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ClareR (5674 KP) rated The Haunting of Alma Fielding: A True Ghost Story in Books
Oct 5, 2020 (Updated Oct 5, 2020)
The Haunting of Alma Fielding is the non-fiction account of Nando Fodor and his investigation in to the haunting of a London housewife. Fodor was a Jewish-Hungarian refugee and worked for the International Institute for Psychical Research. When Fodor was tipped off about a possible poltergeist haunting, he rushed to Alma’s house to try and work out what exactly was going on. He was scrupulous. He involved trusted mediums, wrote detailed notes (lucky for us!) and whilst reading the book, it became obvious that Fodor became obsessed. His obsession however, had a deleterious effect on Alma. The more access to her that he had, the more physically ill she seemed to become and the more she seemed to be haunted.
There does seem to be a theme of obsession running through this with regards to Fodor. I was never quite sure if his obsession was with Alma’s haunting, or with Alma herself. She was an attractive woman, after all. He would certainly have been stopped a lot sooner if this had happened today (but I do wonder whether this would have happened at all).
The historical background and the build up to the Second World War was very interesting, and I enjoyed the historical detail throughout. I also liked that there was an ending. Summerscale researched up to the deaths of those involved - I appreciated that closure. But what interesting lives these people had!
This was a great story for a sceptic like me. Ghost stories fascinate me. I don’t believe that there are ghosts, but I still like that they have the ability to unnerve and scare me! And this was certainly unnerving!
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this book. I probably would have gone on the waiting list at the library because of the (well-deserved) buzz around it, but I really do much prefer not having to wait and reading along with my fellow pigeons!
There does seem to be a theme of obsession running through this with regards to Fodor. I was never quite sure if his obsession was with Alma’s haunting, or with Alma herself. She was an attractive woman, after all. He would certainly have been stopped a lot sooner if this had happened today (but I do wonder whether this would have happened at all).
The historical background and the build up to the Second World War was very interesting, and I enjoyed the historical detail throughout. I also liked that there was an ending. Summerscale researched up to the deaths of those involved - I appreciated that closure. But what interesting lives these people had!
This was a great story for a sceptic like me. Ghost stories fascinate me. I don’t believe that there are ghosts, but I still like that they have the ability to unnerve and scare me! And this was certainly unnerving!
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this book. I probably would have gone on the waiting list at the library because of the (well-deserved) buzz around it, but I really do much prefer not having to wait and reading along with my fellow pigeons!
Katie (868 KP) rated The Haunting of Hill House in TV
Oct 13, 2018
I tried giving this show the benefit of the doubt. The first episode wasn't terrible, but unfortunately, the subsequent episodes displayed a real lack of creativity and understanding of the novel. It basically became a checklist of modern horror cliches.
The original novel and the 1963 film, The Haunting, were wonderful because of the subtlety. There weren't any jump scares or visible monsters. It was all a question of one's sanity rather than an unambiguous haunting. This all lent to the eeriness of the story. The eeriness was the question, the not knowing.
If you've seen any run of the mill horror films in the last 10 years you know what this series is going to throw at you and it will not surprise you one bit. Despite all that I'm still watching it so it must have something that's keeping my interest. Because of that, I'm giving it a 3/10 rather than 1/10.
The original novel and the 1963 film, The Haunting, were wonderful because of the subtlety. There weren't any jump scares or visible monsters. It was all a question of one's sanity rather than an unambiguous haunting. This all lent to the eeriness of the story. The eeriness was the question, the not knowing.
If you've seen any run of the mill horror films in the last 10 years you know what this series is going to throw at you and it will not surprise you one bit. Despite all that I'm still watching it so it must have something that's keeping my interest. Because of that, I'm giving it a 3/10 rather than 1/10.
Erika (17788 KP) rated Hello America in Books
Dec 31, 2017
I'm slowly trudging through all of Ballard's books, and I really wanted to like this one. It kind of just left me feeling sick at the end. It was amusing that the president was Charles Manson. The description of all of the weirdness of Las Vegas after 'civilization' left was haunting and completely creepy. I feel like the makers of Blade Runner 2049 read prior to writing the script. I knew it seemed familiar!
Merissa (11950 KP) created a post
Jul 28, 2021
The Chocolate Lady (94 KP) rated Anil's Ghost in Books
Oct 7, 2020
This is a book that will captivate you, by its ability to transport you to a time and place that you've probably never visited, or read about before. Anil herself is a complex character that evokes far more than what is revealed. The plot here is one that is both fascinating, and out of the ordinary. You can read my full review here. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2014/07/27/a-haunting-read/
Che (148 KP) rated The Angriest Man in Brooklyn (2014) in Movies
May 28, 2019
It was an interesting movie. Helps you understand that everyone processes death differently. Robin Williams showed a little range. Which is haunting after his death. But, it’s a great topic of figuring out what you’d do if you believed you only had a short time to live and how desperately hopelessness turns to anger. Parts of this movie were just over the top. The acting will never win awards, but, it’s a decent movie. Glad I saw this one.
Guillermo Del Toro recommended Beauty and the Beast (1946) in Movies (curated)
Guillermo Del Toro recommended Eyes Without a Face (1960) in Movies (curated)
Jesse Peretz recommended The Child in Time in Books (curated)
Darren Fisher (2447 KP) rated Ghost Story in Books
Dec 10, 2020
Classic Chiller!
Classic chiller from Peter Straub. An epic tale about a group of ageing men who form The Chowder Society, a place where they share ghosts stories between them, and are united by a terrible secret from the past. Expertly written, solid characters, and genuinely creepy, this is Peter Staub on top form. Essential reading!
Note: If you enjoy this I seriously recommend his equally fantastic ghost story Full Circle (aka Julia/ The Haunting of Julia).
Note: If you enjoy this I seriously recommend his equally fantastic ghost story Full Circle (aka Julia/ The Haunting of Julia).