While visiting Alloway Auld Kirk near Glasgow, Parnell finds the grave of William Burns (November 11, 1721 – February 13, 1784) which leads to a discussion of “Tam o’ Shanter” (1791) by William’s famous son and poet, Robert Burns (January 25, 1759 – July 21, 1796). The narrative poem is set on “a night on which the Devil himself has ‘business on his hand.’” Another Scottish writer, John Buchan (August 26, 1875 – February 11, 1940), “most famous for his novel of adventure and international intrigue set in the months before the First World War, THE THIRTY-NINE STEPS,” is also known for “a number of supernatural stories that utilised his knowledge of his native landscape and its wildlife.” Parnell says “Skule Skerry” (1928) and “No Man’s Land” (1899) are his favorites, the latter painting “a vision of an ancient stunted race still holding out among the Highland hills that could pass for the work of Arthur Machen.”

Paying attention to the way ghost stories change through the years -- and why those changes are made -- can tell us a great deal about how we face our fears and our anxieties. Even when these stories have a basis in fact and history, there's often significant embellishment and fabrication before they catch on in our imagination, and teasing out these alterations is key to understanding how ghosts shape our relationship to the past.

Summary

I guess the only good thing I could say is that there were some interesting stories that I was not aware of and therefore enjoyed learning about it.

Man what a blast! True rip roaring fun! This story is so original, so unique, I cannot believe this book has not gotten more attention. I’m sure my review will not do it the justice it deserves.I have a thing about sequels, namely that they are rarely as good as the original and often end up just trying to recapture what made the first story great (which is just stupid in my opinion. Usually what makes a story great is how unique it is, so trying to just keep copying the formula is obviously going to make each iteration dumber). Parnell also travels his ‘Ghostland’, visiting places, both of his childhood and of importance to the novels or films that have stayed with him over time. He really does cover the length and breadth of the country, searching for glimpses of the past, sometimes for his own reveries and sometimes, it seems, to really try to get inside the heads of the people involved in bringing ghoulish delight to his younger self. This was an interesting take on hauntings. The author did not discuss whether the hauntings were true or not (though he seems to have his doubts) but rather what they say about us as a society, as a country. This was a fantastic read. I love it and have been talking anyone's ear off about it that I can. I see a lot of influences in it and they work well but what for me, the best breakdown of all three books and the extra goodies is: This is 13 Ghosts meets Jurassic Park meets The Stand.

The author keeps a pretty even keel in his tone and treatment of the ghost stories and locations. The only time he seems to get a bit irritated is when writing about ghost hunters for profit or fame and the "dark tourism" industry, which he feels is disingenuous and potentially harmful to the scientific field of the paranormal and to the landmarks themselves, which can become vandalized due to thrill seekers. There's much to like in this book, especially the world building. The Ghostland amusement park is genius as far as I'm concerned. Mr. Ralston pulls that off perfectly.

Customer reviews

But then, one day, the prince ran away from his palace. He came to the next land. There, to his astonishment, from every coast he saw islands, and on these islands, strange and troubling creatures whom he dared not name. As he was searching for a boat, a man in full evening dress approached him along the shore. There are some very extreme "walk on the wild side" sections of the book which might make you cringe and cover your eyes! However, after all is said and done, I'm pinging a star for the uneven sense of engagement delivered with the main characters of Ben and Lillian. Especially around the middle of the book during the 'Asylum,' scenes, I was in danger of losing all interest in their fates rather than being engaged, and seriously considered DNF'ing.