Ghosts

The Enchanted World

by Time-Life Books

The tales within the pages of this book tell the stories of those who have died... and returned. Driven by remorse, or love, or perhaps by revenge, these spirits once again walk this earth. Ghostly tales and mysterious hauntings from all corners of the globe are to be found within the 142 pages of this book. Richly complemented by numerous artistic illustrations in color and black and white, this book is a wonder to read or browse through at your leisure.

Genres: Fantasy, Mythology, Horror, Reference, Folklore, Fiction, Art

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1984

Reviews

[Mischenko · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is featured on this week's Shabby Sunday @ https://readrantrockandroll.com/2017/...

I've been working to complete my collection of "The Enchanted World Series" throughout this year and this has to be one of my favorite volumes yet. The volume titled Ghosts is packed full of ghost stories dating from the 1800's up to the 1980's. Some are hauntings and exorcisms, while others cover haunted places. Some of the stories include banshees, nightwalkers, ravens, poltergeists, ghost children, and the Ankou (skeletal monsters). A few of my favorites in this volume are "Glam's Tale" and "Song of the Sorrowing Harp", but my absolute favorite is a story about a woman and her detaching head from the English county of Lancashire titled "A Meeting on the Road Home", which is creepy and comical.

These books contain stunning works of art and they always steal the show. You can locate the artists in the back of the book and learn about where all these tales originated in the bibliography. I like the way this volume was put together as it contains multiple stories from around the world. The artwork in this volume isn't as explicit as the others, and the tales are interesting, but I probably wouldn't recommend this one to young children as some of the stories are very eerie and involve killings. 4.5 ****

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young lady looks in the mirror and sees behind her own image a exact replica of herself, curling her lips in the parody of a smile.
An utburd (an unwanted child put out o freeze to death plucks out its mothers eyes, a woman's head leaves its body and attacks the heels of a reveler walking home from a tavern, While a woman enters an empty church at Christmas time and is attacked by the undead including the ghoul of her departed sister. A man finds himself standing outside his home and creeps around the side to knock at his window where he finds his wife sleeping inside but having aged forty years. She wakes up and screams and he discovers he is in the form of a skeleton, he has been dead for decades.

A beautifully illustrated coffee table book, dark and Gothic , spine chilling and eerie. This is real treasure to lovers of ghost stories and is a collection of folk tales of ghosts and spirits, phantoms and the undead.
Haunted castles. desterted roads, houses, churches...
Mainly set in the British Isles and the Nordic Countries but also stories from such places from Baghdad to Japan,
These stories will chill your spine and stay in your mind long after you have read them. This is one of the most eerie set of old fashioned ghost stories

Merged review:

A young lady looks in the mirror and sees behind her own image a exact replica of herself, curling her lips in the parody of a smile.
An utburd (an unwanted child put out o freeze to death plucks out its mothers eyes, a woman's head leaves its body and attacks the heels of a reveler walking home from a tavern, While a woman enters an empty church at Christmas time and is attacked by the undead including the ghoul of her departed sister. A man finds himself standing outside his home and creeps around the side to knock at his window where he finds his wife sleeping inside but having aged forty years. She wakes up and screams and he discovers he is in the form of a skeleton, he has been dead for decades.

A beautifully illustrated coffee table book, dark and Gothic , spine chilling and eerie. This is real treasure to lovers of ghost stories and is a collection of folk tales of ghosts and spirits, phantoms and the undead.
Haunted castles. desterted roads, houses, churches...
Mainly set in the British Isles and the Nordic Countries but also stories from such places from Baghdad to Japan,
These stories will chill your spine and stay in your mind long after you have read them. This is one of the most eerie set of old fashioned ghost stories

[Zerofox · Rating 5 out of 5]

My dad bought me most of the books in this series when I was a kid and I adored each and every one. This book is fantastic because it's full of good old fashioned ghost stories that are just scary enough to give a kid a scare but not so scary they'll be scared for life and it's not gory at all either. Which I appreciate since I'm quite squeamish. The best part of this book is one of the stories is illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg, whom I adore. I kept these books with my while I was living a rather nomadic lifestyle, and I'm glad I did because now my daughter is just the right age to really appreciate them.

[Athena · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review for all of these books in this series is the same.

Time-Life has once again done an outstanding job putting together a series. From cover to cover they are thoughtful, beautiful books. I'm starting to sound generic, but it's true.
I'm a DK fan, I like white backgrounds and side notes with clear sections for every subject. This series has none of that. What they do have is an old book feel. Timeless artwork, thoroughness, and very well written makes these a must on my occult/paranormal bookshelf at home. I've been collecting the series slowly over several years and still have a few books to go. I refuse to go on amazon and buy them. It's all in the hunt for me. There is no subject they have left untouched. I highly recommend them.

