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The Haunted House: A True Ghost Story Being an account of the mysterious manifestations that have taken place in the presence of Esther Cox, the young ... dominion as the great Amherst mystery
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42 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1879
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July 14, 2021
This book gave me a good scare. Supposedly based on a true story, and written during the 1800’s, the author has many “witnesses” to the manifestations of ghostly shenanigans.
Today, this book is considered a classic.
Today, this book is considered a classic.
November 19, 2018
I never heard of this supposed true haunting in Nova Scotia before, where a young woman named Esther is afflicted by ghosts (demons?). With everything that supposedly happened - attacks, fires, knives being thrown, etc - you would think the story would be scary, or at least exciting to read about. However, this is written in such a matter-of-fact style that it comes across as plain and boring. And also kind of nonchalant? Like you're getting knives thrown at you, you should put a little more emotion in detailing that!
July 20, 2013
This is a delightful 19th century novella written with the Victorian-inspired, newly 'scientifically' educated, middle-class reader in mind, who, while mindful of socially respectable mores, was swept up with the then current fad of mediums and ouiji boards. At the same time, electricity was being put to use in all sorts of magical and frightening ways which was amazing the average citizen as well, uncertain as to whether things electrical were satanic or celestial in origin. The line between 'science', a new concept, and myth was very fuzzy, both being involved with exposing invisible objects, and people believed that science would and could rip the veils away which hid the mysteries of the spiritual world. Books, while still expensive, were becoming affordable by middle-class budgeting. Such households were eager to show off the ability to read, be able to play formal music and that they had familiarity with modern scholarship theories (much of it crackpot and incomplete) - everything high culture at the time. While the wife concentrated her efforts on creating a clean and uplifted family, the husband empowered himself through information gleaned from the daily newspaper, an absolute necessity to read. All adults were enchanted by the new type of reading material which was scandalizing as well as setting the standards for social knowledge - magazines! Housewives were reading about 'scientific' principles of housework while swooning over romantic short stories in ladies magazines, and the men were reading about the new machines and engines driving commerce forward, along with the despicable politics of the day. The telephone, the camera, electric light were no longer only ideas, but were being demonstrated at fairs.
Such a story as Hubbell's 'The Haunted House' can only be enjoyed fully in awareness of the cultural milieu of this time period. It strikes a tone of the 'factual scientific reporting' of a feature newspaper article, while exploiting the common fascination with ghosts and mentally-ill females - a story that contains expressions of unacceptable, out-of-control behavior, absolutely forbidden in this time of scientific principles, strict social rules, bone corsets and starched collars, but safe to read and safe to discuss, in appropriately proper horrified wonder. At the same time, it's a story that will sell several thousand copies. There are distinct sexual undertones throughout - a household of women in peril, threatened in their beds, nudity a possibility by a ghostly tug of an invisible hand, an invisible monster full of desire and death.
Esther Cox, the focus of a ghost's evil attacks, is described as a very disturbed sulky young lady - unpopular, unattractive, unwanted - so demoralized by her lack of feminine desirability or skills she accepts the attentions of a cad, who later betrays her trust and causes her to take to her bed in a deep depression. Her family - absolutely normal, respectable, middle-class - is doing their best for her, providing for her and offering her a home of loving relatives, all young by our standards; although the head of the household, Daniel Teed, shoemaker, is 35 years old and a sufferer of rheumatism already. He and his wife Olive have two little boys, and provide also for Olive's sisters, Jane and Esther, and her brother William. Dan's brother John lives in their 4 bedroom house too. Church is important to all of them. However, despite the efforts of every member of this hardworking family, disaster soon overtakes them when mysterious events, such as furniture throwing itself about the house, ghostly knocks and eventually, possession of Esther's body inexplicitly invades their lives. They try to conceal the abnormal disruptions of their nights, but soon the pounding sounds and furniture tosses are seen by the entire town when the ghost begins manifesting in the day. After several experiments, it becomes obvious the ghost is after Esther.
Oh oh. The little cottage in Amherst, Nova Scotia is about to spawn a very famous American drive-in horror movie along with dozens of other similar straight-to-video haunted house stories.
This link will explain more about known historical events regarding poor Esther's poltergeist and its effect on her life. http://paranormal.about.com/od/polter...
