The Hundred and Ninety Nine Steps & The Courage Consort

by Michel Faber

Sian, troubled by dark dreams and seeking distraction, joins an archaeological dig at Whitby Abbey. The abbey's one hundred and ninety-nine steps link the twenty-first century with the ruins of the past and Sian is swept into a mystery involving a long-hidden murder, a fragile manuscript in a bottle and a cast of most peculiar characters. Equal parts historical thriller, romance and ghost story, this is an ingenious literary page-turner and is completely unforgettable. THIS EDITION ALSO FEATURES MICHEL FABER'S NOVELLA THE COURAGE CONSORT

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Short Stories, Novella, Mystery, Novels

304 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2010

About the author

Michel Faber (born 13 April 1960) is a Dutch writer of English-language fiction.

Faber was born in The Hague, The Netherlands. He and his parents emigrated to Australia in 1967. He attended primary and secondary school in the Melbourne suburbs of Boronia and Bayswater, then attended the University of Melbourne, studying Dutch, philosophy, rhetoric, English language (a course involving translation and criticism of Anglo-Saxon and Middle English texts) and English literature. He graduated in 1980. He worked as a cleaner and at various other casual jobs, before training as a nurse at Marrickville and Western Suburbs hospitals in Sydney. He nursed until the mid-1990s. In 1993 he, his second wife and family emigrated to Scotland, where they still reside.

Reviews

[Viera Némethová · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kniha obsahuje dve novely, jedna z nich dala názov celej knihe, druhá sa volá Kvintet Courage. Obe spája istý mystický prvok, legenda či príbeh z minulosti, ktorý ale nie je nosným prvkom celého deja. Táto kniha bola mojím prvým stretnutím s Michelom Faberom, ale napriek nespornému majstrovstvu vo vytváraní atmosféry, vykreslení charakterov postáv vo vyskladaní si mnohých maličkostí, ma novely nijako zvlášť nezaujali.
Vytkla by som malú chybu v zobrazení postavy na obálke knihy, hlavná hrdinka- archeologička, nikdy nenosí v práci nohavice, ale dlhú sukňu, pretože ňou maskuje fyzický handicap.

[Vít · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obě novely mě dostaly svou tajemnou atmosférou a krásným jazykem, nedá se od toho odejít. Nejde sice zrovna o akční příběhy, přesto ale tahle knížka nepatří k těm, které rychle zapomenete. Doporučuji všem (ostatně jako většinu toho, co se mi od dua Faber/Janiš dostalo do rukou).

[Dymbula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dva příběhy. Svěží čtení. Mám rád překlady Viktora Janiše. A Fabera taky.

[Michelle Kilburn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first half of the story, Faber quickly draws you in with his characters and their histories, however, by the time the story came to an end he hadn't satisfied my curiosity (the curiosity that he himself created). It was as though he ran out of time and had to end the story quickly/abruptly. As a short story though it was an enjoyable, if not a little frustrating, read.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Both short story heroines depict women, who have come adrift. They are suicidal, damaged, depressed but deep thinkers with an underlying intelligence and independent spirit, who by the end of the stories have started to find their own path again. Enjoyable, quick reads, with 199 steps being my favourite, having the additional historical element to the town of Whitby.

[Stefanos Chatzianagnostou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Πρόκειται για 2 νουβέλες που έχουν μόνο ένα κοινό στοίχειο, μια γυναίκα κι ένα φάντασμα...
Πολύ ωραία γραφή, ατμοσφαιρική και ευχάριστη!
Η πρώτη νουβέλα "Τα εκατόν ενενηντα εννέα σκαλοπάτια", είχε ένα μυστήριο που πρέπει να λυθεί και έχει καλύτερο ρυθμό και μια καλούτσικη ιστορία. Η Σίαν μία αρχαιολόγος προσπαθώντας να αντιμετωπίσει τους εφιάλτες της, γνωρίζει τον Μαγκνους που της φέρνει ένα μυστηριώδες μπουκάλι της βικτοριανής εποχής με μία εξομολόγηση δολοφονίας μέσα. Προσπαθεί να ξετυλίξει το γραπτό το οποίο την επηρεάζει βαθιά. Ξεχωρίζει η λονδρέζικη γοτθική ατμόσφαιρα που είναι πολύ επιβλητική και προσωπικά με κέρδισε.
Η δεύτερη νουβέλα "Η γυναίκα και το φάντασμα"(ο κανονικός τίτλος είναι The courage consort που σημαίνει το Συνολο Τόλμη) μιλάει για ένα πενταμελές φωνητικό σύνολο a capella μουσικής το Σύνολο Τόλμη που καλείται να περάσει 15 μέρες σε ένα σπίτι προβάροντας ένα σύγχρονο κομμάτι, και σε αυτή τη συμβίωση έρχονται αντιμέτωποι με διάφορες πλευρές της προσωπικότητας, αφενός εξαιτίας της μουσικής, αφετέρου εξαιτίας των δικών τους αδυναμιών και ιδιαιτεροτήτων. Κυρίως παρακολουθούμε την Κάθριν τη σοπράνο, που παλεύει με τους δικούς της δαίμονες και η διαδικασία των προβών και η συμβίωση μεταβάλει την ψυχοσύνθεσή της ποικιλοτρόπως.
Πιο αργή από την πρώτη νουβέλα αλλά εξίσου ατμοσφαιρική με τις περιγραφές της μουσικής να εγείρουν την φαντασία.

