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sophieguillas's review against another edition
4.0
My favourite kind of non fiction - a story that is too weird and convoluted to be made up. You start off focused on the Alma's haunting but the story is so compelling because everyone is bringing their own baggage to the idea of ghosts and psychic phenomena in general. I didn't know who I was rooting for, but not in a frustrating way. Really cool read after my Victorian psychical research class I took last year.
The book leaves the door open on whether you want to believe Alma was entirely a fraud and I think it struck the right note on the feeling of uncertainty that came with the field of psychical research.
The book leaves the door open on whether you want to believe Alma was entirely a fraud and I think it struck the right note on the feeling of uncertainty that came with the field of psychical research.
daja57's review against another edition
3.0
Alma Fielding was a Croydon woman whose house was 'haunted' by a poltergeist in the 1930s. She became a subject of intense scrutiny by psychic researchers led by Nandor Fodor. This book is an account of those investigations.
It was interesting that the interest in spiritualism and 'psychic' phenomena peaked after so many people had been bereaved by the First World War, especially as the threat of a second war became imminent. It was sad that so many of the so-called psychic phenomena were so trivial: the manifestation of white mice and old coins like cheap conjuring tricks. It was bizarre that so many mediums professed to spirit guides that were Native Americans (and if not, from other exotic nationalities).
Perhaps that was problem. I was sceptical from the start, quickly deciding that the 'supernatural' occurrences were instances of fraud, and impatient of the credulous researchers. Since this book was a blow-by-blow account of a single case, rather than any sort of overview, I quickly became tired. Another seance, another 'apport', another teacup flying across the room. I soon stopped caring.
I thought it wither needed to be half the length, or have a more general analysis.
It was interesting that the interest in spiritualism and 'psychic' phenomena peaked after so many people had been bereaved by the First World War, especially as the threat of a second war became imminent. It was sad that so many of the so-called psychic phenomena were so trivial: the manifestation of white mice and old coins like cheap conjuring tricks. It was bizarre that so many mediums professed to spirit guides that were Native Americans (and if not, from other exotic nationalities).
Perhaps that was problem. I was sceptical from the start, quickly deciding that the 'supernatural' occurrences were instances of fraud, and impatient of the credulous researchers. Since this book was a blow-by-blow account of a single case, rather than any sort of overview, I quickly became tired. Another seance, another 'apport', another teacup flying across the room. I soon stopped caring.
I thought it wither needed to be half the length, or have a more general analysis.
directorpurry's review against another edition
emotional
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism
Moderate: Medical content, Miscarriage, Child death, Sexual violence, and War
Minor: Abortion