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emandem123's review against another edition
4.0
A lot less narrative than I expected! Better for people who enjoy history than fiction.
vtlism's review against another edition
I might actually buy this audiobook bc the narrator's performance is SO soporific. I could not stay awake, it's very very boring and soothing and yet not so boring as to make me angry, lol, which unfortunately for me is a problem with "soothing" things. I'm possibly never going to finish this book, and that's ok, it's just a fantastic sleep aid.
wunkymatts's review against another edition
4.0
This book was slow and a bit meandering to get going, but by the end I was hooked. I was fascinated by the exploration of the links between psychic and supernatural phenomenon and psychology, particularly sexual trauma. I would have loved it if Summerscales had gone into it in a bit more depth, but I can certainly see myself researching into it more.
shanaries's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 rounded up. This is pretty slow, mostly because it's densely packed with research. Though I was never sure I'd make it through to the end, I kept on because of the research; I cared less about the people and more about the place and time. While this is not what drew me to the story, I'm glad for all of the insights because the story of Alma Fielding was only interesting to me when viewed through the context of place and time.
pewterwolf's review against another edition
3.0
This feels like the story is in the wrong medium (get it? Medium? Ghosts? My dad jokes are here all week, folks!). RTC, but I feel this would have worked better as a long running investigative podcast series, similar to Dirty John, Tenfold More Wicked or The Missing Crypto-Queen, rather than a book.
***Audiobook given by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review/reaction***
I don't normally go towards non-fiction, but the idea of this intrigued me that when I first saw it on NetGalley, it gave me a little creep and went "Ok, I need to know what this is."
It's not creepy like I thought. Instead, this is an investigative of a haunting set just before the Second World War. A young housewife, Alma Fielding, is being haunted and ask for help. In walks Nandor Fodor, a Jewish-Hungarian refugee and chief ghost hunter for the International Institute for Psychical Research, who needs a case due to events. As he begins his investigation, he realises that this case is more complex than he realises. As the Second World War creeps closer and closer, Alma's behaviour becomes more troubling and Fodor becomes more obsessed with finding the truth: is Alma truly haunted? Is she lying? Or is something much darker afoot?
I know many readers who have said this doesn't stand next to Kate's previous non-fiction, [b:The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: or the Murder at Road Hill House|3891793|The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher or the Murder at Road Hill House|Kate Summerscale|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327902228l/3891793._SY75_.jpg|3254095], but as I haven't read (though I want to), I can't compare. But compared to other non-fiction I have read, the execution is a problem. This feels a little flat, a little thin. I know the source material was more vague, but we had a possible haunting set on the eve of the Second World War and the main investigator in this was Jewish and was trying to save his reputation, and this book touches on mental health and past trauma such as PTSD, child abuse and grief. This sounds like fertile grounds, and yet... it only ever felt like we were skimming.
The biggest issue I had is that, all the way through this, right from the very start, I kept going "This isn't working as a book/audiobook. This feels more like a podcast. Why isn't this a long investigation podcast?". This felt like it was told in the wrong medium (Dad pun alert!). It felt, all the way throughout, that if this was a long-term investigation podcast, with weekly episodes, there would be more ground to cover and it would be allowed to breathe.
The story has a whole was interesting, but I think the execution and how the story was told is this book's biggest downfall. I mean, is this really a ghost story or a look into mental health such as trauma?
***Audiobook given by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review/reaction***
I don't normally go towards non-fiction, but the idea of this intrigued me that when I first saw it on NetGalley, it gave me a little creep and went "Ok, I need to know what this is."
It's not creepy like I thought. Instead, this is an investigative of a haunting set just before the Second World War. A young housewife, Alma Fielding, is being haunted and ask for help. In walks Nandor Fodor, a Jewish-Hungarian refugee and chief ghost hunter for the International Institute for Psychical Research, who needs a case due to events. As he begins his investigation, he realises that this case is more complex than he realises. As the Second World War creeps closer and closer, Alma's behaviour becomes more troubling and Fodor becomes more obsessed with finding the truth: is Alma truly haunted? Is she lying? Or is something much darker afoot?
I know many readers who have said this doesn't stand next to Kate's previous non-fiction, [b:The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: or the Murder at Road Hill House|3891793|The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher or the Murder at Road Hill House|Kate Summerscale|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327902228l/3891793._SY75_.jpg|3254095], but as I haven't read (though I want to), I can't compare. But compared to other non-fiction I have read, the execution is a problem. This feels a little flat, a little thin. I know the source material was more vague, but we had a possible haunting set on the eve of the Second World War and the main investigator in this was Jewish and was trying to save his reputation, and this book touches on mental health and past trauma such as PTSD, child abuse and grief. This sounds like fertile grounds, and yet... it only ever felt like we were skimming.
The biggest issue I had is that, all the way through this, right from the very start, I kept going "This isn't working as a book/audiobook. This feels more like a podcast. Why isn't this a long investigation podcast?". This felt like it was told in the wrong medium (Dad pun alert!). It felt, all the way throughout, that if this was a long-term investigation podcast, with weekly episodes, there would be more ground to cover and it would be allowed to breathe.
The story has a whole was interesting, but I think the execution and how the story was told is this book's biggest downfall. I mean, is this really a ghost story or a look into mental health such as trauma?
theduchess93's review against another edition
5.0
I was concerned with all the negative reviews when I first started this, but many of them seem to take issue with the fact that Summerscale treats this as a psychological study rather than a factual account of supernatural events which...yes of course?? I would be concerned if she acted as though the /proven hoaxes/ were actual paranormal phenomena. All this aside, this was a fascinating look into psychical studies of mediums and just how personal the investigations could get, both physically and emotionally. Absolutely recommend to anyone who wants a case study of spiritualism!