Such a story as Hubbell's 'The Haunted House' can only be enjoyed fully in awareness of the cultural milieu of this time period. It strikes a tone of the 'factual scientific reporting' of a feature newspaper article, while exploiting the common fascination with ghosts and mentally-ill females - a story that contains expressions of unacceptable, out-of-control behavior, absolutely forbidden in this time of scientific principles, strict social rules, bone corsets and starched collars, but safe to read and safe to discuss, in appropriately proper horrified wonder. At the same time, it's a story that will sell several thousand copies. There are distinct sexual undertones throughout - a household of women in peril, threatened in their beds, nudity a possibility by a ghostly tug of an invisible hand, an invisible monster full of desire and death.
Esther Cox, the focus of a ghost's evil attacks, is described as a very disturbed sulky young lady - unpopular, unattractive, unwanted - so demoralized by her lack of feminine desirability or skills she accepts the attentions of a cad, who later betrays her trust and causes her to take to her bed in a deep depression. Her family - absolutely normal, respectable, middle-class - is doing their best for her, providing for her and offering her a home of loving relatives, all young by our standards; although the head of the household, Daniel Teed, shoemaker, is 35 years old and a sufferer of rheumatism already. He and his wife Olive have two little boys, and provide also for Olive's sisters, Jane and Esther, and her brother William. Dan's brother John lives in their 4 bedroom house too. Church is important to all of them. However, despite the efforts of every member of this hardworking family, disaster soon overtakes them when mysterious events, such as furniture throwing itself about the house, ghostly knocks and eventually, possession of Esther's body inexplicitly invades their lives. They try to conceal the abnormal disruptions of their nights, but soon the pounding sounds and furniture tosses are seen by the entire town when the ghost begins manifesting in the day. After several experiments, it becomes obvious the ghost is after Esther.
Oh oh. The little cottage in Amherst, Nova Scotia is about to spawn a very famous American drive-in horror movie along with dozens of other similar straight-to-video haunted house stories.
This link will explain more about known historical events regarding poor Esther's poltergeist and its effect on her life. http://paranormal.about.com/od/polter...
December 22, 2017
Compelling story of an obsessed woman. I really liked the description of the ghosts and the whole setting. The action is set in the end of the 19th century. Quick, easy and interesting read. I can really recommend this novella.
November 1, 2013
A pleasant little diversion on my Amazon Kindle app. I love any kind of ghost story whether true or not because most of this type of story is about the history of a person or place which is interesting to me and they are just fun to read! (I am not easily frightened) I love older books and this little novel was terrific set in 1878 and a perfect way to spend Halloween Eve. 19th century ghost stories are quite different from modern tales as they tend to be more literary, less blood and guts gruesome, and refer to things that are not present in our modern times. Lifestyles are different, the language is different and even what chilled people to their bones back then will seem silly to the modern mind. THE HAUNTED HOUSE: A TRUE GHOST STORY is a typical piece from the Victorian era and is quite spooky with lots of thrills about a poltergeist who has taken possession of Emma Cox and her tale is told by Mr Walter Hubbell a visitor to the community to observe the ghostly phenomenon. If you have read the story of the Bell Witch it is very similar. Ghost possession seemed to be a popular way of gaining attention by the young back then and most of the time it is simply a hysterical psychological disorder causing the situation. A person could expect to receive lots of attention and even have famous visitors to see for themselves the strange behavior but usually there is a natural explanation for the strange happenings. I certainly believe there are ghosts because I have had too many experiences not to believe this type of paranormal exists but I also know that boredom, feeling neglected, or issues over property, as was the case in the Salem witch trials, can bring out the haunting for an earthly purpose.
November 3, 2020
So if your 2020 Halloween was like mine, it likely consisted of a house full of children under 10 dressed as Minecraft zombies, Sans, princesses, and kitty cats who are all stir crazy from lockdowns, social distancing, and e-learning, and you tried to please the youngsters in your charge with various spooky-themed activities to keep them from killing each other while they each shove toy ponies in your face while screaming "Look what I can do!" So at the end of another productive Halloween, with your belly full of Nerds and those weird peanut butter taffy candies, you probably longed to curl up in bed with a good book to unclutter your mind from the sounds of pediatric poltergeists.
