The Service of Clouds

by Susan Hill

The Service Of Clouds Hill, Susan

Genres: Fiction, Ebooks, British Literature, Contemporary, Family, Death, Novels

271 pages, Paperback

First published September 2, 1998

About the author

Susan Hill was born in Scarborough, North Yorkshire in 1942. Her hometown was later referred to in her novel A Change for the Better (1969) and some short stories especially "Cockles and Mussels".

She attended Scarborough Convent School, where she became interested in theatre and literature. Her family left Scarborough in 1958 and moved to Coventry where her father worked in car and aircraft factories. Hill states that she attended a girls’ grammar school, Barr's Hill. Her fellow pupils included Jennifer Page, the first Chief Executive of the Millennium Dome. At Barrs Hill she took A levels in English, French, History and Latin, proceeding to an English degree at King's College London. By this time she had already written her first novel, The Enclosure which was published by Hutchinson in her first year at university. The novel was criticised by The Daily Mail for its sexual content, with the suggestion that writing in this style was unsuitable for a "schoolgirl".

Her next novel Gentleman and Ladies was published in 1968. This was followed in quick succession by A Change for the Better, I'm the King of the Castle, The Albatross and other stories, Strange Meeting, The Bird of Night, A Bit of Singing and Dancing and In the Springtime of Year, all written and published between 1968 and 1974.

In 1975 she married Shakespeare scholar Stanley Wells and they moved to Stratford upon Avon. Their first daughter, Jessica, was born in 1977 and their second daughter, Clemency, was born in 1985. Hill has recently founded her own publishing company, Long Barn Books, which has published one work of fiction per year.

Librarian's Note: There is more than one author by this name.

Reviews

[Tala🦈 (mrs.skywalker.reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

całkowicie wchłonęła mnie ta książka

[Sarah Gregory · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a lot to like about this book. Its focus on death is unusual for modern novels. And Susan Hill writes so clearly and intimately about the thoughts of her characters. The emotions in the book are heightened by her descriptions of the natural world. Her places are very real. However I did find some of her writing a bit unrelenting. Her frequent use of lists has been mentioned by others and I find her play on the tenses of verbs a little jarring.

[John Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully written novel which centres around the self-aware Flora (real name Florence but she doesn’t like it). We follow her from childhood and the formation of her character and the psychology behind it. A haunting sadness permeates the book, beautifully expressed but enervating on this reader’s spirits.

Atmospheric, even ghostly in places, as we might expect from the author of the Woman in Black and Mrs De Winter.

[Gill Schell · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 * Beautifully written and very moving, sad and very bleak at times. Through the narratives of mother and son, the author explores with brutal honesty old age and loneliness, death, love, marriage, family ... expectations and disappointments. This needs to be read slowly to enjoy the beautiful prose.

[Eleanor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely unusual book, with a dreamy, melancholy atmosphere. Very absorbing.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Service of Clouds by Susan Hill

Susan Hill’s The Service of Clouds is a haunting and deeply moving novel that left me on the verge of tears. The story traces the life of Florence Hennessy (Flora Molloy) from childhood to death, alongside her adult son, Hugh Molloy, and his wife, Elizabeth. Hill’s vivid descriptions of settings and her nuanced exploration of characters’ inner lives are nothing short of masterful.

Flora’s story is one of quiet tragedy and resilience. Growing up in a dysfunctional household with a detached, ailing father and a mother consumed by her own turmoil, Flora learns early to keep her emotions guarded. This emotional isolation shapes her life, leading her to favor relationships with children—including her son, Hugh—over those with adults. Her one significant romantic connection ends in heartbreak, reinforcing her tendency to withdraw. Tragically, Flora remains unaware of how deeply she is loved, particularly by Miss Pinky, who adores her from afar, until it’s too late.
Death is a central theme, woven seamlessly into the narrative. Hill, renowned for The Woman in Black, expertly incorporates ghostly apparitions of those who shaped Flora’s life, adding a poignant, supernatural layer to the story. These moments are both eerie and heartfelt, reflecting Flora’s evolving relationship with loss as she ages.

As a reader, I felt a mix of disappointment and empathy for Flora. Her life doesn’t unfold as she had hoped, yet her ability to find contentment in the opportunities she does have is inspiring—a lesson in resilience we can all take to heart. The novel’s ending is profoundly sad, particularly in its depiction of Hugh grappling with his mother’s death. Flora’s choice to shield him from her illness, rooted in her own complex relationship with death, leaves Hugh burdened with regret and shapes his strained marriage with Elizabeth. Elizabeth’s observation that Hugh belongs to “them” (the dying patients he tends to in his career) rather than to her underscores the emotional toll of his choices.

