Rating: 
Summary: A classic!
Review: "...your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions..." Joel, 3:3 In 1979, I discovered the novels of a guy named Stephen King and began reading more extensively in the horror genre. On the prowl for something similar, I happened on Straub's book in the library. I checked it out, little realizing that I had begun a decades long love affair with his work. It's now been almost twenty years since I read it the first time--I've read hundreds of books since then, but few thrilled me like Ghost Story. Rereading it now, I realize the depth of Straub's accomplishment. Like the legendary storytellers to whom he pays homage, Straub has created a timeless tale of terror, an enduring classic. Reduced to its essentials, Ghost Story is a tale of supernatural revenge. As young men, Ricky Hawthorne, Sears James, Edward Wanderly, Lewis Benedikt and John Jaffrey accidentally kill a woman named Eva Galli. They panic, and decide to cover up her death. Placing her body in a borrowed car, they push the vehicle into a nearby lake. As the car sinks into the muck, they see a sight that haunts them for the rest of their lives: for a moment, it appears as if Eva is still alive, as they catch a glimpse of her face through the rear window. Shaken, they vow to keep her death a secret, and go on with their lives. Fifty years later, the group still lives in their hometown of Milburn, NY, prosperous and content. Now known as The Chowder Society, they meet on a regular basis to swap ghost stories, but they never speak of Eva. Then, Edward Wanderly dies during a party given in the honor of an actress named Anne-Veronica Moore, apparently of fright. The remaining members experience a series of prophetic dreams in which several of them die. Unable to admit to themselves that Eva Galli has returned to haunt them, they send for Don Wanderley, Ed's nephew. A writer by trade, Don has penned a horror novel called The Nightwatcher, based, we later learn, on his own experiences with Eva, known to him as Alma Mobley. Don's arrival in Milburn seems to send a signal to the evil which threatens the group, resulting in the deaths of two more of their number. The survivors band with Don and Peter Barnes, a young man whose mother has been killed by Eva and her minions. Together they struggle to locate and destroy their nemesis. Straub sets the tone for the novel from its first sentences, which express a thought repeated throughout the book. Readers are immediately confronted with the question, "What's the worst thing you've ever done?," followed by the response, "I won't tell you that, but I'll tell you the worst thing that ever happened to me...the most dreadful thing..." Readers are filled with anticipation, wondering what the dreadful thing could be. Straub then proceeds to explore what Stephen King called "a very Jamesian theme...the idea that ghosts, in the end, adopt the motivations and perhaps the very souls of those who behold them." Straub leaves it unclear whether Eva/Alma/Anne Veronica could exist without her victims' belief to sustain her--we never know whether her existence is independent, symbiotic, or totally dependent on those she is out to destroy. Straub's clues muddy the waters, as when Eva and another shapeshifter are asked, "Who are you?" Their answer, "I am you, " is maddening and ambiguous. Numerous readings reveal how much the book owes to Salem's Lot. Straub has publicly acknowledged this debt, stating that "I wanted to work on a large canvas. Salem's Lot showed me how to do this without getting lost among a lot of minor characters. Besides the large canvas I also wanted a certain largeness of effect. I had been imbued with the notion that horror stories are best when they are ambiguous and low key and restrained. Reading Salem's Lot, I realized that the idea was self defeating." On reflection, the debt to Salem's Lot is obvious. Both feature small towns under siege from the supernatural. In both, the terror escalates until the towns are threatened with destruction--Jerusalem's Lot is consumed by purifying fire, while Milburn is decimated. In each, a writer's arrival in town seems to trigger disaster. Both writers strike up alliances with young teenagers whose lives are ruined by the terror, Ben Mears with Mark Petrie and Don Wanderly with Peter Barnes. Both forge an almost parental bond with their young allies, replacing those lost parents. In both, the evil lives on--Ben and Mark end up on the run, while Don, after ending the threat of Eva, presumably goes off to face her evil aunt. In the end, however, Salem's Lot was merely a template, a guide which opened Straub's eyes more fully to the possibilities of horror. Ghost Story is a marriage of two sensibilities: King's, from which it derives its more operatic moments, and Straub's, in that it thoroughly fulfills his literary ambition to expand the boundaries of the traditional ghost story. It also stands as perhaps the first example of Straub's trademark exploration of the power of stories, of the capacity of stories to uncover the truth. Much as King's book stands as a tribute to writers like Bram Stoker and Richard Matheson, Straub's stands as a tribute to writers specifically referenced in the book (Hawthorne, Henry James) and those not (like Poe, Irving, Lovecraft, Bierce and M. R. James) but whose influence is there nonetheless. Recently, I had the vicarious pleasure of watching my thirteen year old daughter Leigh read this wonderful book for the first time. I took her enthusiastic reaction as validation of my long held opinion that Ghost Story is one of the finest horror novels of the past half century.
