Customer Reviews:
Average but entertaining April 27, 2006 8 out of 9 found this review helpful
No one need worry about reading this book alone in the middle of a stormy night. This is an average but entertaining book, and nothing much beyond a "creepy feeling" occurs in it. Unlike the macabre stories of a King or a Staub where a bump in the night is sure to leave you hiding under the bedcovers or calling your best friend for the reassuring sound of a familiar voice, this book is a collection of the strange events that most of us have had in the course of our lives. There is probably no one who hasn't had some sort of run-in with the unexplainable, something that reminds one of the familiar tales told around the camp fire on family outings or scout jamborees. Most of them are of strange sounds at unusual times of day, doors that open when they shouldn't be able to, or lights that go on or off without the assistance of a human hand. It is primarily this simple type of story that rings as true and strikes a familiar tone. An interesting book and one that will reassure the reader that they aren't "the only one" to have such experiences.
As for the why of this phenomenon, read Beyond Coincidence by Martin Plimmer).
Great easy read whether you believe or not. February 25, 2006 9 out of 9 found this review helpful
I am pretty agnostic as to the existence of ghosts, but I enjoy reading people's accounts of encounters. This book is a very easy read. It is no literary masterpiece--it reads more like an unedited diary of other people's oral histories--but it is entertaining. I like to read one or two of the stories at a time as a nice, brief break.
Again I cant stress we are not alone December 24, 2005 9 out of 9 found this review helpful
Lets face it, most of us who seek out these books have had an experience or know someone who has had one... we seek out books like this to justifiy that we are not crazy. To be able to share maybe in the quite of a libary or bed, but we know we are not alone. Every day people every day exp this stuff. Lets encourage the authors to come out, this book is a high 5 please great read! You cant put it down Tru_wagener@yahoo.com
An Excellent documentary September 26, 2005 8 out of 12 found this review helpful
I run a paranormal site http://www.all-things-paranormal.com and am constantly looking for true stories and experiences. This book dives into some of the interesting stories of different places. I reccomend this book to anyone interested in the paranormal.
Great Ghost Stories--No More, No Less! May 6, 2005 15 out of 20 found this review helpful
I've noticed a couple of reviews that suggest there's something missing from this book. For example, Dennis Phillips has written a wonderful and accurate review of the book, but expresses disappointment at the fact that there isn't more background information included, or that there were no investigations conducted.
Well, I certainly understand where Dennis is coming from, but I don't feel that this book is about getting to the bottom of these ghost stories. I think it's simply about the wonder of the occurrences, and the startling fact that these things happen to normal people on a seemingly frequent basis.
As another reviewer stated, the subtitle of this book is "True Stories of Paranormal Encounters from Everyday People" and that's exactly what it is. No, the author doesn't have a team of paranormal investigators and psychics that delve into the history of the haunted location and try to determine its origins. There are plenty of books out there that are packed to the gills with that stuff.
Personally, I'm more interested in reading about the good stuff--the actual events that took place, which put these stories into the "paranormal" category. If I want history and investigation, I'll read something by Hans Holzer. In fact, some of us actually prefer NOT knowing the origins or reasoning behind the occurrences...it sort of takes away some of the mystery and creepiness.
At any rate, no matter what your position is on the history/investigation issue, I think anyone who's read this book will agree that it is indeed very well-written and entertaining, with a pleasing variety of chillingly believable stories, which are featured nowhere else but in this book. I'm certain it will remain one of my favorite volumes of true ghost stories.
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