Spooky Michigan: Tales Of Hauntings, Strange Happenings, And Other Local Lore

by S.E. Schlosser, Paul G. Hoffman (Illustrator)

Pull up a chair or gather round the campfire and get ready for twenty-five creepy tales of ghostly hauntings, eerie happenings, and other strange occurrences in Michigan. Set in Michigan's historic towns and sparsely populated backwoods, the stories in this entertaining and compelling collection will have you looking over your shoulder again and again. Michigan folklore is kept alive in these expert retellings by master storyteller S. E. Schlosser, and in artist Paul Hoffman's evocative illustrations. You'll hear otherworldly voices and things that go bump in the night, and feel an icy wind on the back of your neck on a warm summer evening. Whether read around the campfire on a dark and stormy night or from the backseat of the family van on the way to grandma's, this is a collection to treasure.

Genres: Short Stories, Horror, Fiction, Folklore, Paranormal, Ghosts, Supernatural

200 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2007

About the author

Author S.E. Schlosser has been telling stories since she was a child, when games of "let's pretend" quickly built themselves into full-length stories. A graduate of the Institute of Children's Literature and Rutgers University, she also created and maintains the website AmericanFolklore.net, where she shares a wealth of stories from all 50 states, some dating back to the origins of America.

(source: Amazon)

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not the book you’re looking for if you want some good Michigan folklore. Most of these lack any sort of concrete sense of place. Very few (the Nain Rouge being one) hint at the original legends. 90% of these are just campfire stories that could be set anywhere.

[Patrice · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Wraith of the Creek :/
The Engineer's Message :(
Followed Me Home :)
A Father's Revenge :)
The Green Lantern :/
The Ada Witch :)
The Talking Head :)
The Staircase :/
The Merchant :)
Ghost Train :)
The Phantom Trespasser :)
One Last Head :(
You Just Killed Me :/
The Scorned Suitor :/
The Telephone Call :)
Don't Sell My House :/
The Ghost's Cap :)
Windigo :D
Paul Bunyun and the Witch :)
The Loup Garou :)
The Wizard's Rope :)
Doppelganger :)
The Nain Rouge :/
The Seagull :)
Nishishin Raises the Dead :D
The Dream :(
The Rescuer :)
The Devil's Coach :)
The Coffin of Snakes :(
Sam Meets Death :)
Estrid :(
Eunice :/
The Lodger Returns :)
The Spinning Wheel :/

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun goofy read. Nothing in here will blow your mind or having you hiding under your bed, but that's okay, because that's not their aim. It feels like Schlosser jumped around the state, recorded a bunch of people telling us stories that happened to them or to someone they knew, then transcribed it. A lot of them are about ghosts that want people to do things, others are based on Native American legends or old lake captain tales. This is the kind of thing you'd read while camping or trying to freak out your kids. I will say I did get some good ideas for stories, so there's that.

[Kaylin Ruth Vandermissen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun and easy read but some of the stories seemed poorly written. I wish there had been more true local lore rather than mostly stories of individual occurrences. I would have loved a story about the Paulding light or the Dogman which are stories I, as a Michigander, have heard time and time again. Though, it was nice to hear a few new stories (The Ada Witch for example). I think this collection could benefit from a few additional stories.

[Abra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would have liked more source notes for further reading on some of the stories in this book.

I enjoyed " The Seagull", "Doppelganger", and "Nishishin Raises the Dead." Other than those few I found this book to be a dull read.

[Rosemary Blough · Rating 4 out of 5]

These kinds of books may not be for everyone. I think of them as great vacation books, one you can read a chapter or two, set it down because each chapter is a different story or folk lore. Knew our own city spooky stories but the ones from places or cities I have been to were very interesting.

[Renee M. P. T. Kray]

DNF. Just couldn't get into this writing style.

[Tera (adventuresbetweenpages) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wasn't what I was hoping for. Not really spooky if you ask me 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Crysta Coburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was already aware of many of these stories, but otherwise it's a fun read, especially in October.

[Livia Bambanek · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a certain sameness with some of the stories. I think a couple could have been cut for that reason. That said, light and fun read.

[Malia Grelinger · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[Dominique · Rating 3 out of 5]

While entertaining, these are folktales, many taken from other sources, sometimes with locations changed.

[Green Tea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed these stories. The writing was engaging and it was an easy read. My favorite stories were: Doppelganger, The Devil's Coach, and Nishishin Raises the Dead.

[Lynette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was confused by the changes in narrators. It seemed like a retelling of folk tales, myths, and legends, but sometimes the story was told in first person. For some reason, that really threw me for a loop, and distracted me from the story as a while.

Maybe I'm mostly confused because the library had this under ghost stories, when really it should be with fairy tales and legends.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually thought I had finished this until I picked it up the other day and found a bookmark right in the middle, so I guess I didn't. I remember the first few stories being a bit dull when I wanted spooky, but I'll give the rest of them a go at some point and see if they get a little more Erie. :P