Ultimately, The Service of Clouds holds a mirror to our own lives, reminding us that happiness and hope are fleeting but precious. Hill’s storytelling is both heartbreaking and beautiful, leaving a lasting impression. This is a novel for anyone who appreciates richly drawn characters and a thoughtful exploration of life, loss, and love

[MJDH · Rating 2 out of 5]

Picked up on a church second-hand bookstall. Returned as soon as I had read it. Intriguing - I felt the need to finish it. Depressing - I would never want to read it again, or to suggest it to a friend. I never really got to grips with Flora, or her son Hugh. They don’t feel like real people. The sister Olga of the earlier part of the story is not consistent with the Olga of the later part. Is this deliberate as being how Flora sees her at different times? Some lovely descriptions of nature, but at times overblown. For most of the book I felt no sense of place. The only real places appear to be London and the Downs. A lot of sea and coast in different locations, but where? When is the book set?
Perhaps the whole book is just an exercise by the author in expressing ideas and concepts and working out some of the experiences and sensations of her own life without being in any way autobiographical. It is clever, undoubtedly but oddly unsatisfactory.

[Kevin Darbyshire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very strange book which although readable is strangely disturbing. The story feels like a bad dream with no humour and lots of tragedy. I never really engaged with the main characters although I liked the people surrounding them. Arson , illness and death seem to be the main theme. I wouldn’t recommend book this as really representative of Susan Hill as it’s on the weaker side of her story telling although the writing is wonderful as always. I adore Susan Hill but not so keen overall on this offering.

[Kirsty · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am very disappointed with this book. As it is a Susan Hill book I was expecting it to be creepy and interesting. Instead it was boring. The only creepy thing about it, is the mother and son relationship.
The story flicks between characters and it's not often very clear whose opinion it is.
I do not recommend this book.

[Richard Cooper · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'd always thought Susan Hill was a good writer but this is awful. Characters who are annoyingly self-regarding who talk to each other in clichés take part in a mangled plot. When you start a new chapter you have no clear idea of where this fits in with the overall. It's all so depressing in every way.

[Anthea Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Susan Hill as a writer. This is one of her stand-alone books. It was well written and explores some of the deeper feelings of Flora, one of the main characters; and also of Molloy, her son. I didn't think it was as outstanding as the Serailler series, but fans might like to try this.

[The Cruciverbalistic Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its like a calmly flowing poem on death and the life of lonely souls who endure silently.

[Rhonda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Melancholic, psychical, tear-inducing.

[Tim Bull · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although full of the melancholy that characterises much of our lives this is dealt with in a philosophical and, I feel, empathetic way that is ultimately comforting.

[Richard Swan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I very, very rarely give up on books, but this was one. And shockingly early – page 40. It was t-e-d-i-o-u-

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful, bleak and strangely haunting.

[Sarah Lewis]

Dnf

[Ric Cheyney · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a study of an 'ordinary' life, this was right up my street. For a while I was really enjoying it. By the end, however, I was struggling to see what the book was 'about' or what it was saying, beyond a general endorsement of individuality (especially for females in powerless situations). The support network enjoyed by Flora (the protagonist) was very positively portrayed. Parts of the book are beautifully written, and Hill uses poetic expression very effectively at times.
On the negative side, she uses that listing technique WAY too much. Here is just one of COUNTLESS examples: "...he remembers her young, fresh, untutored, unspoilt talent, her eye, her vision, her clarity of response, her earnest words..." It becomes tiresome, dull, tedious, repetitive, annoying (you get the idea?) and actually I think a little bit lazy.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another beautifully written book from Susan Hill. Not many writers can pull off the trick of writing something so rooted in the emotions (loves, expectations, regrets, mortality) and thoughts of the central characters that also engages the reader so thoroughly.

[Gavin · Rating 3 out of 5]

An odd little book from Susan Hill, well written and all that, but not really much to it once one reaches the end. I read it because I enjoy Ms. Hill's writing, however, if you are new to her start elsewhere - The Woman in Black maybe, or her recent detective series.

[Rachel]

Beautifully written. Susan Hill is so talented at conjuring a haunting atmosphere in her novels. There are many strands to unpick in this story of a mother and her son.

[Milly Potter · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is an unusual book.
I enjoyed some of it, but found myself often distracted by other things while reading it..

[Beccy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The interweaving of stories was interesting and there was skill in the writing, but overall I found this book rather bleak, claustrophobic and depressing.

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Months later, I found this book, started it afresh and read it to the end. Why did I even bother?!