A Manhattan Ghost Story

Manhattan Ghost Story #1

by T.M. Wright

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, T. M. Wright earned praise from critics for a series of ghost novels about isolated houses in upstate New York. A Manhattan Ghost Story, first published in 1984, moved the action to New York City. And the tale is not about a single building, but about an all-pervasive layer of reality in which the shades of the living mark their days in a listless state, until finally they fall apart. A commercial photographer gets slowly pulled, while still living, over to the "other side"--a plight that leads to a profoundly unsettling and surreal chain of events. "And if you get stuck in that other city, that other Manhattan, you find yourself getting awfully desperate and mean-spirited, the way some people are affected by too much heat or the crying of small children."

Wright's ghosts are evocatively described, with their awkward movements and stares of "quiet, studied indifference." But be forewarned that A Manhattan Ghost Story, while justly celebrated, has a couple of minor flaws: a weak love story and slipshod editing that didn't catch place names that change partway through.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Paranormal, Ghosts, Ghost Stories, Supernatural, Fantasy

381 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Terrance Michael Wright (AKA T. M. Wright) is best known as a writer of horror fiction, speculative fiction, and poetry. He has written over 25 novels, novellas, and short stories over the last 40 years. His first novel, 1978's Strange Seed, was nominated for a World Fantasy Award, and his 2003 novel Cold House was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award. His novels have been translated into many different languages around the world. His works have been reviewed by Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, and many genre magazines.

Reviews

[Jack Tripper · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very cool story concept ruined by the horrible dialogue. One thing I can't stand in novels is when two people are in a room talking to each other, yet constantly use each other's names while talking, as in: "Hey Bob, how's it going?" "All right Jim, and you?" "Swell, Bob, just swell." "You going out tonight Jim ole buddy?" "No Bob, not tonight." "Aw Jim, that's too bad." "Say Bob, whaddaya say..." This happens constantly in this novel, in every single conversation, repeatedly taking me out of the story, enraging me even (I'm not joking), but I powered on, as I liked the story, which is sort of a proto-Sixth Sense in that the main character begins meeting a lot of strange people in Manhattan, people who just so happen to be ghosts, only he doesn't know it. No that's not really a spoiler as it's pretty obvious from the very beginning what's happening, even if the main character is clueless. I mean, the title is a pretty big tip-off. If it weren't for the title, T.M. Wright probably could have strung the reader along for a while, making the story a bit more mysterious, but even so, it's a decent story, marred by absolutely atrocious dialogue.

2.5 Stars

[Snakes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve definitely discovered a new author. I thought this book was fabulous. An understated creepiness of tone was pervasive throughout the book. It was mysterious and innovative. Someone probably needs to check the copyright laws as pertains to this book in relation to the movie, The Sixth Sense. The idea in this book obviously existed well before the movie and was much more well done. I’m gonna have to read another T.M. Wright novel.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Manhattan Ghost Story is Wright's best-known and best-selling work. It has all of the traits and quirks that echo through his books, but seems to have a more polished and literary feel. My copy has a big yellow medallion-shaped blurb overlaying the cover illustration that reads: Soon to be a major motion picture starring SHARON STONE, but I don't believe the film was ever made. There was a famous film a few years later called The Sixth Sense that ripped off the basic idea, however. (Which I guess is a spoiler, sorry.) It is a ghost story, but not in the traditional sense. There are conversations rather than hauntings, and it's a love story more than an adventure. There are some chilling and spooky bits, but you don't need spirits to experience those. It's a very well written piece, still a worthy read though I suspect parts haven't aged well. The cover is misleading (not just because of the blurb), because it shows an evil-eyed (in imitation of Wright's Strange Seed covers from Playboy Press/Jove) quartet arising from a sewer grate, but the story is much more of a Peter Straub meditation than a Richard Laymon assault. Good, quiet, cerebral, and melancholy stuff, one of his best.

[Tressa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cover of the paperback I have is so misleading. The cover shows a variety of menacing "ghosts" coming out of a sewer grate. This story is much more literary than that, and includes some beautiful passages about dead loved ones and how much we miss them and how they move from different states of being. I didn't encounter any of the menacing dead people I saw on the cover.

This is an odd story but one I enjoyed very much. I will definitely seek out more of T.M. Wright's work.

[Cujo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Photographer Abner Cray goes to NYC and learns that it really is the city that never sleeps. Because not even the dead are able to rest

If there's about this book that bugged me. Its that it was hard to decipher who was an actual living l human and who was a ghost

[Kevin Lucia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome. Moody. Thought-provoking. Emotional. Disturbing. AKA = T. M. Wright at his best.

