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patchworkbunny's review against another edition
4.0
When Jeremy Dyson is contacted by journalist Aiden Fox to uncover Britain’s hidden ghost stories, he embarks a hardened sceptic. As he sets off around the country he learns how the mundane can turn terrifying in an instant.
The success of many of these stories is the complete normality running up to the ghost encounter. One minute you’re reading about the minutiae of everyday lives and the next an edge of fear has crept into the text. The fear that a noise or a touch can bring is somehow much more real than monsters that lurk in the dark. Hardened horror fans may find the pace a little slow but I found several of the stories really gave me the creeps.
The Haunted Book is rather ambiguously marketed, presented as a collection of ghost stories from around Britain sourced by Dyson. It is left up to the reader to decide the truth but inevitably it becomes clear it if fiction masquerading as non-fiction. Even if you are inclined to believe in the stories themselves, the fact that there’s a book within a book, within a book would leave very little that could be genuinely attributed to Dyson.
Like many short story collections, there are hits and misses and I found myself skipping over a few. Yet there was always the feeling that you could turn the page to be confronted with something terrifying and the lack of it just adds a little to the tension. What really lifted the book for me was the end; hidden away in those black pages. If you are a book geek you will love it. Maybe every book should end that way!
The physical hardback is certainly one of those books that begs to be picked up. Indeed, when reading at my desk during lunch (because I’m a big wimp and need to read scary things in daylight) several people came and leafed through it. The designer has managed to replicate the old journal look perfectly.
The success of many of these stories is the complete normality running up to the ghost encounter. One minute you’re reading about the minutiae of everyday lives and the next an edge of fear has crept into the text. The fear that a noise or a touch can bring is somehow much more real than monsters that lurk in the dark. Hardened horror fans may find the pace a little slow but I found several of the stories really gave me the creeps.
The Haunted Book is rather ambiguously marketed, presented as a collection of ghost stories from around Britain sourced by Dyson. It is left up to the reader to decide the truth but inevitably it becomes clear it if fiction masquerading as non-fiction. Even if you are inclined to believe in the stories themselves, the fact that there’s a book within a book, within a book would leave very little that could be genuinely attributed to Dyson.
Like many short story collections, there are hits and misses and I found myself skipping over a few. Yet there was always the feeling that you could turn the page to be confronted with something terrifying and the lack of it just adds a little to the tension. What really lifted the book for me was the end; hidden away in those black pages. If you are a book geek you will love it. Maybe every book should end that way!
The physical hardback is certainly one of those books that begs to be picked up. Indeed, when reading at my desk during lunch (because I’m a big wimp and need to read scary things in daylight) several people came and leafed through it. The designer has managed to replicate the old journal look perfectly.
codiewood's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
stevemozza's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.75
fuzzyduckky's review against another edition
1.0
The title and cover of the book caught my eye in a bookshop and after reading the summary I brought it straight away. Sadly the book was very disappointing.
I think I only made it to story number three. While reading the individual stories I found myself drifting away and thinking about other things. This was the last straw for me and I gave up. The stories are not scary or chilling, but rather boring with pointless paragraphs that seem to be there just the bulk out the book a bit.
I think I only made it to story number three. While reading the individual stories I found myself drifting away and thinking about other things. This was the last straw for me and I gave up. The stories are not scary or chilling, but rather boring with pointless paragraphs that seem to be there just the bulk out the book a bit.
pingu12's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
drakeula_73's review against another edition
1.0
Preposterous tosh. There I was expecting this book to be full of chills yet the stories are about as scary as an episode of Scooby Doo. This is one book that does not seem to know what it is, and you are left with the feeling that the author is trying to be too clever for his own good. The writing style is actually quite good, however, there are countless spelling mistakes and even missing words, so whoever proof read this didn’t do a very good job. These are supposed to be fiction stories based on true locations and experiences, yet the endings left me feeling disappointed and not the least bit frightened, which is a shame as some of the locations seemed to be the perfect location for a good ghost story. If you want to read ghost stories written by someone who knows how to scare the reader, then read the works of M. R. James, but don’t waste your money on this!
the_lilrunaway's review against another edition
3.0
The book started out creepy and unsettling and I enjoyed the first few stories because of this.
As the book went on it got odd and it didn't really feel like the book knew what it was anymore. I think this is intentional, the book slowly falling apart in the build up to the end but I got less and less interested as it went on.
Glad I read it though. It was something different.
As the book went on it got odd and it didn't really feel like the book knew what it was anymore. I think this is intentional, the book slowly falling apart in the build up to the end but I got less and less interested as it went on.
Glad I read it though. It was something different.
thewoollygeek's review against another edition
2.0
There were a couple of good ghost stories in here, but other than that I just found it odd, not very interesting a lot of them time and the end ??? Well it's not scary and just didn't do anything for me , I was hoping for scary stories but it just let me down
hauntedtesty's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
An interesting concept but not well implemented.
beccajay's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25