[P.S. Winn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about more than just ghosts. Readers learn about exorcisms, ghost habits and take a wonderful ride into a different real. The Time Life people always add such great information and wonderful pictures, any of their many books are definitely great reads and highly recommended.

[Yvette Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nostalgia! This was my absolute favourite book when I was six. Yes, perhaps a bit dark for a six years old, but it wasn't my parent's fault—it was me that found it in the library and became obsessed with it. There was nothing to be done.

It's a lovely collection of legends and stories, narrated in a subtle, believing tone rather than an over-the-top attempt at spookiness. Great for those with overactive imaginations that don't have a need to sleep.

One of the great things about this book are the illustrations... a broad variety in style, but all haunting, beautiful and perfect for the stories to which they accompany.

Still a favourite, after all these years...

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book proved more entertaining than I had expected. Beautiful, informative stories told through centuries and fabulous illustrations. I think I found where the legend of the white walkers introduced in A Tale of Fire and Ice (or) Game of Thrones came from. I have had these books so long, that the book disintegrated in my hands as I read it...the cover came off, then the book gradually broke apart of it's binding leaving me with several pieces placed in the folder of it's cover. No matter. They will all be kept..excellent references.

[Kimberley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing up, my dad had this collection of books and I would always try to read them as soon as he was away. The illustrations are beautiful, stories well written, and I could definitely see reading these to my future children around Halloween-time.

Any book that uses "ignominiously" in a sentence is an automatic 5-star rating, in my opinion.

[J.S. Giles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful stories and the artwork to go along with it.

[Hugo Negron · Rating 4 out of 5]

A series from Time Life Books on myth, superstitions, and legend, brought to life with beautiful illustrations, and written in a fluid like prose that brings to mind a storyteller sitting by a crackling fire sharing his tales.

I remember reading some of the books in this series when I was younger. I had purchased some through a mail order subscription, but didn't complete the collection, although you can still find them on Amazon, Ebay, and the like. YouTube even has a video of the original TV commercial for when the series was first launched. Time Life could have gone the route of writing this in a dry, historical format, but luckily went with a style that plays well with the topics of the series.

From vengeful spirits to haunters of forests and streams, if you are a fan of mythology as I am, this book serves as a great reference and fun read!

[Ben Clayton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book of spooky tales. There are several really great ones, though one has stood out to me for decades from the first time I read this book. Whenever I read it I wish that I'd written it. A definite read.

[Natajia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cool Time Life Series! I've read three of them so far, and i've really enjoyed all of them. This one had different ghost stories and beliefs from different places, and it was actually kind of spooky. Plus, the illustrations are just awesome, and make it that much more interesting to read.

[Jason Prodoehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book I re-read. It seemed appropriate for October and Halloween. Beautifully illustrated, and the writing is evocative of times gone by. Rich in vocabulary and stories, this is an enjoyable read, as are many of the other books in this series.

[Amber Cartwright · Rating 5 out of 5]

awesome book! my grandparents just gave me the entire collection. I read them as a kid and my son and I are now reading them together and they appeal to us both.

[Ronald Wilcox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting treatise on ghostly visitations throughout the centuries with example stories from across the globe. A very good addition to the Enchanted World series by Time-Life.

[Dominique Lamssies · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a BEAUTIFUL book with a good selection of stories from all over the world. They are well told and accompanied by many wonderful illustrations. I cannot recommend this book enough.

[Mike Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun, well illustrated and breezily written collection of ghost stories. The book focuses entirely on folklore; literary ghosts are not covered.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful art and a solid collection of histories.

[Scott Raphael · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy and light read about the history and lore surround ghosts and ghost stories. More of a survey of many kinds of ghosts and beliefs from around the world (principally Europe) the book contains enough stories to keep one interested, enough creepiness to keep one entertained, and several incredible artworks that really give the book it’s principal value. Some segments are more interesting than others, and I think chapters 2 and 3 (of 4 total) contain the most interesting and disturbing stories and concepts. On the whole, this book is better for sparking interest in the topic of various ghosts and encouraging further reading and research rather than being an exhaustive or detailed source, itself. Nonetheless, it is interesting and a worthwhile read for anyone with a passing interest in ghosts, though it is probably a little too base-knowledge for anyone with a more serious interest. A starting place at best.

