All right, so perhaps it isn’t quite Halloween yet. But the displays of plastic pumpkins and light-up tombstones have been up in the drugstore for more than a month now, and I’ve drunk so many pumpkin spice lattes that I’m about to turn into a pumpkin. So, as far as I’m concerned, it’s officially Halloween Season.
I love Halloween. It isn’t just the pumpkin spice lattes (those came fairly late to the scene), or the fact that it’s the one time of the year you can buy whole bags of candy without the cashier giving you strange looks. It’s not even the getting to flounce about in public in a flowing gown and tiara—although that is a strong point in favor of the holiday. I have a long-standing love affair with ghosts and ghouls and things that go bump in the night. Vampires, witches, tormented spirits… dim the lights, bring over that bag of candy, and I’m right there. It should be no surprise that, growing up, my favorite Sherlock Holmes story was “The Hound of the Baskervilles”— although it did come as something of a disappointment to discover that the ghostly apparitions had been perpetrated by a mortal hand.
As the days dim early to twilight, as the air grows crisp, and orange leaves eddy along the sidewalk beneath your feet, there’s nothing like hurrying home to a well-lit room and a good ghost story. Edith Wharton may be famed for her satires of Gilded Age mores, but “Mr. Jones”, her tale of a ghostly butler, still gives me chills. I grew up on Barbara Michaels’ tales of supernatural suspense, traveling with her heroines from Cornish castles to the coast of Maine as historical mysteries were unraveled and unquiet spirits laid to rest. Then, of course, there’s Shirley Jackson’s brilliant psychological take on the ghost story, The Haunting of Hillhouse. Without a single mutilated corpse, she produces the sorts of chills that special effects artists can only dream about. As for movies, you can’t beat The Uninvited, which combines my favorite elements—a storm-wracked cliff, an innocent young heroine, a warm-hearted housekeeper, a dashing hero, his pithy sister (I do like my heroes to have families), and a ghost who obligingly puts in increasingly alarming appearances. And, of course, a happy ending.
What are your favorite ghost stories? Do you have any good (i.e. wonderfully creepy) books or movies to recommend as Halloween season gets underway?
This year, I have an additional reason to love Halloween. The paperback of my second book, The Masque of the Black Tulip, will be making its appearance in stores on October 31st! I couldn’t think of a more auspicious day for it to appear– especially since Black Tulip is the only one of my books so far to boast a ghost of its own, the grandiloquently named Phantom Monk of Donwell Abbey. (A rather pompous spectre, he prefers to be addressed by his full title). In honor of the occasion, one poster will receive a beautiful new paperback of Black Tulip.
Happy (almost) Halloween!
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My husband and children are more the creepy movie watchers but I did watch a movie called The Others with Nicole Kidman and I would recommend that because it’s spooky but no gore involved.
by Maureen
on October 3rd, 2006 at 6:30 am
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Hi Lauren,
I love romances with Ghosts, there are just too few of them. I got my own personal ghost who is driving us nuts here in our house, he even moved with us us. Seems that he is a really faithful and loyal ghost. In the last couple of months he became more active, maybe because it’s soon Halloween
by Danny
on October 3rd, 2006 at 7:24 am
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I recommend Anne Frasier’s Pale Immortal. It has vampires, bodies and ghosts and the town where it takes place has a creepy name, Tuonela. Before Swedes and Russians decided that we Finns should become Christians, Tuonela was the place where we Finns went after we died instead of heaven or hell. Tuonela is also mentioned in Kalevala.
by Minna
on October 3rd, 2006 at 7:26 am
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I’ve only read a few of books with ghosts in them, I enjoyed the books. Would love to read more romance books with ghosts in them.
I’ve read:
A GHOST FOR MAGGIE by Emily Carmichael
A MAN OF MANY TALENTS by Deborah Simmons
BLUE DAHLIA by Nora Roberts
BLACK ROSE by Nora Roberts
RED LILY by Nora Roberts
I would love to read BLACK TULIP.
by Tammy G.
on October 3rd, 2006 at 7:38 am
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Good morning - I am more of a friendly type ghost gal.
Stephen King’s books are good for a scary read/movie. Halloween and Fri the 13th movies are a good scare watch.
