Cheap Ghost Story (Book) (Peter Straub) Price

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Customer Reviews of Ghost Story

Good, but not great...
I read this book because Stephen King praised it so highly in Dance Macabre. In that book, Straub admits what an inspiration 'Salem's Lot was. Reading Ghost Story, one is reminded of 'Salem's Lot. This is not a haunted house story - these "ghosts" can go anywhere and seemingly do anything. The entire town of Milburn is besieged by "ghosts" much the same way 'Salem's Lot is by vampires.

The story is fairly creepy. Five old men share a dark secret. One day a mysterious woman comes to town and the horrors begin. Anything more specific than that would be giving the fun away.

However, even though he is inspired by Stephen King, Peter Straub does not possess King's literary talent; his characters are two-dimensional and the writing seems curiously flat. He lacks King's ability to conjure vivid images and people. This is a bad thing simply because Ghost Story is a LONG novel. Don't read it if you are looking for an intellectual treat. However, if you are a dedicated horror fan, you will appreciate the scares within.

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"What's the most terrible thing you've ever done?"
"What's the most terrible thing you've ever done?"

"I won't tell you that, but I'll tell you the worst thing that ever happened to me...the most dreadful thing" This is how the book opens and comes to life. Boy, does it ever! I first read "Ghost Story" 22 years ago when I was 17 years old. I remember the movie coming out shortly after I read it. The movie version is okay, but really chops up the book. Where is the Lewis Benedikt character in the movie? ... and Edward Wanderly is the mayor of Milburn? No, I'm not going to do a review of the movie, but I must say, that if you really want to enjoy this classic book called "Ghost Story", by all means, read the book where the characters are so rich and full of life.

In Milburn, New York, Ricky Hawthorne, Sears James, Edward Wanderly, Lewis Benedikt and John Jaffrey are young friends on their way to professions in law and medicine. They accidentally kill a woman named Eva Galli. This group living in the 1920s panic and they decide the only thing they can do, cover up Eva's death. They put her "dead" body in a car that was loaned to them and together, push the vehicle into a lake. When the car is sinking they notice something that will haunt them for the rest of their lives. Eva moves ("Jesus, she can't, she's dead!"). But yes, it appears that Eva is still alive and they see that she is grinning at them from the rear view window. Grinning! In the book, "Ghost Story" is a tale of supernatural revenge and the Eva Galli character is indeed very evil.

Return 50 years later to Milburn. The group of men are now called the Chowder Society. They have regular meetings and swap Ghost Stories, but have vowed not to speak of Eva Galli and her death. Suddenly, Edward Wanderly dies while interviewing a young actress named Anne-Veronica Moore at a party hosted by John Jaffrey. Edward apparently dies of fright. The remaining members of the Chowder Society are possessed by terrible nightmares where they die. They send for Edwards's young nephew, Don Wanderly, who is a writer of horror novels. Don wrote a recent book called "The Nightwatcher" based, we learn later, on his own experiences with Eva, known to him as Alma Mobley.

Peter Straub wrote a very cerebral book. Ghosts, known in the book as shape shifters, are entities that have been around when humans first began to gather knowledge. "We (Alma talking to Don inside one of Don's hallucinations) have always lived in your dreams and in your worst nightmares" ... the most dreadful thing!

5 Stars!

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Best Ghost Story Ever
I was reading some of the reviews and saw that there are a couple of people who didn't like this book. Did they actually read it? I'm a big Stephen King fan and I was reading Danse Macarbe by SK and he recommended Ghost Story, as a matter of fact he seemed to feel it one of the best ghost story's ever written. I was so impressed by his recommendation that I bought the book and read it one cold November weekend in college. That was fifteen years ago and I can still remember being glued to the pages and having my hairs stand on edge. I can't stress enough how haunting the book is and how it just has you wondering what will happen next and something that all good horror novels have to have: characters you truly care about.Though the book is called Ghost Story there are other monsters here and they just make for a great ride.Buy it people you will not be disappointed.