My choice of book wasn't so grand, but it was in keeping with the theme of this Halloween. "The Haunted House, a True Ghost Story" is about a somewhat infamous case of poltergeist activity that occurred in 19th Century Canada centered around a young woman, Esther Cox, who became known as the Amherst Mystery.
If you are fascinated by stories of supposed true hauntings like the Warren investigations, you would probably like this book as well, but be prepared that there is absolutely nothing scary or thrilling to be found here, nor are there any substantial facts that could shine any potential light on the truth of what happened in this case. It is a rather bland and straightforward narrative written by an actor from Nova Scotia named Walter Hubbell, who spent about six weeks in the quaint little cottage with Esther Cox to document the hauntings. He didn't have any qualifications as a scientist, but you can probably guess why the family agreed to have him loafing about their property as a kind of morbid paranormal tourist.
The book is very brief, and I read it in one night, so I'll try not to spoil anything with too many details of the case. Needless to say, as a physician by trade, I found the book to be interesting as a psychological puzzle, trying to find clues as to what very natural phenomena lay behind the supernatural manifestation. But as I said, the author was not interested in unraveling and documenting any potential causes, his only curiosity being to witness the activity that had become quite legendary in the northern parts of the continent. For example, he supposedly conducted an interview with the "ghosts" of the house, but doesn't ask them about any of their motivations for tormenting Ms. Cox, or at least doesn't write about it.
But perhaps I was even more fascinated by the descriptions of every day life in this small cottage that housed nine people. I enjoyed reading how they navigated the tiny rooms with little life hacks like storing food on the back door steps to the kitchen since they didn't have a pantry or a fridge.
I think the crowded conditions of the house had something to do with the cause of the hauntings, which began after an attempted sexual assault on Ms. Cox. She possibly became hysterical after the event and I suspect after the family found out what happened to her, they wanted to urge her and her problems out of the house by gaslighting her, thus taking advantage of her emotional state. But when local gossip became national news regarding a real haunting, then the situation took on a life of its own, as the publicity the family received likely brought out more "witnesses" to the ghostly hijinks.
This is a fairly entertaining but not artful telling of a real sensation back in Victorian times. If you like this sort of thing, a better "real life haunting" suggestion may be "The Most Haunted House in England" which is a genuinely chilling account of the Borley Rectory hauntings of which this story shares some features.
My choice of book wasn't so grand, but it was in keeping with the theme of this Halloween. "The Haunted House, a True Ghost Story" is about a somewhat infamous case of poltergeist activity that occurred in 19th Century Canada centered around a young woman, Esther Cox, who became known as the Amherst Mystery.
If you are fascinated by stories of supposed true hauntings like the Warren investigations, you would probably like this book as well, but be prepared that there is absolutely nothing scary or thrilling to be found here, nor are there any substantial facts that could shine any potential light on the truth of what happened in this case. It is a rather bland and straightforward narrative written by an actor from Nova Scotia named Walter Hubbell, who spent about six weeks in the quaint little cottage with Esther Cox to document the hauntings. He didn't have any qualifications as a scientist, but you can probably guess why the family agreed to have him loafing about their property as a kind of morbid paranormal tourist.
The book is very brief, and I read it in one night, so I'll try not to spoil anything with too many details of the case. Needless to say, as a physician by trade, I found the book to be interesting as a psychological puzzle, trying to find clues as to what very natural phenomena lay behind the supernatural manifestation. But as I said, the author was not interested in unraveling and documenting any potential causes, his only curiosity being to witness the activity that had become quite legendary in the northern parts of the continent. For example, he supposedly conducted an interview with the "ghosts" of the house, but doesn't ask them about any of their motivations for tormenting Ms. Cox, or at least doesn't write about it.
But perhaps I was even more fascinated by the descriptions of every day life in this small cottage that housed nine people. I enjoyed reading how they navigated the tiny rooms with little life hacks like storing food on the back door steps to the kitchen since they didn't have a pantry or a fridge.
I think the crowded conditions of the house had something to do with the cause of the hauntings, which began after an attempted sexual assault on Ms. Cox. She possibly became hysterical after the event and I suspect after the family found out what happened to her, they wanted to urge her and her problems out of the house by gaslighting her, thus taking advantage of her emotional state. But when local gossip became national news regarding a real haunting, then the situation took on a life of its own, as the publicity the family received likely brought out more "witnesses" to the ghostly hijinks.
