Haunted Ground

Rating:
Summary: CHILDHOOD DEMONS
Review: As noted in many other Amazon reviewers' thoughts, HAUNTED GROUND is not a typical "horror" novel per se. It's more of a combination of books like "Turn of the Screw" "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "Bad Seed." Gresham is brilliant in the depth of characterization he gives to much of the cast: the sexually confused Teddy who spends most of the novel mooning over his sensuous and mysterious cousin, Judith; David, the boy whose sexual love for Teddy leads to a tragic end; Teddy's brother Junior who becomes a man in an ill-starred love affair; and of course the tragic Togler family, the ghosts who haunt the lives of both Teddy and Judith. There are some exquisitely tender moments of the innocence of youth, and a few plot twists in the end that make the story more palpable and real.
Gresham is a wonderful writer; the novel is slow paced, but in this type of work, it's inherent and necessary.
Not for die hard blood and guts horror fans, but a disturbing psychological adventure.

Rating:
Summary: CHILDHOOD DEMONS
Review: As noted in many other Amazon reviewers' thoughts, HAUNTED GROUND is not a typical "horror" novel per se. It's more of a combination of books like "Turn of the Screw" "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "Bad Seed." Gresham is brilliant in the depth of characterization he gives to much of the cast: the sexually confused Teddy who spends most of the novel mooning over his sensuous and mysterious cousin, Judith; David, the boy whose sexual love for Teddy leads to a tragic end; Teddy's brother Junior who becomes a man in an ill-starred love affair; and of course the tragic Togler family, the ghosts who haunt the lives of both Teddy and Judith. There are some exquisitely tender moments of the innocence of youth, and a few plot twists in the end that make the story more palpable and real.
Gresham is a wonderful writer; the novel is slow paced, but in this type of work, it's inherent and necessary.
Not for die hard blood and guts horror fans, but a disturbing psychological adventure.

Rating:
Summary: Complete Waste of My Reading Time
Review: I hated this book!!! I was bored but I kept reading it hoping for something grand to happen at the end....but it didn't. The story was slow and mostly focused on the relationship between Teddy and his cousin Judith. The book was not scary at all and I thought it was pretty predictable. The ending most of all was awful very anticlimatic. I would not waste your time reading this.

Rating:
Summary: A Hauntingly Good Read
Review: Not only do the supernatural elements of this story entertain, but the interpersonal and "interpet" aspects make it more engaging. The fate of Gussie and Oatmeal, while upsetting and vividly described, connect a reader to the real emotions experienced by 14 year old Teddy who is troubled by his confused sexuality and, to put it mildly, dysfunctional homelife. The ending of the novel is satisfying and a culmination of a tale that will remain with a reader after the book's final page is finished.

Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly Different But Quite Entertaining
Review: Stephen Gresham's "Haunted Ground" offers many surprises for its readers. The publisher classified the book as horror, but after reading this story, I am not so sure that designation is an appropriate one. Nominally, the author's story does contain a significant plotline concerning a house populated with ghosts, a supernatural element that often takes a back seat to the interactions between the two main characters, Judith and Teddy. "Haunted Ground" is closer to an intense psychological drama about "coming of age" than the usual gruesomely graphic horror novels I am used to reading. This does not mean the book is bad, as nothing could be further from the truth. It's just that I went in looking for a conventional haunted house story and discovered something else entirely different. I soon made the necessary adjustments and, much to my surprise, found that I enjoyed this gripping story immensely.

