helen Dunmore is really one of the greatest authors we have and she has pulled off this new direction with ease.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Obsession and possession in post-war Yorkshire,
By Franky (London) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Greatcoat (Hardcover)
I started reading this yesterday and finished it just half an hour ago, in a cold bath (it was hot when I climbed in, but I couldn't stop reading until I'd reached the end). Dunmore's prose is restrained, perfectly-pitched and incredibly powerful. Simply one of the best, near-perfect books I've ever read.
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