Customer Reviews

Things That Go Bump in the Night (New England's Collectible Classics)

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This book takes a somewhat sober and non-sensationalized look at ghost and ghoul stories and legends of New England mostly centered in the Salem, Mass. area. There are two types of stories: old historical legends, featuring a lot of background research included going as far back as the 1600's; and newer 20th century stories in which the actual participants are interviewed first hand. Gives actual names and places of the people involved in the stories. The older stories are not the average historical information you've read a thousand times over in other Salem witch and ghost stories. Not being an afficianado on New England haunts, it was refreshing and something different to read. New Englanders may know some of these stories, but they were new to me, and not to be found elsewhere in any other ghost books in my collection. Some of these stories might be a bit frightening for small kids, and they will probably frighten most adults who are alone on a 'dark stormy night'. Buy the book, it is worth it!!

This book really scared me. I mean, I was TERRIFIED! True stories of events that have occured in New England (my homeworld, I might add) that were of a not-so-just-natural...er, nature.

Standouts:
"The Demon of Dover"--Creepy story, might involve a stray extraterrestrial, and altogether mysterious.
"The Boogeyman of Beggerly"--In Beverly, MA, a boy-up-through-his-years-to-man faces a terror that emerges only in the shadows of the night to both cause mischief (opening cupboard doors and windows, moving things around) and horror (the laughing at the foot of the man's bed when he was asleep--agh!). This one should be made into a movie!

Too bad this and the other books in its series, NEW ENGLAND MYSTERIES, are long out of print. Enjoy, and...leave the lights on. Trust me, after "The Boogeyman of Beggerly", you'll need them.