Ted O'Dell lives with his family on their farm in Saddle Rock, Kansas in the mid 1950s. Teddy's family is a model of contrasts: his father is a stoic farmer/mechanic whose primary role is holding the line in this troublesome clan. Ted's mother is a strange lady, prone to deep depressions that only grow greater with the arrival of Teddy's cousin Ilona (who prefers to call herself Judith). Teddy's two brothers are holy terrors, dedicated to making his life a living nightmare. Judith's arrival presents several problems that will ultimately exacerbate the simmering problems in the O'Dell household. She has a medical problem that resembles polio, a condition requiring Judith to wear cumbersome leg braces wherever she goes. Then there is the first few words she says to Teddy upon her arrival, a statement to the effect that she sometimes wakes up the dead. I don't know about you, but if I heard anyone remotely related to me say something along these lines, I would head for the hills as fast as my feet would carry me. Teddy doesn't flee because he finds himself tremendously intrigued by this beautiful and exotic relative. Young Ted soon considers himself the protector of this frail creature, and the two embark on numerous adventures around the farm.

Teddy has more problems to deal with than a semi-invalid cousin. For starters, there is his relationship with his brothers Jack and Norman. These two guys give troublesome a whole new meaning. One should look no further than the experience with the grease gun in the barn to recognize the utter sadism of these two figures. Even worse, Jack will eventually develop feelings for Judith, a situation that causes Teddy no end of worries. Another problem with Ted's life concerns his best friend, David, a budding homosexual who sets his sights on his good friend. Fortunately for Teddy, David is out of town for a significant part of the summer and therefore moves into the background of young O'Dell's life. Still, this complicated relationship occasionally arises in our narrator's mind, as Teddy is unsure of his sexual orientation and in some ways craves David's attentions. Finally, the matriarch of the O'Dell clan constitutes an enormous problem in Teddy's life. This woman despises the mere sight of Judith because she is jealous of the influence this girl plays in her son's life. Mother Dell schemes and plots against Judith throughout the story. All of these problems drive Teddy to the point of distraction that only his love for Judith seems to ease, and even then only occasionally.

What about waking up the dead? Well, the abandoned Trogler farmhouse next door to the Dell property neatly fits into the story and eventually provides the horrific elements at the book's conclusion. A terrible incident at the Trogler place years before resulted in the deaths of that family while instilling a whole lot of guilt among several citizens in the region. Occasional visits to the ramshackle farm convince Teddy that the Trogler's have indeed returned from the dead. I don't want to spoil the ending for you, but the Trogler situation provides the novel with an astonishing series of twists and turns towards the end of the story. While the book spends more time discussing Teddy's various moral dilemmas, rest easy in the knowledge that several supernatural themes run throughout the story. "Haunted Ground" is an accurate title for this book.

I found the character of Judith the most compelling figure in the narrative. Even though Teddy is the protagonist here, his cousin usurps most of the reader's attention. This girl is entertaining to read about because she lives in a fascinating interior fantasy world full of fiery angels and the belief that she can see her past lives. Teddy (and the reader, for that matter) doesn't believe in most of Judith's quirky thoughts, at least not at first, but he loves her just the same and usually goes along with whatever she wants to do. Considering Judith's seemingly incurable medical condition, it is not surprising that the girl believes in things that are not real. But are her beliefs mere illusions? Teddy eventually discovers that Judith's ideas may not be too far off the mark. Overall, I enjoyed "Haunted Ground." The novel often moves at a snail's pace but is rarely boring. If you are looking for an all out horror assault, however, look somewhere else. If you want to read a book with character development as deep as an ocean, guilty secrets, and a satisfying conclusion, look no further than Stephen Gresham's "Haunted Ground."

Rating:
Summary: An average ghost story
Review: Stephen Gresham, the author of many horror novels over the past fifteen years, has written a number of good novels ("Moon Lake", "Blood Wings"), but only one that was below average ("Dark Magic"). "Haunted Ground" is a ghost story that Gresham had wanted to write and used his childhood in Kansas as a basis for the atmosphere. Some aspects of the story and atmosphere worked, whereas others did not.

The story surrounds a midwest family, the O'Dells, who has recently agreed to allow their niece to live with them while her mother needs to straighten out things in her life. The niece is afflicted with a disease which has limited her mobility and forces her to use braces when walking. The youngest son Teddy become enamored with his cousin, but his feelings are in conflict with those toward a friend.