This is a fairly entertaining but not artful telling of a real sensation back in Victorian times. If you like this sort of thing, a better "real life haunting" suggestion may be "The Most Haunted House in England" which is a genuinely chilling account of the Borley Rectory hauntings of which this story shares some features.
November 6, 2015
What a piece of garbage! Luckily I got this book free from Early Bird Books. It was so stupid. I'm not sure if that was because it was dated or if the author was just an idiot. Possibly both. Not even remotely scary (at one point the ghosts chastise the foul language of someone). It ends up being the author's account of some huckster psychic whom he thinks is legitimate. Despite numerous glaring instances of fraud. No "ghosts" ever appear unless this woman is present. Once when this woman is sick for two weeks all "strange occurrences" mysteriously stop for two weeks and then restart when she's well. The whole thing is described as a bunch of question and answer sessions with six different ghosts, communication via "knocking under the table". Uh...fake. Houdini exposed countless psychics using these same tricks in his lifetime. Also, the woman's "nervous condition" is noted several times in the book and is obviously a reference to what we would call a psychiatric disorder in the present day. For such a short read this was such a waste of time.
August 20, 2012
Who needs to watch a terror movie on a weekend night when there is such an amazing scary story like this one? I was surprised at how scary it was. The suspense was there all the time. It reminded me of the bell witch legend. The family was going through the same things and the entities did similar things to them, plus it all happened in the same century. It's something to think about.
July 20, 2011
Writing flat.
Characters flat.
Book flat.
Basically in a word, crap.
Characters flat.
Book flat.
Basically in a word, crap.
Read
October 19, 202448:18. God was pleased with believers as they swore allegiance to you under the tree. He recognized what was in their hearts and sent down serenity upon them, and compensated them with a nearby victory.
May 4, 2014
The Haunted House: A True Ghost Story, by Walter Hubbell, is obviously a relatively short read, being that it is compromised of a mere six chapters. And unfortunately, the first two chapters will almost certainly test the patience of many a reader who may quite naturally be eager to get on with the truly haunting part.
Fortunately, the fascinating and allegedly fact based supernatural occurrences documented in chapters three through six make the tediousness of the first part of this slim volume well worth the wait. Of course, one may be left wondering if the book might not have been better served if the those two initial chapters had been condensed into a relatively brief preface, but then much of the background information provided, along with an introduction to the many individuals living in the house when the haunting began, might render the rest of the story a bit confusing.
But probably not. And here's exactly why: You see, the title of the book itself is arguably more or less inaccurate, given that the house wherein the majority of the paranormal phenomena takes place, does not appear to have been the true source of the hauntings. Rather, it is the young Canadian girl who is tormented by no less than a half dozen unseen entities throughout the course of the narrative that seems to indeed be the one who is in fact "haunted."
Especially given the fact that the most powerful of the troublesome entities causing all the mayhem cites on numerous occasions, in a number of ways, that the unfortunate girl is the target of his scorn. Further, when Esther (the haunted girl), is temporarily relocated to other residences the paranormal activities at her home cease, only to resume (with rare exception) wherever she attempts to find refuge.
For that reason, had this book been written in the 21st century, and not in the 19th, when the hauntings are alleged to have taken place, the paranormal activity documented by the author (who witnessed a great many of the unexplained occurrences himself) would almost certainly have been labelled "poltergeist" in nature.
Be that as it may, it goes without saying that far too many reviewers are far too apt to judge this fascinating account far too harshly. Maybe it doesn't deserve a full five stars on account of its brevity alone, but overall, the book is quite absorbing when it finally does get going. So skim the first two chapters, or skip them altogether, but for goodness sake, anyone who can't be bothered to read the entire book (or at least the last four, and certainly most important chapters), really doesn't deserve to rate it, much less write a review of it!
Therefore, one can only hope that anyone who is that impatient, shortsighted, opinionated, and perhaps, worst of all, just plain MEAN, should have to one day suffer even half of the torment that poor Esther Cox was forced to endure while being haunted by the six unruly entities profiled in this classic work. Nah! I wouldn't wish that on even the harshest of hateful little critics. But beware! "Bob," Esther's chief tormentor might still be out there in "ghost land," still restless and full of supernaturally fueled wrath, just waiting to sink his spectral teeth into a new victim, or even two.
