Ghosts across Kentucky [Paperback]

William Lynwood Montell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 24, 2000

"Lynwood Montell has collected ghost tales all over the state of Kentucky, from coal mining settlements to river landings, from highways to battlefields. He presents these suspense-filled stories just as he first heard or read them: as bona fide personal experiences or as events witnessed by family members or friends. There are over 250 stories in Ghosts across Kentucky that are set in specific places and times. They include tales of graveyards, haunted dormitories, animal ghosts, and vanishing hitchhikers. Montell describes weird lights, unexplained sounds, felt presences, and disappearing apparitions. Phantom workmen, fallen soldiers, young lovers, and executed criminals appear in these pages, along with the living who chance upon them. Though the focus is on the stories themselves, Montell also includes a chapter explaining our fascination with the supernatural and the deep truths these storytelling traditions reveal about our lives and our pasts.William Lynwood Montell, emeritus professor of folk studies at Western Kentucky University, is the author of several books, including Killings."

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Pour yourself a cup of brew, sit back in your easy chair and enjoy getting a few homegrown chills down your spine with Montell's book." -- (Hopkinsville) Kentucky New Era

"It is a delightful book and is both entertaining and a stunning revelation of generations of stories that will introduce you to some very frightening creatures of the night." -- Bourbon Times

"Offers a valuable glimpse of rural society in an era when storytelling was a vital part of daily life." -- Cincinnati Enquirer

"Spans the spectrum of hauntings, including the predictable tales of graveyard ghosts, unusual stories of animal ghosts, and an unexpected touch of the contemporary in 'Haunted Dorms, Fraternities, and Sororities.'" -- Filson Club History Quarterly

"Guaranteed to chill the bones of even the most skeptical, or at least tickle them." -- Kentucky Monthly

"Next time the wind starts to blow, turn off the lights and the television, gather the kids around the fireplace and read these stories aloud." -- Lexington Herald-Leader

"For those who love the unreal and revel in a good scare, this is the ideal bedside table book.... It's positively spooky." -- Louisville Courier-Journal

"280 stories from across the Bluegrass State -- reports of phantom workmen, fallen soldiers, young lovers and executed criminals as well as tales of graveyards, haunted dormitories and vanishing hitchhikers." -- Publishers Weekly

"A lively, fascinating opening of the doorway into one aspect of the folk underworld." -- Ray Browne

Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky (August 24, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 081319007X
• ISBN-13: 978-0813190075
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,538,771 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ghosts Across Kentucky: My Old Stomping Grounds, December 1, 2000

By 

Shawna K. Cawthorn (Bowling Green, KY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ghosts across Kentucky (Paperback)

Ghosts Across Kentucky really brings to life the folklore and beliefs of the residents, past and present, of Kentucky. I was really fascinated by the new variations of ghost stories that I had heard while growing up. Some stories made me quiver with delight while others made me snicker to myself, remembering the tales my great-grandmother told. It is full of hauntings, spooks and things that go bump in the night. If you are new to ghosts stories, or an old pro, this book is a must have. I will share the stories with my children's children in the years to come and they will never be outdated.

3.0 out of 5 stars Tis OK But...., February 1, 2010

By 

James L. Perlowski "James" (Bronston, KY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ghosts across Kentucky (Paperback)

Well, I have read many a "yarn" about Kentucky and its many supernatural occurrences, but this one leaves me wondering one of two things. Either the author was a terrible linguistic/punctuation major in school, or he left the written style up to the individual people who told their stories. Either way, whether it was on purpose or because there was no decent editor....After the first few pages this book becomes somewhat annoying to read. This isn't to say that the stories aren't interesting, but in my opinion (and we all have one :) the form can sometimes inhibit the mood of the story and this unfortunately did that for me.

Lastly, the stories are about a half a page to three quarters long and this can make for a good quick reference guide, but I am one of those people who likes to get into the meat of a tale in this context, and the length, or lack thereof can also limit the mood somewhat.

There are some neat historical stories about Kentucky and I like the variant on the woman in white, so pick up a copy and if you don't care about my words above, enjoy.