Customer Reviews

The Ghost Next Door: True Stories of Paranormal Encounters from Everyday People

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I just finished reading this book for the second time, and I feel compelled to write a review. I purchased THE GHOST NEXT DOOR several months ago and devoured it within the first few days I had it. I really enjoyed it.

One night, recently, the weather was nasty outside and I was home alone. I was in the mood for some ghost stories, so I pulled THE GHOST NEXT DOOR off the shelf and made myself comfy in my Lazyboy. It was just as good the second time around! I found myself continuing to read through it over the next few days, until I had finished it once again.

This book does something not many books of its kind can lay claim to: It holds my interest from cover to cover. Maybe it's the author's wonderful writing style; maybe it's the fact that the stories are new and original; maybe it's because the book describes ghostly activity as experienced by ordinary people; heck, maybe it's the oh-so-creepy picture on the cover of the book! The fact is that it's all of these things that make this book so eerily entertaining.

I look forward eagerly to Mr. Morris' next book. Until then, I'll probably read this one a few more times!

It's always interesting to read real-life accounts of people who've had encounters with spirits. Real, everyday people, not some celebrity has-been on some half-baked mediums show, trying to shill a book or something. And although the various shows that pop up on the History Channel and Travel Channel, there's still something not quite as scary when actors are used to re-create an encounter. That's why this book is so satisfying and so downright chilling to read. The encounters are from just everyday people like you and me. Some are rather humorous and some downright unsettlingly scary.

Author Mark Alan Morris pens these stories like a master craftsmen. You'll not only find traditional haunted house hauntings but hauntings in Inns, battlefields, and in cemetary's as well. I'm not bother by some reviewers complaints that the author didn't try to authenticate these stories. I don't think that was what the book is about. These people seem to be speaking form their hearts and directly to the readers. Morris adds a postscript to the stories that wraps them up fairly neatly. This is a great one for reading on those dark and stormy nights or telling a few tales around Halloween. Great stuff!

Mark Alan Morris has put together a nice little book of ghost stories that he has collected from family and friends. This is an interesting book, an intriguing book, and a well-written book, but most of all it is a book that could have been so much more. Morris' conversational writing style makes one feel as if he or she is sitting by a crackling fire while the author tells his ghost stories in person. The stories are very good and begin to draw the reader in but just as I would begin to edge up on the edge of my seat, the story would end.

The main problem is that Morris has done no research on any of these stories, which he tells so well. If he had put just a little effort into finding out the possible origins of these haunts this book would have been so much better. Some ghost story books spoil the mood with too much historical background but it helps the reader immensely to have some idea of the origin of the ghost in question. The few stories in this book that do have some background have it because the possible ghost is a relative of the person who related the story to the author and even then there is often very little information provided about this person's life.

A good example of this lack of background comes from the last story in the book, which deals with a photograph that the author took in Savannah. In this picture there appear a couple of shadowy figures, which he feels might have been ghostly Monks. He and his new bride had wondered if the building across the street from the B&B where they took the photo might have once been a church even before they even took the picture in question, let alone had it developed. All it would have taken would have been a phone call or two to find out but that apparently wasn't done and just that little bit of effort would have added a great deal of creditability to the story. On the other hand, the eyewitness accounts of the eerie events told of in this book do lend a strong air of creditability to the stories. Again, so close but yet so far.

Once again, this is a very enjoyable book but it could have easily been so much better. The fact that this book was so close to being so good is probably why the lack of research upset me so much. Maybe if Mr. Morris turns out another book on this subject he will rectify this problem. If he does I have no doubt that it will be a superb five star effort. As for this book, you will enjoy it I'm sure but you will almost certainly feel as if there is something missing.

No longer limited to the realm of professional mediums and psychics, stories of paranormal encounters are starting to be told by more people from all walks of life, and The Ghost Next Door is a collection of these unearthly experiences compiled from friends, family, and sometimes total strangers. Some of the stories are amusing, and some downright disturbing, but all are fascinating accounts from everyday people who have come into contact with otherworldly forces.

For instance, one story describes how, during one family's visit to the gravesite of their grandfather, his spirit appeared to them in photographs, superimposed over the figure of his least favorite nephew. Other tales include the story of a jogger whose morning run past a cemetery stopped short when an invisible assailant inexplicably held her in place. Other stories include a haunted hotel and a house that explodes with ghostly phenomena only when its owners make their annual pilgrimage to Gettysburg. One of the most terrifying stories, however, involves a sinister force that not only drove a married couple from their vacation cabin but also terrorized them once they had returned home.