If that isn't a reason to play nice in the land of the living, I don't know what is. So think carefully about the invaluable lessons provided by the concept of karma, dear readers. You wouldn't want any hastily sewn ill will to come back to haunt you. Well, would you? So read the whole book, will ya! If such an unfortunate series of events could befall a nice girl like Esther, who knows what could happen in the afterlife to people who weren't always as kind and charitable as they really should have been. Or even, for all you non-believers out there, the here and now.
Fortunately, the fascinating and allegedly fact based supernatural occurrences documented in chapters three through six make the tediousness of the first part of this slim volume well worth the wait. Of course, one may be left wondering if the book might not have been better served if the those two initial chapters had been condensed into a relatively brief preface, but then much of the background information provided, along with an introduction to the many individuals living in the house when the haunting began, might render the rest of the story a bit confusing.
But probably not. And here's exactly why: You see, the title of the book itself is arguably more or less inaccurate, given that the house wherein the majority of the paranormal phenomena takes place, does not appear to have been the true source of the hauntings. Rather, it is the young Canadian girl who is tormented by no less than a half dozen unseen entities throughout the course of the narrative that seems to indeed be the one who is in fact "haunted."
Especially given the fact that the most powerful of the troublesome entities causing all the mayhem cites on numerous occasions, in a number of ways, that the unfortunate girl is the target of his scorn. Further, when Esther (the haunted girl), is temporarily relocated to other residences the paranormal activities at her home cease, only to resume (with rare exception) wherever she attempts to find refuge.
For that reason, had this book been written in the 21st century, and not in the 19th, when the hauntings are alleged to have taken place, the paranormal activity documented by the author (who witnessed a great many of the unexplained occurrences himself) would almost certainly have been labelled "poltergeist" in nature.
Be that as it may, it goes without saying that far too many reviewers are far too apt to judge this fascinating account far too harshly. Maybe it doesn't deserve a full five stars on account of its brevity alone, but overall, the book is quite absorbing when it finally does get going. So skim the first two chapters, or skip them altogether, but for goodness sake, anyone who can't be bothered to read the entire book (or at least the last four, and certainly most important chapters), really doesn't deserve to rate it, much less write a review of it!
Therefore, one can only hope that anyone who is that impatient, shortsighted, opinionated, and perhaps, worst of all, just plain MEAN, should have to one day suffer even half of the torment that poor Esther Cox was forced to endure while being haunted by the six unruly entities profiled in this classic work. Nah! I wouldn't wish that on even the harshest of hateful little critics. But beware! "Bob," Esther's chief tormentor might still be out there in "ghost land," still restless and full of supernaturally fueled wrath, just waiting to sink his spectral teeth into a new victim, or even two.
If that isn't a reason to play nice in the land of the living, I don't know what is. So think carefully about the invaluable lessons provided by the concept of karma, dear readers. You wouldn't want any hastily sewn ill will to come back to haunt you. Well, would you? So read the whole book, will ya! If such an unfortunate series of events could befall a nice girl like Esther, who knows what could happen in the afterlife to people who weren't always as kind and charitable as they really should have been. Or even, for all you non-believers out there, the here and now.
February 15, 2013
I have long been a fan of 19th century literature with its drawn out descriptions, complex phrasing, and formal language, so I must admit I really enjoyed reading this. I can understand, however, how many people who have reviewed this found it boring. I suppose if you can stand to have furniture described as "commodious" and not even wince a little, you'll do fine with this read!
It is told as a true account of the events in 1878-9 that revolved around Ester Cox in a small town in Nova Scotia. She was, for those months, "tortured by devils" who caused items to fly through the air for 15 feet as well as make strange manifestations be seen and other eerie events occur.
This 46 page account is really a very good read IF this style and syntax doesn't readily turn you off. With that caveat understood, I would recommend this short read to people who are thrilled by a good ghost stories!
It is told as a true account of the events in 1878-9 that revolved around Ester Cox in a small town in Nova Scotia. She was, for those months, "tortured by devils" who caused items to fly through the air for 15 feet as well as make strange manifestations be seen and other eerie events occur.
This 46 page account is really a very good read IF this style and syntax doesn't readily turn you off. With that caveat understood, I would recommend this short read to people who are thrilled by a good ghost stories!
February 4, 2011
If you can't judge a book by its cover pehaps you should also take care when judging a book by its title. The title of this book seemed promising, a true account of an actual haunting had such potential for a creepiness factor.
