I liked this book more than the woman in black mainly because the pace of the book was a bit quicker, and the plot was creepy.
There aren't many books about doctors or surgeons that want to resurrect the dead back to life.
The book is quite short and you could read it in one day, I like the characters the plot and especially the mysterious ending.
If you like Frankenstein, or Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde then you'll like this book. ( )

I have slightly mixed feelings about this spooky novella from Susan Hill. It’s a tale of young doctors meddling with nature while conducting experiments intended to bring the dead back to life, and whilst it’s nicely written and very atmospheric, it just isn’t that scary.
I read it is hardback and the book itself is lovely, packed with illustrations that add to the experience of reading what is supposed to be an early twentieth century memoir. It’s a quick and entertaining read but fails the to terrify. ( )

I was very disappointed by this one. Rather thin sauce indeed on almost every count. A shame. ( )

Despite some lovely descriptive passages early on and a beautiful presentation, "Printer's Devil Courtyard" is a rather thin thing, riddled with cliches and typos. Many ghost-story writers withhold information to create suspense, but here Hill doesn't even give enough for the reader to understand what is going on. Lovely book, shame about the story. ( )

This short novella describes two main events in the life of the late Dr Meredith: one in his youth, when he witnessed an experiment to bring the dead back to life, and one in late middle age, when he revisited the locations of his youth, as well as a postscript written in the third person.

I have to say that this is not one of Susan Hill's better works: the illustrations bear no relation to the events described and simply appear to add bulk to the story; there are certain sections that to me seemed to contradict each other or simply didn't make sense. I found the plot oddly lacking in suspense and tension, and the only memorable parts were the eerie descriptions of the empty hospital corridors and basements at the dead of night, which I could easily relate to, having worked night shifts in hospitals during my years as a nurse. Dr Meredith doesn't come across as a very engaging character, and my empathy clearly lay with the young woman, whom the reader only encounters very briefly.

One for completists only, I think. ( )