Printer's Devil Court by Susan Hill is a short ghost story set in the early 20th century, featuring a doctor who becomes entangled in a sinister plan to defeat death. The plot twists and turns, with elements of resurrection, haunting, and a Frankenstein-esque tone. The writing style is atmospheric, evoking a sense of chill and suspense, reminiscent of classic ghost stories from the past.

Characters:

The characters are complex, with a protagonist who is a doctor in training and morally questionable roommates that invoke unease.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is atmospheric and reminiscent of classic Gothic literature, with vivid descriptions that enhance the eerie mood.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot is engaging, presenting a ghostly and moral tale about an experiment involving the transfer of a soul, leading to unsettling consequences.

Setting:

The setting is an early 20th-century London characterized by dark and damp atmospheres, contributing to its Gothic tone.

Pacing:

The pacing is quick, allowing for a fast read, but the short length limits the development of tension and depth.

It was a murky November evening with a fog off the river and a fuzzy halo round every street lamp, when the conversation, which had such a hideous outcome, took place. We had all four of us returned t...

Notes:

Printer's Devil Court is a short Gothic story by Susan Hill.

The narrative style mimics 19th-century Gothic writers.

The plot involves a medical student's involvement in an experiment to transfer souls.

The setting is a chilling version of early 20th-century London, near a graveyard.

Characters include two menacing roommates and a doctor in training named Hugh.

The story raises deep thoughts about resurrection and consequences.

Readers found it atmospheric but noted inconsistencies in character descriptions.

The book resembles classic horror but lacks sufficient scares for some readers.

Many appreciated its beautiful illustrations and physical edition.

Readers are mixed on its length, feeling it may have benefited from being a longer story.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include themes of resurrection, death, and potentially unsettling scientific experiments.

From The Publisher:

A mysterious manuscript lands on the desk of the step-son of the late Dr Hugh Meredith, a country doctor with a prosperous and peaceful practice in a small English town. From the written account he has left behind, however, we learn that Meredith was haunted by events that took place years before, during his training as a junior doctor near London's Fleet Street, in a neighbourhood virtually unchanged since Dickens's times.

Living then in rented digs, Meredith gets to know two other young medics, who have been carrying out audacious and terrifying research and experiments. Now they need the help of another who must be a doctor capable of total discretion and strong nerves.

'Remember that what you know you can never un-know. If you are afraid, then...'

A gripping and suspenseful mystery by one of the masters of the genre…

Susan Hill has been a professional writer for over 50 years. Her books have won the Whitbread, and John Llewellyn Prizes, and the W. Somerset Maugham Award and been shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Her novels include Strange Meeting, I`m the King of the Castle and A Kind Man, and she has also published autobiography and collections of short stories. Her ghost story, The Woman in Black, has been running in London's West End since 1988.

Susan Hill is married with two adult daughters and lives in North Norfolk.

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Printer's Devil Court

Susan Hill