Purported to be an account of an actual eye-witness to a case that has been documented in other places as being a real event. However the storytelling style was very flat. It read like a weather report, not a terrifying supernatural string of events.
Good news wa that it was a free kindle book so I didn't spend money on my disappointment.
Purported to be an account of an actual eye-witness to a case that has been documented in other places as being a real event. However the storytelling style was very flat. It read like a weather report, not a terrifying supernatural string of events.
Good news wa that it was a free kindle book so I didn't spend money on my disappointment.
November 13, 2014
I really enjoyed this historic account of the haunting of Ester Cox in Amherst, Nova Scotia. Because of its historical nature, do not expect it to read like a fictional account. If you go into this six chapter documentation expecting a ghost story the likes of Stephen King or Dean Koontz, you will be sorely disappointed. However, enter it with an open mind and an hour or so to kill and I'm sure you will like it.
October 28, 2013
Whether this is a true haunting or not I can't say. It seems, to me, the events were cleverly contrived and conveniently arraigned for an audience's attention. I'll need to do a bit more research into the Great Amherst Mystery.
For now, it is an entertaining haunting worth the time it takes to read.
Devlin
For now, it is an entertaining haunting worth the time it takes to read.
Devlin
October 5, 2015
Odd little tale about a supposedly true poltergeist or haunting. There isn't a whole lot here, but it's only 44 pages so... You won't find anything all that scary or any answers to the Great Amherst Mystery, but I found it mildly interesting.
July 22, 2016
Very short -- around 40 Kindle pages. Interesting, but lacking a lot.
September 22, 2024
The Great Amherst Mystery, a series of supernatural phenomena that took place in one Amherst, Nova Scotia home in 1878-1879, was so widely discussed that an actor named Walter Hubbell moved into the house for six weeks and wrote a book about the whole business. Hubbell, unfortunately, didn’t have much of a flair for writing, but I was willing to overlook that if his ghost story was sufficiently spooky. It starts slowly enough. Hubbell describes the residents of the house (a family of four, plus as many adult relatives who are boarding with them) and then begins to detail the events of the week these events began. But he describes seemingly innocuous scenes, like dinner one night before anything is amiss. It’s not clear why. In fact, about half the book (short as it is) goes by without anything haunted occurring at all. And what did take place, while spooky, was handled so poorly it’s more comedic than blood-curdling. What appears to be a poltergeist is treated with nonchalance. The family asks a doctor for help, but he just stops by night after night to experience the strange happenings. He’s absolutely no help. It’s also easy to see why some people were immediately skeptical of the family’s claims. This was a time when I think people were generally more gullible. They fell for swindles that would be considered laughably obvious today. P. T. Barnum made a whole career tricking suckers. There were claims the writer made that were debunked by those he claimed were present. And these events stopped after the woman accused on faking them spent time in jail for arson. It seems she—or “the ghost”—learned their lesson. And if these events were not true, they were not sufficiently entertaining to justify publishing them. Boo.
3/10
3/10
August 20, 2020
Content Warning: sexual assault
I really wish I could be more inspired by this, but they can't all be great classics. This is a typical poltergeist-y yarn from Nova Scotia in the 19th century, and it's billed as a true story. I suppose it could be, but to be honest it sounds like a bad ripoff of the Bell Witch. Which is, perhaps, unsurprising given the reputation of that case.
A young woman, described as being sulky and lazy by the author, is sexually assaulted by the man she wanted to be her beau and everyone else told her was Bad For Her. After that, the house where she lives with extended family is subject to poltergeist phenomena (which, amusingly, are referred to by name - although as spirit-driven rather than PK activated or hoaxed). Before long, people are moving out and fires are being lit, and Something Must Be Done.
I like the language of older ghost stories, but this one is pretty meh for me. The author does a weird self-insert at the end, too, which doesn't help with authenticity. I do completely believe in the cast of characters who try to assist the young woman, though, in the same way I believe in the Helen Hunt group of scientists in Twister: they may not be real, but everyone knows someone like them.
I give it a 3 stars. Not great, not bad, just sort of there.
I really wish I could be more inspired by this, but they can't all be great classics. This is a typical poltergeist-y yarn from Nova Scotia in the 19th century, and it's billed as a true story. I suppose it could be, but to be honest it sounds like a bad ripoff of the Bell Witch. Which is, perhaps, unsurprising given the reputation of that case.