Rating:
Summary: Simply the best horror novel of our time
Review: I lived on horror novels when I was in college--and I acquired a good collection of my favorite horror novels in hardback. When I finished school, I sold my The Shining, my The Stand, all of my horror books except one. There was one novel with which I could not part--Peter Straub's "Ghost Story." Ghost Story, set in upstate New York, unwinds brilliantly. It begins with the frigid voices of old men swapping ghostly stories, then settles back and unwinds as the demons of these old men's stories come to possess the world of the present. This is a book that starts slow, wrapping itself around the reader. You, like the characters in the book, think that you can easily escape for the first hundred pages. But the narrative tightens and you soon learn that escape was always an illusion. This is a book that combines the chill of the New York winter with the arthritic helplessness of old man nightmares. It plays shamelessly with reality. The devices Straub incorporated in this book are so subtle that they had to be corrupted or ignored entirely when a movie was made based on this book. I have read this book several times now, and I firmly believe it is the The Brothers Karamazov of the horror book world. Stephen King made an interesting observation in "On Writing." He divided writers into four categories. As I recall, these categories were bad, proficient, good, and great. According to King, bad writers are a hopeless lot, and you were either born a great writer or you are out of luck. He compared the great writers to supermodels--born in the right time with the right cheek lines and other assets. The best mobility, according to King, is in proficient writers. These, he says, may well improve themselves and jump to the next category. I disagree with Mr. King on one point. I believe that writers bounce back and forth throughout these categories. A writer may spend most of his career creating average or above average stories, then rise above himself to produce a great story, only to settle back into his earlier station for the rest of his career. Peter Straub, who could never be accused of writing average tales, clearly out did himself with Ghost Story. I loved Shadowland and Koko. The first 95 percent of Floating Dragon was fantastic, but Ghost Story stands unrivalled. It is a masterwork of horror, chilling, seductive, subtle at times and glaring at others. If you want to read the best that horror can offer, read Ghost Story.
Rating:
Summary: Spooky
Review: After I read this book, I was recommended Dean Koontz's "Door to December." In comparing the two, Door to December was not scary to me, nor was the ending (in my opinion) surprising or innovative. Typically, I don't like stories that deal with the supernatural. But Ghost Story is different. It is a book that draws you in right away, and the entire story is chilling, from beginning to end. My favorite part of this book is how the ending ties to the beginning. All through the book I tried to figure out how the first part fit in with the rest of the book, and I thought how it ended up was terrific. A great read!
Rating: 
Summary: This book is not scary
Review: This book is as scary as any B-movie you are likely to see. Very predictable and not really worth your time. The only thing that really scared me was the thought that the book is slowly coming to its end and nothing is going to happen. My fears were not baseless. Since I really like SK and he recommends this guy (and worked with him) I guess I'll give him another chance - maybe Lost boy, lost girl.
Rating:
Summary: "What's the most terrible thing you've ever done?"
Review: "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!
