'The novella is harder to write [than a novel] because there's no hiding place."
That's Susan Hill talking about the form which "demands discipline", and you can hear what else she had to say about it on Monday's edition of Front Row.
She talks about every idea "which comes whole into [the writer's] head" having its own shape and size, and she is adept at handling her material, whether it's a long or a short form that it dictates; in her latest book, Black Sheep, she shows that skill once again, producing a masterpiece of economy and control.
In only 130 or so pages, she presents a community with its social hierarchy, its customs, mores, and history, and a family - a focus for external events and internal struggles. There isn't a superfluous word, an unnecessary scene, and as in the superb A Kind Man (brief post on it here), Susan Hill tells an affecting story made all the sharper and more memorable by that very spareness.
Surprisingly, I hadn't actually heard about this novella (thank you for bringing it to my attention!). I'm in the mood for a quick read that is "sharper and more memorable by that very spareness". I really loved The Testament of Mary which is exactly the same set up (only 104 pages but perfectly suited to that length).
I've always been a huge Susan Hill fan and I read Dolly around this time last year… so I can't wait to pick this one up! Thanks again for the brief little review. :)
Posted by: Ruby | 23 October 2013 at 10:54 PM
You're welcome, Ruby, and the book is just out. Another of Susan Hill's novellas which I greatly enjoyed is The Small Hand - I haven't read Dolly yet.
Posted by: Cornflower | 25 October 2013 at 02:02 PM