Customer Reviews

Savannah Spectres and Other Strange Tales

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As a lover of historical tales with a supernatural slant, I am always looking for well-written accounts and legends. Being from Georgia, I was especially interested in this collection of Savannah stories. This book contains the usual assortment of events and reports that are not verifiable (these are ghost stories, after all), but the historical background on most of the "haunts" made this better than the usual ghost story books designed to be impulse buys for tourists. I enjoyed that the author includes the otherworldy experiences of many average Savannah citizens, especially since she tends to dwell a bit on the psychic abilities of herself and a companion to illustrate some stories. The consistant inclusion of local, first-person versions of the events described and the research involved elevate this collection from tedious retelling to enjoyable reading.

Love this book, short stories, easy to read and so interesting. Makes me re-live my trip to Savannah over and over again!

I love this book and have recommended it many, many times -- if you love true ghost stories thoughtfully told, and lots of firsthand reporting and detail, you'll read this book more than once. If you are a true ghost fan and collect accounts of hauntings, you will want it in your permanent collection.

Ok, I am a grown man. But I look a good tale, and I like regional "ghost" books because I have not found a lighter way to get a dose of regional history and insights into the lives of people living in an area across the decades. There are some good titles in the genre, and the greats will inject all of the flavor of the time and region into a local legend about, for example, a moaning house or a glowing ship or whatever. And, like every "good" book, the craftsmanship of the writer matters.
This book wasn't what I was looking for. There is some local Savannah history and flavor, but not enough. This is primarily a log of one woman's journey to find a ghost (she never does) with the help of her psychic sidekick. The writing is, for the most part, mere quotes of the various homeowners who submitted to be interviewed, most of whom fell into the "well, I don't believe in ghosts, but sometimes the toliet upstairs flushes all by itself" variety (sidebar - such a hygiene oriented ghost would be handy at airport lavatories and rest areas). Usually, said homeowner allowed the ghost-hunting duo to look around, a quest that typically yielded nothing more than the requesite cold spot or sense of a playful little girl from the other world.
Didn't like it.

This is a great book that I have read before, but decided to re-read prior to a couple of trips I am taking this year to Savannah. It's a good read and worth the investment of time and money.

This book is very interesting and full of history. If you like the ghost stories along with your history it makes it a great read. It keeps you interested.

I picked this up at a bookstore on River Street in Savannah, Georgia. I have to say, that if your a fan of ghost story books, You'll love this one, it is one of my favorites