[Bandit · Rating 3 out of 5]

The key word to describing T.M. Wright's fiction is strange. Or odd is you prefer that. Maybe even bizarre. His books mostly read like really strange trippy dreams, almost nightmares, and you definitely have to be in the mood for them, but if you like that sort of thing and you are in the mood for it, it's really quite excellent. The main thing is that Wright is just a very good writer with that very special talent of a natural storyteller that Paul Auster has, though, of course, apples and oranges there. This book is a fine example of Wright's trademark strangeness, slow, subtle, unsettling story of one man's descent into madness that is New York City (which one would think would be nightmarish enough), but this NYC is populated by ghosts, which makes it infinitely more dangerous and eerie. Again, not for everyone, if you like more plot driven action packed stories, this may not be the right fit, but a fan of strange fiction or quiet horror might enjoy this.

[Michael · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really disliked this book. It was nothing but a series of conversations with people that invariably started pleasantly then rude angry and confrontational. Most of these encounters had absolutely NOTHING to do with the plot.
Other reviews I have read talk about a love story personally I did not see it. The people in love didn't really have much of a relationship.


**********Spoiler alert**********
As far as a nice twist about "I see dead people" I think any reader would have figured this out in the first 50 pages. The author makes it clear that the protagonist is interacting with the dead in the last quarter of the story like we didn't already know that.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abner Cray was coming to Manhattan to begin working on his new illustrated book about the city. Abner friend Art, also lives in the city. Abner is going to stay at Art's place while he is out of the country. Abner goes to Art's apartment and finds this beautiful young lady name Phyllis Pellapart living there. Abner is instantly attracted to Phyllis. He falls head over heels for this woman. It turns out that Art is wanted for the murder of Phyllis Pellaprat. How could this be! If Phyllis is dead, how can she be with Abner at the same time? If you like ghosts stories, give this one a try. This classic novel was published over 25 years ago. This novel has stood the test of time. One of the best ghosts stories that I have read this year. T. M. Wright is a good writer and an excellent storyteller.

[Mike (Hail Horror Hail) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up. Surreal and hypnotic ghost story. Cool concept that never seems to reach the heights that the author sets up. Instead, by the end, it just drifts off back into the haze it came from.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'd recommend this story to someone who didn't care about a well crafted ending. The book seemed to be going somewhere, but at the very end it dragged on past when the story should have ended. The last half an hour or so (I partook of the audio version) is useless, as the narrative meanders away from an edgy finale into a murky, confused finish.

I wasn't turned off by the cousin-incest, but some people might be. My problem with this story was that the ending fizzled out, lost its edge, quit being interesting, and ruined the whole thing for me. It wasn't necessarily bad, but the story lost the momentum it had built.

[Stacey · Rating 2 out of 5]

An intriguing story, but not really very well executed. I think what I found most disturbing was the author's physical description of the characters. While I realize that repetition was a "thing" integral to the story, the constant labeling of characters as "chunky," "chubby," or "painfully thin" wore just a little...well, "painfully thin" after awhile. Not one of my favorites...probably won't recommend. Also, only available as an ebook.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite several flaws, chief among them a central love story that remains far too abstract, and a subplot or two that never amount to much, this surreal, psychologically-minded ghost story casts an eerie, uncanny spell. Chalk it all up to yet another fascinating novel by T.M. Wright.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great literary horror - spooky ghost story...various planes of existence.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A chilling read with smooth prose and haunting characters. T. M. Wright goes for raising the hair on the back of your neck with subtle prose and great character driven plots. No blood and guts, just haunts your mind with atmospheric horror, being on another plane of ghosts. Recommended read

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one did not live up to its cover for me unfortunately - I have the edition of ghosts rising out of a grate. (Also there is a sticker that says "Soon to be a movie starring Sharon Stone", but I guess this never happened?)

I couldn't get into the love story and the repetitive dialogue was frankly annoying. Still there were some scenes toward the end that had some redeeming qualities, and I will still pick up other works by this author.

[BJ Haun · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wasn't really digging the writing in this one from the get go. Then it goes and does one of the things that will get me to put down a book, which is having a sex scene before it feels like the plot has been established. Like, no, seriously, if you can't get me to care about these characters before you have them sleep with each other, chances are this isn't the book for me.

[A.R. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not What I Expected

I didn't care for T.M. Wright's voice, especially the endless repetitions. The tale didn't scare me, and I felt cheated. SPOILER ALERT! I wish he'd revealed that he was becoming one of the ghosts. That would've made the story a success for me.

[Dick Grunert · Rating 3 out of 5]

What an odd book. Not a straight horror novel, but more of a contemplative story about love and death. If you're looking for a scary ghost story, this isn't it. But if you're looking for a story about a man who falls in love with a ghost, then this is the book for you!

[Debra]

Stephen King recommended author: "T.M. Wright is a rare and blazing talent!"