Rating: 
Summary: Do not buy this book for any use other than a sleep aid
Review: After reading so many good reviews on this book, I decided to get it and give it a shot. I had read something by the same author many years ago and remember disliking his writing style (I felt it was on a 6th grade level), so I stayed away for a while. While I don't feel that the book was poorly written, it definitely was NOT good. At all. This book is not scary. This book is not good. It's not even interesting. About 50% through the book there was one "tense moment," and the rest was drivel. By the end of this predictable book, I just couldn't wait for it to end. Finishing this book was a sheer act of willpower, and an agonizing few days. I would never read this book again, or recommend it to anyone. I will probably never read this author again either. I can't believe the book has so many positive reviews, it boggles my mind... (...)
Rating:
Summary: Forgive the hackneyed phrase, but this IS a Masterpiece
Review: At the time of Ghost Story's publication, the N.Y. Times (which didn't review horror stories in those days) declared that it was a book bound to succeed in the English Department and at the checkout counter. Truer words were never typed. This book is in all likelihood the best modern ghost story, pace Dan Simmons, Stephen King, et al. Its literary influences are obvious -- the law firm of James and Hawthorne is the pivot of the plot, and one chapter is a thinly disguised retelling of The Turn of the Screw--but its mood of elegant dread is perfect, and its energy never flags. Shifts in time and perspective are handled expertly. "What is the worst thing you ever did?" asks the book. "I won't tell you that, but I'll tell you the worst thing that ever happened to me. The most dreadful thing." This book is perhaps the only true page turner I have ever read. I read it on the bus, I carried it into the post office and read it on line. I did not sleep until I finished it. Perhaps it was the time, or my mood, but this is the only contemporary novel that gives me the chill that permeates the best short stories of Poe and Hawthorne and both Jameses (Henry and M. R.). I believe poor Peter Straub (whom I met a few years ago) felt himself a captive of the success of this book for many years, but who can blame his readers? The movie Ghost Story is dreadful, and the talented cast only adds to the waste. Please read the other reviews for a synopsis of the plot....
Rating:
Summary: Far better book than any other horror book around
Review: I have read every book ever written by Stephen King and every book by Peter Straub (even his out of print books which were very hard to come by) . And yet, I find this to be the best book I have ever read. EVER! The plot is marvelous and the writing is exquisite. I STRONGLY DISSAGREE with all the people who found the ending to be abrupt and bad. The ending showed more feeling and emotion. It is not long and drawn out like some books, and it is not really big. It is only very simple and shows how Don Wanderley's anger with Eva finally pushes him over the edge into a very sudden action which turns out to be very smart. I have seen the movie as well, and found it beyond stupid and whoever wrote that comment obviously is running short on creativity. This is the ultimate ghost story, in which the ghost isn't like in the books that some authors write where it's only back from the dead, but where the ghost is actually alive somewhat. Thus the title is perfectly fit. Peter Straub at his best, I very stongly reccomend reading this book.
Rating:
Summary: Best Ghost Story Ever
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely the BEST horror novel ever written
Review: But put aside that it's a horror novel for a moment. This book has much more value than in such tired classification. This novel is a strong comment on marriage and the culture of the late 1970s as well. Here, we have fractured marriages (Sonny Venuti approaching Ricky about divorce but not pursuing it due to social constraints in a small town, Stella Hawthorne's adventures intended to have fun at her devoted husband's expense, Walter and Christina Barnes's disaster of a union). Growing up in a town very much like Milburn, I think this novel is the best telling of that kind of claustrophobic feeling written, and the cabin fever like description of growing winter as the supernatural threat against the characters grow is a fine metaphor for the restrictions of banal, predictable suburban society. Here we have two conflicting teenage characters, in-line by-the-book Peter Barnes, whose innocence ends when he realizes that playing it safe does not protect you from evil, and Jim Hardie, the wild character whose rebellion proves only tiresome and cliched. He falls into his own predictable role, one he cannot see. Wanderley's redemption is the focal point of this novel, and the complex layers of the plot and the way it shifts its perceptions of "good" and "evil" characters lead one to repeat readings, wanting to rediscover the much-loved characters over and over again. A true classic.
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