A young woman, described as being sulky and lazy by the author, is sexually assaulted by the man she wanted to be her beau and everyone else told her was Bad For Her. After that, the house where she lives with extended family is subject to poltergeist phenomena (which, amusingly, are referred to by name - although as spirit-driven rather than PK activated or hoaxed). Before long, people are moving out and fires are being lit, and Something Must Be Done.
I like the language of older ghost stories, but this one is pretty meh for me. The author does a weird self-insert at the end, too, which doesn't help with authenticity. I do completely believe in the cast of characters who try to assist the young woman, though, in the same way I believe in the Helen Hunt group of scientists in Twister: they may not be real, but everyone knows someone like them.
I give it a 3 stars. Not great, not bad, just sort of there.
September 22, 2025
Libricino molto piccolo ma che apre a mille domande e questioni: in primis se la vicenda narrata come un testo scientifico sia reale oppure se sia un delirio collettivo e dovuto ad un condizionamento generale. Poi se il libro stesso sia tutto, comprese le testimonianze e documentazioni, sia un racconto totalmente inventato.
Si legge velocemente, il linguaggio è semplice e scorrevole.
Nella prima parte del volume si percepisce che sia un resoconto di eventi raccontati da altre persone e mantiene un tono in stile “romanzesco”, invece la parte in cui il protagonista é lo scrittore stesso è più breve e sinceramente un po’ mi ha deluso.
Dopo il racconto complessivo delle vicende si apre la sezione delle Appendici, dove vengono riportate lettere, documenti ed addirittura testimonianze postume della vicenda dove studiosi hanno sentito le voci dei primi protagonisti ma trent’anni dopo le prime esperienze.
È un libretto un po’ difficile da valutare, sia perché è molto breve, sia perché approfondisce poco, sia perché non si capisce se è inventato tutto o meno.
Si legge velocemente, il linguaggio è semplice e scorrevole.
Nella prima parte del volume si percepisce che sia un resoconto di eventi raccontati da altre persone e mantiene un tono in stile “romanzesco”, invece la parte in cui il protagonista é lo scrittore stesso è più breve e sinceramente un po’ mi ha deluso.
Dopo il racconto complessivo delle vicende si apre la sezione delle Appendici, dove vengono riportate lettere, documenti ed addirittura testimonianze postume della vicenda dove studiosi hanno sentito le voci dei primi protagonisti ma trent’anni dopo le prime esperienze.
È un libretto un po’ difficile da valutare, sia perché è molto breve, sia perché approfondisce poco, sia perché non si capisce se è inventato tutto o meno.
November 6, 2018
This is simply a report of one man's visit to a haunted house in Canada around the end of the 19th century. The haunting became famous at the time and drew the attention of doctors, ministers and the general public. It seems there was a steady stream of the curious who would stop in to visit and be astounded by the ghostly hijinks. The author was one of those and he moved in with the family to chronicle the events. He was not disappointed. There were disembodied voices, things moving about, things disappearing, loud house-shaking rapping and a bit of everything. It centered around one particular girl in the house. In today's parlance, it was poltergeist activity. The reporting is somewhat dry, but i don't think the author intended to do anything more than report facts as he saw them. As such, he did a good job. This is a good example of turn of the century ghost hunting.
December 1, 2020
I had never heard of the "Great Amherst Mystery" before this, and after doing a little research after reading, I finally understood one thing: this book was not written by a real writer but by an actor. That explains why the first half of the book is so incredibly boring and poorly written. The author recounts all of the events that happened in the weeks prior to both his and the ghosts' appearance. Very little of it had to do with the actual plot. When it ends, it's a year later, and the "manifestations" have all ceased and everyone is content. But no one knows what brought about the ghosts (the story seemed to allude to Esther's ex being involved but I'm speculating), where they went, or whatever became of any of the family later on. Did the ghosts ever come back? There is no telling. But once the ghosts come into the story, it does become interesting.
September 28, 2017
I was halfway through this book, (I have it on my phone for those times when I'm waiting for appointments, etc.,) before I realized that it was a true story. It seemed pretty bizarre before then and even more so afterwards. Written in the late 1800's by a journalist who staying in the house in the hopes of debunking the story, it reads pretty dry. However, the visitations & manifestations are so numerous, violent, and bizarre that the story surpasses the dry writing style. Most amazing & long-running ghost story I've ever heard of.