[Shaxx · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sto devětadevadesát schodů byl náhodný výběr z knihovny, zaujala mě obálka a název.
První povídka se mi celkem líbila prostředím i postavami, ale u druhé jsem narazila. K uzoufání nuda, prokousat se tím bylo něco a výsledek byl stejně o ničem, aspoň pro mě teda. Dle komentářů se druhá povídka líbila a hodně lidí tam našla symboliku a zajímavý popis tvorby, ale to mě asi minulo...
Za mě tedy slabší tři hvězdy.

[mezzogal · Rating 1 out of 5]

For something that touts itself a "historical thriller, romance and ghost story", it is incredibly boring. There is no mystery, no suspense, no romance. Lots of whining, unexplained nightmares, and general depression of a middle-aged woman. The only thing that kept me going was the dog.
As for The Courage Consort... it's more musings of a depressed middle-aged woman who happens to sing in an ensemble. I almost gave up a few pages in. Nothing happens. Everything is unresolved.
Of course, all this is most likely extremely intriguing for literary analysis. But for a casual enjoyable read, look elsewhere.

[Veronika Steff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Další skvělé příběhy od mého oblíbeného autora, i když tentokrát ve mě nevzbudily tak výrazné emoce jako obvykle. https://milyctenarskydenicku.blogspot...

[The Usual · Rating 3 out of 5]

I keep wanting The Crimson Petal and the White. I know that’s stupid: I already own a copy, and why would Faber write the same book twice? Nevertheless, when I see his name I hope for another book as immersive, with a narrator as slyly insinuating to lead me into the labyrinth.

It’s particularly stupid to hope for that when I’m well aware that what I’m holding are two novellas. There simply isn’t room.

The novella is an odd form, when you think about it. It’s not exactly a long short-story, not exactly a short novel. It sits between the two and, at its best, can combine the economy of the one with the depth of the other. The danger is that it combines the sparseness of the short-story with the bagginiess of the novel and that, I think, is what’s happened with The Hundred and Ninety-Nine Steps. It rushes where it should linger and lingers where it should rush. Oh, there are other problems. There’s a subtle dissonance set up between the story in the manuscript and the romantic element, and there’s certainly something a bit off about the romance itself, but the main problem, for me, is that there are too many elements to it and not enough fleshing out. I wasn’t taken, frankly.

The Courage Consort, on the other hand, I did rather like. I liked the way the characters were drawn, the development, the humour of it. I very much liked the line:

“Bad pop music lasts for ever. Johann Strauss. Herman’s Hermits. Father Abraham and the Smurfs. These things will never die, even if we put a lot of effort into killing them.”

Mostly because I’m not a nice man, of course. Strauss is for dancing to. If you’re listening to him then you’re doing it wrong. And Andre Rieu can take a running jump.

The Courage Consort is a novella done well.

So I’m going to give this volume three stars on aggregate and never, ever read The Hundred and Ninety-Nine Steps again.

[Bookfan53 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought these novellas when I was visiting Whitby. There are two novellas in this edition. The first story is a bit like a detective story in a way, as in the main character trying to unravel a past mystery. The places described made me feel like I was back in Whitby, it's a place I know very well.

The second story is like nothing I have ever read before, it's about a group of singers who travel to a chateau to rehearse for an important music festival. There are a couple of weird happenings that are never explained.

[Pakobylka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Určitě se dá říct, že pozdější Faberovy povídky a knihy jsou vyzrálejší. Ale vlastně mi to ani tak nevadilo, protože taková ta zvláštní poetika a něco, co se vznáší kdesi za tím napsaným, tady stejně je.

