Customer Reviews

Devil's Backbone: Vol 1.

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"The Devil's Backbone: Ghost Stories from the Texas Hill Country" is the first in a series of small books that chronicle some of the many folk tales surrounding a paranormal hotspot deep in the heart of central Texas. The Devil's Backbone is a very real region that can be accessed along a five-mile stretch of highway along Ranch Road 32 between the small towns of Wimberley and Blanco. It's a scenic drive with a nice observation area and an elevation of over 1200 feet. You can see for miles from the highest points along the ridge. Comanche and Lipan Apache Indians used the area extensively and there is also ample evidence of Spaniard activity. This first volume collects 22 macabre stories.

Author Bert Wall has lived on The Devil's Backbone for many years, and he's been collecting and telling these unusual tales for quite some time now. His short books about the area can be considered as folklore in the truest sense. You can immediately tell that these books are not the work of professional writers and publishers. The writing is spare and homespun, conversational in it's tone and effect. The stories are short and to the point, wasting few words along the way. I guess that's why I really like Mr. Wall's books, and why I'm giving it 5 stars in this review. These little books are the real deal, actual living, breathing pieces of folk Texana written by a native of the region. Like most folklore, you have to read these tall tales with a knowing wink in your eye, though I'm sure that there's more than a grain of truth in a few of them. The countryside around Wimberley and Blanco is truly beautiful and somewhat overwhelming. It's almost as if the land itself is the main character in this book, giving testimony to those who have passed here. If there truly are ghosts on the Devil's Backbone, then surely they are a part of the landscape itself, memories imprinted into the dust and dirt and hills and valleys of this rugged part of Texas.

Highly recommended if you have any interest at all in central Texas folklore and/or history.

After seeing the devils backbone done in the unsolved mysteries DVD i bought the book hoping for more. HOwever there was more in the DVD than in the book. Disapointing since the area appears to be a great setting for some ghostly stories. Like i said, a little light on the detail, each chapter being about a page or two long. Maybe somone out there will take the time to give this area the book it deserves.

There's not much to say here except that there are lots of boos and not much substance. Since the author is light on sources, it's hard to tell what might be legitimate fact and what's all in his mind. I'd call the work sloppy, but be your own judge.