December 31, 2017
True?
Whether true or no, there were so many plot holes. I liked the way the in imagery was shared, so I gave it three stars. However, the story seemed to d r a g for several pages. No mention of any alleged ghosts until 2/3 into the story. It would've received a higher star rating had Mr Hubbard not blathered on ad infinitum until the mention of what the story was about... Almost like an afterthought. 'ohhhh! I almost forgot, here's what you're wanting to read about! Sorry about that' eh.
Whether true or no, there were so many plot holes. I liked the way the in imagery was shared, so I gave it three stars. However, the story seemed to d r a g for several pages. No mention of any alleged ghosts until 2/3 into the story. It would've received a higher star rating had Mr Hubbard not blathered on ad infinitum until the mention of what the story was about... Almost like an afterthought. 'ohhhh! I almost forgot, here's what you're wanting to read about! Sorry about that' eh.
October 24, 2020
An oldie, but goodie. It seemed that Esther's traumatic experience with Bob McNeal brought out such strong emotions that whatever ghosts were in or around the house, had to respond to her. It's ironic or fitting that one of the ghosts haunting Esther is also named Bob. Last year, my husband and I traveled around Nova Scotia and the other Eastern Maritime provinces. We drove on the highway and passed by Amherst. The countryside and small towns were so picturesque; it's hard to imagine such poltergeist activity in such a peaceful area.
June 5, 2023
Esther is quite different from the girls of her time. She is melancholic and could not find what she was looking for in love. Instead she has threattened with a gun by her boyfriend. Paranormal events are only happening when she is in the house. And in a short time, the whole country follows this weirdness. Various specialist s and doctors tried to solve the issue. The event is real, you can google it. But the author wrote it like a comedy. The horror did not get me into. Things like the Casper movie. dose of horror: 1
May 8, 2020
This is the story of Esther Cox, "the young girl possessed of Devils" whose story became known as "The Great Amherst Mystery". The author, Walter Hubbell, writes Esther's story and witnessed many of the manifestations while living in the same house in Amherst, Nova Scotia in 1879.
48 pages, interesting but also a bit tedious for me. This digital version was converted from it's physical edition to the digital format by volunteers.
48 pages, interesting but also a bit tedious for me. This digital version was converted from it's physical edition to the digital format by volunteers.
November 1, 2020
This book was written in 1879. While the writing is "matter of fact" not emotional, I couldn't help but feel pity for poor Ester Cox. I would love to write an adaptation of this, concluding that Dan's mischievous, rowdy son Willie (they tied him to the chair at dinner, and boxed his ears) was actually the root of the hauntings. Not explored in the book, but could be an intriguing angle.
Yes, I always read like a writer.
Yes, I always read like a writer.
May 12, 2022
Wonderful entertaining listening 🎶🔰
Another will written fantasy Sci-Fi haunting horror ghost 👻 dreams short story by Walter Hubbell about a haunted house in a Amherst, Newfoundland where several ghost 👻 are haunting the people living there. If you are into haunting horror ghost 👻 dreams novels 👍🔰 I would highly recommend this novella to you. Enjoy the adventure of novels 👍🔰 and books 📚. 2022 👒😤😡
Due to health issues I am forced to have Alexa read to me. Stay safe.
Another will written fantasy Sci-Fi haunting horror ghost 👻 dreams short story by Walter Hubbell about a haunted house in a Amherst, Newfoundland where several ghost 👻 are haunting the people living there. If you are into haunting horror ghost 👻 dreams novels 👍🔰 I would highly recommend this novella to you. Enjoy the adventure of novels 👍🔰 and books 📚. 2022 👒😤😡
Due to health issues I am forced to have Alexa read to me. Stay safe.
November 12, 2017
Frightening Real?
The story as told by the point of view of the author gives the story a more documentary kind of vibe. The author is careful to mention the numerous witnesses that encountered the ghostly manifestations. I found the ghost story shockingly real and truly horrifying.
The story as told by the point of view of the author gives the story a more documentary kind of vibe. The author is careful to mention the numerous witnesses that encountered the ghostly manifestations. I found the ghost story shockingly real and truly horrifying.
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