The niece reveals to Teddy that she has the power to allow the dead to rise again in ghostly form. The ghosts inhabit a farmhouse owned by the former Trogler family. The reason for the ghosts' desire for revenge is nothing revolutionary and the reader can probably guess it before it is revealed. However, the story is not only about the ghosts that are seen, but also the ghosts of one's past. The loneliness that wandering spirits exihibit is parallel to that which can accompany a person during their lifetime as well. Teddy struggles with these feelings of loneliness, his past, his affections toward his cousin.

The story starts well, drags in the middle, and ends with a satisfying conclusion. The theme of loneliness and the longing for the past prevail throughout the entire novel and makes the story "click". However, some of the side stories (the feelings of Teddy's friend, the constant interference on the part of Teddy's mom, etc.), which pertinent to the overall story and atmosphere, seemed to be overdone and monotonous at times. As a result, the story tended to drag in the middle. Overall, if you enjoy ghost stories with a little human interaction and feelings interspersed, you should enjoy "Haunted Ground".

Rating:
Summary: Complete Waste of My Reading Time
Review: This is a copy of an email I sent to Mr. Gresham, to which he very kindly replied:

Where have you and your work been all my life? I had never heard of
you before or read any of your work, but while browsing through the
shelves of my local library one day, I came across Haunted Ground and
have been falling hopelessly, madly in-love with your writing ever
since. At the risk of sounding like a pretentious, literary snob,
Haunted Ground is truly one of the most unique and original "horror"
novels I've read in a very long time. Your writing is eloquent,
flowing, and down-right beautiful at times, and I actually found myself
rereading passages; something I hardly ever do with horror novels. The
plot and theme are refreshingly lacking in gore, but rich in
psychological depth and characterization. The running allusions to some
of the "greats" like Shakespeare, Woolf, and Thoreau are fabulous. The
forbidden triangles between Teddy, Judith, and Jack, and Teddy, Judith,
and David are fascinating. The portrayal of Mrs. O'Dell is terrific.
And the intrigue surrounding the ghosts, Mr. O'Dell, and Mr. Suggs is
compelling. A novel like Haunted Ground is exactly the kind of thing
many of us who are horror fans wish for but rarely, if ever, receive.
In fact, I love the book so much, I incorporated passages from it into a
lesson I did with my tenth graders last week on descriptive and creative
writing. If you're flattered by that, you should be; you're writing is
wonderful. I can hardly wait to read In the Blood and Dark Magic, and I
wait with baited breath for your unpcoming release. Good luck and God
bless!

Rating:
Summary: A Letter to Mr. Gresham
Review: This is a copy of an email I sent to Mr. Gresham, to which he very kindly replied:

Where have you and your work been all my life? I had never heard of
you before or read any of your work, but while browsing through the
shelves of my local library one day, I came across Haunted Ground and
have been falling hopelessly, madly in-love with your writing ever
since. At the risk of sounding like a pretentious, literary snob,
Haunted Ground is truly one of the most unique and original "horror"
novels I've read in a very long time. Your writing is eloquent,
flowing, and down-right beautiful at times, and I actually found myself
rereading passages; something I hardly ever do with horror novels. The
plot and theme are refreshingly lacking in gore, but rich in
psychological depth and characterization. The running allusions to some
of the "greats" like Shakespeare, Woolf, and Thoreau are fabulous. The
forbidden triangles between Teddy, Judith, and Jack, and Teddy, Judith,
and David are fascinating. The portrayal of Mrs. O'Dell is terrific.
And the intrigue surrounding the ghosts, Mr. O'Dell, and Mr. Suggs is
compelling. A novel like Haunted Ground is exactly the kind of thing
many of us who are horror fans wish for but rarely, if ever, receive.
In fact, I love the book so much, I incorporated passages from it into a
lesson I did with my tenth graders last week on descriptive and creative
writing. If you're flattered by that, you should be; you're writing is
wonderful. I can hardly wait to read In the Blood and Dark Magic, and I
wait with baited breath for your unpcoming release. Good luck and God
bless!