While many ghost stories seem contrived, one of the most refreshing things about Morris' book is how genuine the stories seem. These are tales told by real people who have nothing to profit by describing their encounters, and the similarities between many of them are compelling. Members of the same family describe precise details about their experiences without ever having mentioned it to each other while characteristic odors, such as the scent of perfume or a particular brand of cigarette might indicate a spirit's presence in an intensely personal way.

Whether one believes in ghosts and wants to know more, is looking for validation of one's own spiritual encounters, or is simply looking for a spine-chilling read, The Ghost Next Door is a fine book for those interested in the supernatural.

-Richard Mackenzie, Mysteries Magazine - issue #5

Lets face it, most of us who seek out these books have had an experience or know someone who has had one... we seek out books like this to justifiy that we are not crazy. To be able to share maybe in the quite of a libary or bed, but we know we are not alone. Every day people every day exp this stuff. Lets encourage the authors to come out, this book is a high 5 please great read! You cant put it down
Tru_wagener@yahoo.com

I have to say that I really enjoyed this title. A bit short, yes, but quality writing. And for me, it's more about quality than quantity. I'd rather have a concise book that is interesting and well-written than a Bible-sized book that's stuffed with poor writing and dry information stripped from some internet site.

One reviewer states that the "creepiness factor" of this book pales in comparison to books by King or Straub. Obviously, somebody needs to point out to that reviewer that King and Straub write FICTION. This book is about REAL occurrences. And, actually, I found parts of this book to be QUITE creepy, especially given that these things actually happened.

The Ghost Next Door is recommended reading by yours truly.

No one need worry about reading this book alone in the middle of a stormy night. This is an average but entertaining book, and nothing much beyond a "creepy feeling" occurs in it. Unlike the macabre stories of a King or a Staub where a bump in the night is sure to leave you hiding under the bedcovers or calling your best friend for the reassuring sound of a familiar voice, this book is a collection of the strange events that most of us have had in the course of our lives. There is probably no one who hasn't had some sort of run-in with the unexplainable, something that reminds one of the familiar tales told around the camp fire on family outings or scout jamborees. Most of them are of strange sounds at unusual times of day, doors that open when they shouldn't be able to, or lights that go on or off without the assistance of a human hand. It is primarily this simple type of story that rings as true and strikes a familiar tone. An interesting book and one that will reassure the reader that they aren't "the only one" to have such experiences.

As for the why of this phenomenon, read Beyond Coincidence by Martin Plimmer).

I am pretty agnostic as to the existence of ghosts, but I enjoy reading people's accounts of encounters. This book is a very easy read. It is no literary masterpiece--it reads more like an unedited diary of other people's oral histories--but it is entertaining. I like to read one or two of the stories at a time as a nice, brief break.

This book makes for quite an interesting read, even if you're not a huge ghost story fan. If you are, well then it's even better.

The author is a highly effective and efficient writer; the stories flow so well that you tend to forget you're reading. It's actually more like you're listening to a great storyteller.

Lots of variety in the stories make this book a real page-turner. I read the whole thing in one afternoon/evening. It was almost midnight by the time I finished, which took me quite by surprise, and serves as an example of how engrossing the stories are. The introduction is perfectly suited for the stories that follow, and leads you right into the 'meat' of the book with a clever transition.

My favorite chapters include "The Haunted Hotel", "The Thing in the Cabin" and "The Phantom of Breazeale House".

If you are even remotely interested in ghosts/paranormal phenomena, it would be a mistake to pass this one up.

It's that time of year again, when the chilly Autumn winds bring the ghosts and goblins of years past to thrill us and chill us once more! This is the perfect time of year to enjoy a little solitude with a cup of coffee and a volume of ghost stories. TRUE ghost stories. This book is one of my favorites. I bought it around this time last year, and enjoyed it very much. My favorite story was about the ghostly maid in the old hotel. That one still gives me chills! This year, I'm giving this book to several of my friends as Halloween gifts. It's really one of my favorites, and I want to share the enjoyment. Apparently, I'm not the only one who loves this book--judging from the other reviews on this page. Great book, folks. Interesting stories, great writing and spooky subject matter. What more could any ghost story lover want?