Víc se mi líbila první novela, asi proto, že měla poměrně přímý a optimističtější vývoj a i přes temnější naladění by se skoro dalo říct happy end.

U druhé jsem to měla trochu složitější, protože pasáže o hudbě a jejím různém pojímání souborem mě moc nebavily. Vývoj postav a konec byl ale taky zajímavý, takže nakonec fajn.

[Sarah T · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this volume of two novellas entirely on a whim while staying in Whitby (the site of the titular one hundred and ninety nine steps). They are beautifully crafted, atmospheric and thoroughly engaging pieces of writing that I would commend to any reader’s attention, especially if they’re looking for something small but perfectly formed.

[Chiefdonkey Bradey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two novellas, as unsettling as shadows passing you on narrow stairs

[Elena · Rating 1 out of 5]

Di fatto il nulla. Non c'è thrilling, non c'è romanzo di fantasmi, non c'è proprio la storia. Tanti spunti interessanti che finiscono nel nulla.
Occasione mancata

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

5/10.

[Helena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two amazing, thoughtful novella's.

[Rachael Mills · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author is weirdly obsessed with weight in both novellas. CW: fatphobia.

[Charlie Pennell · Rating 4 out of 5]

wait love

[Maura Heaphy Dutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two very enjoyable and well-written novellas.

I wrote a longer review, and lost it. I'll work on reconstructing it, but that's it for now.

[Emily Randall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this read!! The first story drew me in quickly and became a total page turner, it was a short read but the characters involved had enough depth and I found it to be really enjoyable. Faber gradually revealed more and more about the main character and I felt the approach worked out really well.

The Courage Consort, this one took a little longer to get into yet once I got there I couldn't put the book down and had to keep going until I ran out of pages to read!!! The reason I got so into this one nearer to the end is that the main character became so much more likeable to me as she changed and progressed through the story.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two novellas in one. The first is the titular tale which features Sian, a thirty something conservator working on an archaeological dig in Whitby. She meets Mack, a doctor from London who shows her a historical artefact left him by his father. Together they untangle the mystery behind it whilst dealing with their feelings for each other. I loved this, especially the history side and Sian's passion for the subject. The second story, The Courage Consort, deals with a group of vocal performers holed up in a foreign chataeu to practice for an upcoming concert. Despite the shortness of the story, the characters seemed well formed and the tale was pleasant enough.

[Sx · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short novels usually don't leave an impression on me- they are a hit or miss, so I was pleasantly surprised when reading The Hundred and Ninety Nine Steps. What was a simple archeological dig turned out to be something a lot more than that for our heroine Sian. At the end of the novella, a lot of pieces of the puzzle came together to form a whole picture. That is what I love, a novella that gets you thinking.

On the other hand, The Courage Consort was a sure miss. I tried to like it, I really did, but in truth, all I did was labour through it during my short train ride. I just couldn't connect to any single one of the characters, and perhaps that was the author's intention.

[Kaylol · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read the hundred and ninety-nine steps in a couple of hours. When I read it I asked myself "Did I just spend this time reading about nothing?". Basically nothing happens, it's like a tale that grandmas would tell - but much less captivating. It's too boring for me, thank god it was so short.
I started reading The courage Consort but it seemed even less interesting than the previous and I gave up.

[Amy Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like the other books I've read by Faber, these two short stories were strange, compelling and addictive. I love that you can never predict what's coming with his books, as so few books lead you into the unexpected. I do find it weird that in the three novels by him that I have read that his ability to write from a woman's point of view is so accurate in terms of thought processes and emotions. I like being taken somewhere new and unpredictable.

[Len Northfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the book quickly and enjoyed it. As in other works of his I've read, Faber's writing is clean and readable. I felt his characterisation was a little flat and, occasionally, a bit clichéed and, altogether, the stories felt ever so slightly forced and self conscious.

I read it while on vacation in Whitby, so I could visit the various places mentioned in the main novella; I'm sure this added to my enjoyment.

A fun read

[WR · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the ending a little abrupt - at the end, I literally went "Huh, that's it??". So there was a sense of incompleteness. Think the story tried to be a bit of everything - romance, historical novel, mystery, but never really played out the full potential of any of the components.
(Didn't read the accompanying novella "The Courage Consort")

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both such different stories, but equal in their sophistication and power to draw you in, alow you to know the characters, sympathise with them, like them or loathe them, and ultimately feel less alone in the world.

[Alesa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a fun little romp, I suppose, but lacked substance.
Glad I got it from the library instead of buying it. :)

[Katrina Tan · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many secrets...