Will Storr vs. The Supernatural: One Man's Search for the Truth About Ghosts [Paperback]

Will Storr (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 5, 2006

Will Storr has done some seriously bizarre and otherworldly things over the course of his career as a journalist. But even spending an entire day with Ozzy Osbourne wasn't as frightening as when he agreed to follow Philadelphia "demonologist" Lou Gentile on his appointed rounds. Will Storr never believed in ghosts—but his healthy skepticism couldn't explain the strange lights and sounds he witnessed, and the weird behavior of the occupants of several allegedly haunted houses.

What resulted is a confirmed cynic's (and proud of it!) dedicated search for answers in a shadowy world of sÉances, mediums, devil worshippers—even the Vatican's chief exorcist. So get ready to confront the genuinely creepy along with the hilariously ridiculous in Will Storr vs. the Supernatural!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Accompanying a self-described demonologist in Philadelphia for a magazine story, London journalist and self-described skeptic Storr quickly came face to face with evidence he couldn't dismiss-a close encounter with a poltergeist ("something had touched me, hard enough to launch me to my feet") and a divination aficionado who may very well have been possessed. In the account that follows, Storr takes readers into some of the more disturbing and disturbed corners of modern ghost-hunting, whipping up a chilling, funny, thought-provoking page-turner. With great care and greater humor, Storr accompanies paranormal investigators famous and obscure, ghost hunting clubs and perplexed homeowners, taking time to research famous cases and discuss his findings with the experts, as well as the witnesses and victims of hauntings. The evidence he finds-from orbs of light that dance on-camera to spectral voices recorded on tape to seemingly possessed individuals-proves only slightly more fascinating than the folks who pursue it, a grand collection of kooks, swindlers, skeptics and true believers. Storr grapples mightily with the unknown, and though his consideration of the slippery nature of reality and the mystery of death is fascinating, it never overwhelms the narrative; indeed, Storr wisely gives the best lines to his subjects, recording them faithfully at their most profound (quoth one famous, long-practicing investigator, "I'm not sure what reality is anymore") as well as their most nonsensical (a haunted house-sitter spends his time performing "experiments where I pretend I'm slapping someone," in the hopes he'll one day do the haunting). Covering an impressive range of modern ghostly phenomenon-including a hilarious visit to the popular British TV show Most Haunted-this is a fun, fascinating and at times frightening read for anyone with an interest in the supernatural.
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Review

“Funny, exciting, and strangely haunting.” (Jon Ronson, author of THEM )

“Part Scooby-Doo, part The Exorcist, this is book a very amusing way to scare yourself stupid.” (The Independent on Sunday )

“Somehow Storr manages to be very funny one minute and seriously scary the next.” (Bookseller (London) )

“Too funny to read in public, too scary to read on your own.” (Danny Wallace, author of YES MAN )

“Terrifying.” (InStyle UK )

“...lively and sharply observed, creating an exhilarating mix of sly humor and shudders.” (St. Petersburg Times )

“Storr’s adventures will truly surprise even the most hard-nosed agnostics...Read this one in a well-lit room.” (Townsville Bulletin (Australia) )

“Storr’s intriguing stories will have you spellbound.” (Daily Record UK )

“No writer has a better way with the supernatural than Will Storr.” (Deborah Blum, author of Ghost Hunters: William James and the Scientific Search for Life After Death )

“A ripping yarn that genuinely leaves you questioning how you view the world.” (The Guardian )

“Perfectly reasonable, ordinary citizens have what can only be described as eye-popping supernatural experiences.” (Chicago Sun-Times )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (September 5, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061132195
• ISBN-13: 978-0061132193
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,057,883 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Do You Believe In Ghosts?, July 11, 2007

By 

Tamela Mccann "taminator40" (Nashville, TN USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Will Storr vs. The Supernatural: One Man's Search for the Truth About Ghosts (Paperback)

Will Storr, journalist, not only does not believe in ghosts, he's not even sure there is a God. So when the idea to research the paranormal occurs, he approaches the concept with more than the usual amount of skepticism. However, he gamely plunges on, interviewing the possessed, the ghost hunters, and the demonologists, relentlessly seeking answers as he investigates haunted places on both sides of the Atlantic. What he finds causes him not only to re-evaluate his position on things that go bump in the night, but his belief in what happens when we die and therefore his own agnosticism.

