- Unknown Binding: 248 pages
- Publisher: Viking Pr (Dec 1982)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0670524921
- ISBN-13: 978-0670524921
- Product Dimensions: 21.3 x 14.5 x 2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,324,850 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Bruce Chatwin's fascination with nomads and wanderlust represents itself in reverse in On the Black Hill, a tale of two brothers (identical twins) who never go anywhere. They stay in the farmhouse on the English-Welsh border where they were born, tilling the rough soil and sleeping in the same bed, touched only occasionally by the advance of the 20th century. Smacking of a Welsh Ethan Frome, Chatwin evokes the lonely tragedies of farm life, and above all the vibrant land of Wales.
--This text refers to the
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Book Description
WINNER OF THE WHITBREAD BEST FIRST NOVEL AWARD
--This text refers to the
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This wonderful little book shows us what a great talent Bruce Chatwin was. The world of literature is so much the poorer for his tragic early death. His only other work I have read is "In Patagonia", an enthralling account of his travels in that area. "On the Black Hill" is a very different work showing his great versatility and his great knowledge of country lives.
The book covers the lives of two brothers who are identical twins. They are born on a farm where they continue to live out their hardworking lives. Their lives inextricably woven together. Chatwins skill lies in his ability to make this unpromising material so immensely readable. He is so believable. I have lived and worked among such people all my life. My own Grandfather whose trousers were held up by a binder twine belt would have recognised the twins. They are rural characters seen across the length and breadth of our Country and no doubt in other country's also. At last they have an author who has captured them. The minutiae and detritus of their lives encapsulated in this brief book. No words are wasted here. Many will say "but what about Hardy". My own experience is that he left me cold. Too morbid and too distant for my personal tastes. But the brothers I warmed to. They are truly painted and it is as honest a work as I have come across. It has been a revelation to me and a breath of fresh air. If I could write I would love to write like this. If you truly wish to know how many rural people lived in isolated farms across the Country in the last century, then reading this book will enlighten you. If I seem a little over the top in my adulation I make no apologies. This little book deserves all the plaudits and more. My efforts here will not have been wasted if I convince only one person to read it. That thought would make me extremely happy.
The book covers the lives of two brothers who are identical twins. They are born on a farm where they continue to live out their hardworking lives. Their lives inextricably woven together. Chatwins skill lies in his ability to make this unpromising material so immensely readable. He is so believable. I have lived and worked among such people all my life. My own Grandfather whose trousers were held up by a binder twine belt would have recognised the twins. They are rural characters seen across the length and breadth of our Country and no doubt in other country's also. At last they have an author who has captured them. The minutiae and detritus of their lives encapsulated in this brief book. No words are wasted here. Many will say "but what about Hardy". My own experience is that he left me cold. Too morbid and too distant for my personal tastes. But the brothers I warmed to. They are truly painted and it is as honest a work as I have come across. It has been a revelation to me and a breath of fresh air. If I could write I would love to write like this. If you truly wish to know how many rural people lived in isolated farms across the Country in the last century, then reading this book will enlighten you. If I seem a little over the top in my adulation I make no apologies. This little book deserves all the plaudits and more. My efforts here will not have been wasted if I convince only one person to read it. That thought would make me extremely happy.
30 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
On the Black Hill is an elegantly written homage to the inelegant life of rural Wales, a life in which no one ever strays far from the farm--there are few opportunities and little motivation to do so. Spartan lives are enriched by stories and gossip, slights are never forgotten, feuds reach epic intensity, and bottled-up frustrations simmer till they explode. Through rich and vivid descriptions of the minutiae of daily existence, we come to know twin brothers Lewis and Ben Jones as they grow up and are shaped by their family and their small community. The townspeople become our own friends or enemies, depending on their behavior towards the twins, and we empathize with them as they use their limited resources to struggle with the big questions which concern us all--questions of love, spirituality, death, cruelty, justice, and ultimately, happiness. By paring life to the bone here, Chatwin gives us a classic example of the adage, "Less is more."
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Chatwin is unusual in that he is often very accessible and easy to read but also an intelligent writer. This book is not as intellectually stimulating as, say, "Utz", but it feels like a book written with love. If you have any feeling for the countryside and British history you will be entranced by this book. There is a feeling of D H Lawrence, without his sexual obsessions plus a sense of humour ! There is also a wonderful lyricism here and a sense of continuity with the past which is perhaps unrealistic - but who cares !
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
On the Black Hill - A Review by Barry Van-Asten
On the Black Hill, published in 1982 by the celebrated author and travel writer Bruce Chatwin (1940-1989) is my first introduction to Chatwin's work and within moments of opening... Read more
Published 4 hours ago by Mr. B. P. Van-asten
Life on the Black Hill recalled
I really enjoyed this book; while essentially it tells the story of twin boys who grow into men while living on a farm on the Black Hill, early 1900s and onwards, it does so much... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Bookwise
Sad to read - Sorry it ended
Overall? Sad - because times were very hard - cruel even - but that sadness does not make the book less enjoyable. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Wayne
how many copies must I buy
I think this book is truly beautiful. Descriptive poetry of almost mindboggling quality.
I lend it with evangical zeal, and sometimes it is returned, when it isn't I can... Read more
I lend it with evangical zeal, and sometimes it is returned, when it isn't I can... Read more
Published 16 months ago by David M. Graves
antidote to 'the archers'
definitely not 'the everyday story of countryfolk'.had the ring of truth and is very well-observed.touching and thought provoking. Read more
Published 19 months ago by euphorbia
On The Black Hill
Riveting read. Stark and dark, Gritty reality of the harsh life in the hills through the generations. Love it. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Anita Davies
Really quite depressing...
I read this book as part of a book group and found it heavy going. It centres on rural life with all it's characters, feuds and tragedies. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Mrs. Fiona Wilton
On the Black Hill
Bruce Chatwin, the writer of this novel, is mainly known for his travel books. Exotic places and reflections on travelling were his specialty. Read more
Published on 13 Mar 2010 by M. A. Krul
Touching, unexpected
Chatwin captures the peculiarity of Welsh rural life with both a lightness and an insightfulness that is truly remarkable for someone who was not raised in this strange world. Read more
Published on 1 Feb 2010 by W. James
On the Black Hill
Although a dark and somewhat miserable story.If you are at all intersted in life as it was years ago,and this is how it was.You will enjoy this.A good read. Read more
Published on 24 Nov 2009 by Raymond Groutage
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