In the springtime of the year...

I have just finished pretty depressing and quite boring book by Susan Hill, "In the Springtime of the Year". I picked it from the library, I confess, because of the lovely cover. Now, after I read it, I can say that the cover is, actually, the best thing about this book (moreover, this is a re-print edition, and it seems publishers simply scanned and printed out the previous edition, not bothering to edit typos and loose letters scattered around the text).

Well, two young people, falling in love, getting married, the husband dies within a year, the girl struggles for several months after, and at the end begins to if not understand than simply accept the simple fact of death, of the circle of life, what can be born has to die sooner or later, nothing is forever, but perhaps Love and the Present Moment.
You know what, I was hoping for some moving descriptions of love and loneliness and palpable hurt when somebody you love is gone... No, this did not touch the strings of my heart. It's written exquisitely, the vocabulary of the book is rich and opulent, sometimes I found myself being tired, really tired of all the words, nice, adult, rich, exquisite, wonderful words, that failed to make ME, the reader, feel for Ruth and for her dead husband.

I read a few reviews of the books and understand this book is considered one of the finest works of Susan Hill. I read only one of her other works, "The Woman in Black", which did not impress me. Susan Hill, I think, is one of those authors who you can admire and love; devour her books, tasting every word, slow-pacing through her works, indulging in every phrase. The word "academic" comes to my mind. Or you can be left disappointed, if not slightly annoyed with her writing style. For me, it was a little bit of the latter. I do, I do appreciate her turn of phrase and vocabulary, but her works failed to move me how I hoped they would.
My advice: you are one of the two of the above categories, most probably. And most probably, you know which one. So give it a go, enjoy. Or avoid.

One more thing, there is a description of the curate's family, and it left me sad: two people, having two young children, so apart and far away and not belonging to each other, people who live together and yet do not have ability and desire to comfort one another when one of their young daughter dies. I was reading it and thinking, how some people get married and stay married and have a child, and another one... And all this without love. This is depressing as hell.
I am so happy that I have somebody, with whom things are completely opposite. And I think with this Susan Hill reached to my heart, she made me think and appreciate, and stirred my emotions. Fot this, I give the third star.