Written with a great deal of humor, Will Storr covers a wide variety of paranormal research, including not only ghosts but demons, possessions, and Satanic worship. He's tenacious in finding those who are famous (or infamous) in the world of paranormal research, including those who don't want to be interviewed. He doesn't shy away from the hard questions, and in pursuing the "truth", he discovers that some things simply cannot be explained, though he does spend a good deal of time trying to find scientific reasons for what's he's finding. A point in his favor is that he doesn't swallow everything he's fed without analyzing; his observance on the set of England's TV prgram "Most Haunted" is particularly revealing. However, as is often said in the paranormal investigations world, once everything has been analyzed carefully, what cannot be debunked becomes evidence, and Storr certainly sees some gripping substantiation that there is something else out there.

You don't have to believe in ghosts to enjoy this title. Storr has an engaging style that will definitely keep you entertained. A minor irritation for me was the fact that at times I felt as though I was left hanging without conclusion to the investigation, though probably Storr himself felt this way occasionally. Storr's about-face on his beliefs may indeed make you question your own, and in this case, that's a good thing. Recommended.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unique, Honest, Funny, Frightening, Leave You Wanting More, January 9, 2007

By 

E. Bansen (Rochester Hills, MI United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Will Storr vs. The Supernatural: One Man's Search for the Truth About Ghosts (Paperback)

I have read many ghost story books, seen many if not all the documentaries on ghosts, poltergiests, demons, etc. . . But I have never read a book with such a refreshing perspective on ghosts than the one that Will Storr has wrote. This book is very well done, it makes you believe and question the reality of ghosts. Will plays both sides of the fence skeptic and believer. He takes you through the lives of ghost hunters, demon chasers and exorcist priests. Will shows both sides of the coin, laying the facts in front of you to let you decide what is real and what is not. If you are a believer in ghosts you will question your belief and if you do not believe you will suspect that ghosts exist. You have to get this book especially if you are not a believer in the paranormal, you will be amazed and quite entertatined by the notion of ghostly beings. I hope Will will write a sequel to his awesome ending. Write on Will!

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Accurate, well researched and believable., September 21, 2006

By 

Sarah Darnell (West Sussex UK) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Will Storr vs. The Supernatural: One Man's Search for the Truth About Ghosts (Paperback)

I have read and thoroughly enjoyed several books on the paranormal over the years and `Will Storr Vs. The Supernatural', written by Will Storr, was no exception. It was one of those books that you start to read and then have difficulty putting down. In fact I had read it cover to cover in less than three days, despite working and being mum to a four-year-old child!

Storr's narrative style of writing and investigative journalism have earned him comparisons with Louis Theroux and Jon Ronson. I personally found the book to be a fascinating piece of work. Thought provoking, to the point, balanced, well researched and in places his description of events had me laughing out loud! As a sceptic, he started his journey to disprove paranormal events and poke gentle fun at those who believe in them when he was sent on a journalistic assignment to follow a Demonologist in Philadelphia, USA. As events unfolded, he found himself being unable to debunk what he was witnessing and he became more and more convinced that there really was `something' out there. On returning home, he decided to try and explain these events for himself, so he delved into several different areas of the paranormal in an attempt to clarify things in his own mind. He takes part in investigations with various paranormal groups including the Ghost Club, he visit's Maurice Grosse at home, goes on set with Most Haunted Live, has coffee with sceptical psychologists, experiments with Ouija boards and dowsing rods and is exorcised by the Vatican's chief exorcist in Rome. He meets some very interesting and colourful characters along the way!

Will Storr's assessment of events is fair and unpretentious. It will appeal to the believer or sceptic alike as Will keeps an open mind and evaluates each event in its own context. The book includes favourite UK investigation sites such as Michelham Priory and Coalhouse Fort. I particularly enjoyed the way Will involves the reader in his thought process but doesn't force his own view on you, merely suggests explanations and lets you, as the reader, draw your own conclusions.

As a Council member of 'The Ghost Club' which is featured in the book I would like to congratulate Will on an accurate portrayal of the club - which incidently does use scientific methods and equipment during it's investigations; something that a previous reviewer has quoted wrongly.

On that note I only have one thing left to say. More of the same please!