Bellman and Black: A Cautionary Tale
Bellman and Black is about a man who never looked back. He was always looking forward. The story deals with the consequences of dismissing the past as irrelevant. Many readers might agree that there is no reason to concern ourselves with past events. Saying that something is "history" means that it's over and done with. It no longer has any significance. "It's so yesterday." Diane Setterfield's latest book speaks to them. She has written a cautionary tale.
I received this book from the publisher through Net Galley and this is my belated review. I can only plead the challenges of library school as an extenuating circumstance.
Protagonist William Bellman was a pillar of the 19th century English industrial revolution. He was always more than one step ahead of everyone else. He was remarkable at predicting future trends. He put all his energy into his work and was committed to being better than his competitors. Unlike some current corporations, he was decent and considerate toward his employees. It was more important to make sure that his workers were happy than to make additional profit at their expense. He was certain that happy employees would be dedicated ones who would be loyal to the firm. Surely William Bellman was a man who would have been widely admired and respected. Yet he had a secret that he'd buried in the past. He wasn't in the least bit haunted by his memories. The past simply didn't exist for him.
Although I feel this book was engaging and well written, I didn't find it very original. So I couldn't give it more than three stars.
For my complete review see http://maskedpersona.blogspot.com/2014/01/bellman-and-black-advantages-of-janus.html