[Lisa Mannetti · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful book...but have to admit I loved LITTLE BOY LOST even more.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember the first time I read this many years ago and it had a totally different impact on me then. It actually kind of scared me and had more of a feeling of menace and darkness. This time around I was actually kind of bored by it. I was in my late teens or early twenties when I read it originally and maybe I was more easily taken with books, though I liked a lot of horror then and still do now. The story is kind of dry with hints of emotion here and there to keep you reading. The narrator, Dick Hill, does an alright job but I never really felt like the story took off.

Abner W. Kray has gone to Manhattan to do a big coffee table book of the city. He is staying at the home of Art DeGraf, a friend of his from Maine who moved to the city years before. Art married into his family but was divorced from her and still wants to be friends with Abner. When Abner arrives he meets Phyllis Pellaprat who claims to be Art's girlfriend but then starts to come on to him. As things progress he finds himself in a world parallel to ours where the things that go bump in the night reside.

Decent but not for everyone.

[Kaj Roihio]

Kesäisin kuuluu lukea jotain huonoa. Jotain, mihin ei muuten tarttuisi ja uskoin T. M. Wrightin kirjan Kummitusjuttu olevan juuri sellainen kirjallinen sintti, joka pitäisi päästää vapauteen paperinkeräyslaatikon kautta. Kirjailijasta en ole koskaan kuullutkaan, kirjan nimi on mahdollisimman yhdentekevä, kansikuva kerta kaikkisen säälittävä eikä mainoslauseessa siinäkään ole kehuttavaa.
Ja niin kuin monta kertaa aiemmin, Kummitusjuttu osoittautuikin paljon odotuksia paremmaksi kirjaksi. Kyseessä ei tietenkään ole mikään klassikko, siinä tapauksessa tästä olisi luultavasti kuullut jo etukäteen, mutta ei missään nimessä huono kirja.
Wright kirjoittaa varmaotteisen amerikkalaisen kirjailijan otteella, vähän kliseisestikin, mutta vie tarinaa joutuisasti eteenpäin eikä pelkää ottaa riskejä. Päähenkilö on dekkareista tuttu mieshahmo, joka yrittää selvittää jotain, mitä ei kannattaisi selvittää. Retkukaveri tuo mieleen klassikon Pitkät jäähyväiset eikä tämä muutenkaan ole omaperäisin teos, mitä olen lukenut, mutta tehtaan takuulla laadittu amerikkalainen yliluonnollinen jännitystarina. Myönteinen yllätys erityisesti, koska en odottanut yhtään mitään ja jopa sitäkin vähemmän.

[I.D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Guy who can see ghosts goes to manhattan and sees them.
I wanted to like this and there were some genuinely great parts but it was dragged down by the overly repetitious dialogue and endless use of characters names. It was infuriating how many extra words were used repeating lines and having everyone call each other by their name a hundred times. BUT the tone of the book occasionally worked wonders with a few legitimately creepy moments. It just needed an ending and a little tightening up to rise above.

[Stephen Corbett · Rating 4 out of 5]

An odd one for sure,but like other reviewers have started the novel has a Sixth Sense premise. Although to be fair this novel was written LONG before the movie.
It's not a spoiler in any way for me to state that it is obvious from the get go that Abner Cray sees dead people ALL THE TIME!!
You could say it is a story about grief,a story that imparts the idea that cities,in this case NYC can soak up past lives and leave an imprint in its very fabric, and that history is ever present in the now .
The dead walk amongst us if only we can feel it.

[Jill Van · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author’s writing style had me immersed immediately! I liked the main character, and many others were very interesting.
It’s a haunting book. It didn’t frighten me, but it made me uncomfortable and a little sad. Those, to me, are good emotions when reading.
Overall, I enjoyed it a lot! I look forward to more books by this author.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a noire romp, hoñestly with too much hetero-male sexerual fantasy for me as noire is want to do but if you can get past that and just accept the tone of the story as noire convention with diversions into lurid sexuality and the whole thing as noire, it's amusing and entertaining and has the additional delight of being a New York story and being fairly well crafted.

[Tatum Bare Legs · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is just bland and repetitive, I was invested in the story up until 100 plus pages, after that I lost interest fast, the ghost world that's in this book is neither creepy nor interesting, it's so put down able, and that's what I did, I dnf'd this book around 150 pages in. Do not waste your time with this book, you are missing nothing.

[Kilgallen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a 3.5 read for me that I have rounded up for this platform. A very slow burn ghost story. The story was written in first person and it worked quite well. The pacing was very slow and the story was more atmospheric than scary. A recommended read for spooky season if your not terribly keen on being scared.

[Diane Patterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the book's first half much more than the second half. The slow unfolding that All Is Not What It Seems was great. But it didn't add up to very much at the end -- I'm posting this a few weeks after having read it and I cannot remember the ending, which is not great. But it was very readable and I did get involved with it very quickly.