I like the “angel” type reads you find in Marilyn Pappano’s Bethlehem series books and Judi McCoy’s heroine visiting from another planet. That is the about the extent of my paranormal reading!
by Pat
on October 3rd, 2006 at 7:56 am
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The books with ghosts in them that come to mind are romances and not scary. Lynn Kurland’s Stardust of Yesterday is a favorite of mine.
by Little Lamb Lost
on October 3rd, 2006 at 9:30 am
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I don’t know exactly why, but I think “Hocus Pocus” is a great movie!! A really fun movie to watch around Halloween :) This movie stars Bette Middler (sp?) and is fun for all ages :)
by Kathleen
on October 3rd, 2006 at 9:45 am
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I love Hocus Pocus!!! It is so funny. I really like the quirky flicks more than the gory ones.
I used to watch all the Friday the 13th movies, but I just can’t deal with them anymore…and I hate Freddy Kreuger! Although I do love vampire movies.
My favorites are Army of Darkness, Bubba Ho-Tep, Hellboy, The Crow, Underworld, Gremlins, Psycho Beach Party, Heathers, Phantom of the Opera, Dracula 2000 and Club Dread.
by Angie T
on October 3rd, 2006 at 12:45 pm
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For movies, I am a bit to a traditionalist. I like to watch the Charlie Brown Halloween Special with the toddler and once said toddler is in bed something scary like Halloween or Halloween 2 with Jamie Lee Curtis. As for books, I can recommend Tick Tock by Dean Kooontz.
by Cherie Japp
on October 3rd, 2006 at 12:49 pm
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I don’t really have any ghost stories to share. As to films, I always watch “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”…and I don’t even have kids…LOL. I also enjoy classic horror films such as Halloween or Carrie. I also enjoy fun movies like Hocus Pocus, Casper, and some of the Disney channel Halloween films.
by Jennifer Y.
on October 3rd, 2006 at 2:11 pm
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I loved the flower trilogy by Nora Roberts.
by Estella
on October 3rd, 2006 at 2:33 pm
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I love stories with ghosts. I have Nora’s flower trilogy in my TBR pile and can’t wait to start reading it. One of my favorite movies is Ghost with Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg.
by Carol
on October 3rd, 2006 at 3:18 pm
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I usually enjoy watching the movie Halloween around this time. I know it may seem corny but I also watch the Elvira movies when it gets closer to Halloween. I also have “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” for my son. I just love this time of year. I’ve been looking for a good ghost story but haven’t had much luck. Although, I just came across a book called “The Thirteenth Tale” by Diane Setterfield. I haven’t bought it yet and it’s in hardcover.
by Janet
on October 3rd, 2006 at 9:38 pm
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Sorry, but I’m no help on this. I don’t celebrate Halloween and don’t do ghost stories (although I did read the Nora Robert’s flower trilogy). I also tend to stay away from most movies that would be watched during this season.
Although, several years back on Halloween, I did watch Harry Potter (the first one). First time I saw it… and I was hooked to the movies and the books.
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Ghost was my favorite “ghost” movie. Dont think I have read any ghost books.
by Karen T.
on October 3rd, 2006 at 11:48 pm
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The story that comes to mind is “The Turn of the Screw”-Henry James…. Mr. Quincy was bad news!!
by Laurie G
on October 4th, 2006 at 5:50 am
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Besides the Movie - Ghost,not much of a a ghost person. Dont like scary movies, books.
by Helen Mac
on October 4th, 2006 at 7:40 am
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Thank you all for the great suggestions! The Charlie Brown special is one of my favorites, too…. And all those old Scooby Doo Halloween specials, of course. And I’ll have to go watch “Hocus Pocus” now!
And the copy of Black Tulip goes to… Tammy G! Tammy, if you’ll email me at willig@post.harvard.edu, I’ll send it right along to you. Congrats!
by Lauren Willig
on October 4th, 2006 at 8:17 am
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Congrats TammyG!
by Little Lamb Lost
on October 4th, 2006 at 10:16 am
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Big congrats Tammy!
by Danny
on October 4th, 2006 at 10:53 am
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congrats Tammy
by Dena
on October 5th, 2006 at 11:29 am
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Thank-you!
by Tammy G.
on October 10th, 2006 at 6:40 am
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Anyone ever read any Vernon Lee stories, like The Doll, or Walter de la Mare ABO? For me, they are some of the best sort of scary stories, and yes, Edith Wharton does a good job, too.
by Claire
on October 10th, 2006 at 10:15 am
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Hi, Tammy! I think my email forwarding may be acting up…. Could you send me your address via the “email the author” form on my website, http://www.laurenwillig.com (since that seems to be working properly)? Thanks!
by Lauren Willig
on October 10th, 2006 at 1:00 pm
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