[Lynsey Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

If we were giving stars for illustrations, this book would get 367. The drawings that accompany the stories are simply wonderful and in truth, the main reason i brought this book.

I had this book for ages and it sat on myself looking pretty when, as it was spooky season, i decided to give it a read. I’m glad i finally did, even though as a hardened ghost reader/researcher i knew 90% of what was in the book, the stories chosen were good ones and it was an enjoyable spooky read great for Gothtober.

The only downside was who ever had edited this was WAY to excited about being overly descriptive about every wee detail. Maybe Time Life give out awards for the most superlatives used in one paragraph who knows, but everything was ‘as dark and as dank as forgotten abodes of the dead lost souls of time immemorial’ etc. Etc.

Buy for the illustrations, stay for the stories.

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘The word “haunt”, in fact, derives from the same Old English root as the word “home”; haunt means literally “to fetch home”.’

Some of it was good, some was ok, overall, it was interesting. The illustrations were good and some of the stories really held my attention. I do have an interest in ghosts, and this told stories of ones that just had harmless unfinished business and those that sought revenge. It covered lots of different variations of ghost stories. I did enjoy reading it and learning of some of the old ghost tales. It covered ways that different countries dealt with ghosts and how they were seen differently and called different names in different parts of the world.

‘In Iceland, ghosts could be made by magic from a human bone….’

The last story, I feel was a good one to end with.

[Paul Groos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Erg mooi vormgegeven en prachtig geïllustreerd overzicht van lekker leesbare spookverhalen die vooral uit Noordwest-Europa komen. Geschreven in populair-wetenschappelijke stijl, maar dan meer populair dan wetenschappelijk. Er is nauwelijks onderbouwing of uitleg van de research en qua bronnen moeten we het doen met een bibliografie achterin. Dat is jammer, zeker ook waar het de plaatjes betreft, die vaak zijn gebaseerd op kunstwerken. Ik had dan graag geweten welk kunstwerk. Nu herkende ik een keer Jeroen Bosch en de invloed van het afgehakte medusahoofd van Caravaggio. Het boek was er voor mij nog beter op geworden als het ietsje serieuzer was opgezet en beter onderbouwd. Maar nu is het gewoon een fijne verzameling griezelige verhalen in een mooi boek.

[Bud Winn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember reading all of the "Enchanted World" series back in the late 90s when I always went to the library after school - good times.

[Samuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful addition to this series.

Ghost stories from across the world, presented with wonderful art. Everything from vengeful ghosts, helpful spirits, ancestral curses, to my personal favorite- a ghostly vision shown to two women of Versailles just before the French Revolution.

Nothing that would give nightmares to any age, but entertaining and interesting stories nonetheless.

[Keri-Ann Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I have written almost the same review for all the books in this collection (trying to collect them all) and I will do it again for this one. What I love about these books is the how they blend good stories and history perfectly.

[Rex Hurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unlike the previous three volumes, Ghosts does not dwell exclusively in the hazy days where myth, legend, and fact were mixed as one into a hazy stew. Ghosts fast forwards us into modern times. Or at least as late as the Victorian Age, which seemed fundamentally obsessed with death - with ornate cemeteries, death photography, and the spiritualism cults. As such the time is lousy with ghost stories. Rather than just dwell on story after repetitive story, this volume does a fairly good job reviewing the myriad types of spooks, their various alternatives, without retreading the same territory too many times.

Chapter One - “Guises of the Reaper” - Deals with the ghostly representation of Death, if you couldn't tell from the title, throughout the ages and cultures. In fact, the grim reaper appearing is the genesis of modern ghost stories. A man sees Death as a portent of mortality, in some form, and then dies. The chapter also touches on the benign ghost sighting - the spirit who simply appears and repeats the same actions before vanishing. One who never interacts, or seems aware of, anyone viewing it.

Chapter Two - “Invasions of the Angry Dead” - focuses on the malevolent species of apparition. From the returning dead baby spirit, which every ancient culture seems to have created a version, those who return to deal with their mother who let them die. To the vengeful spirit and barrow wight, an evil man whose chaotic spirit is strengthened by death and wreaks havoc. Then moves onto the standard house hauntings of the poltergeists and screaming skulls- the former occupants of a dwelling who refuse to move out, even after death.

Chapter 3 - “Shadow Plays of Grief and Pain” reveals the haunted battlefields across the world. Areas where the dead rise to slaughter each other over and over again. Those where the body count was so high, Death had to leave a few behind because his wagon was full. The action shifts to the classic of all ghost motifs, the haunted house. It actually begins with haunted castles, before moving onto modern homes.

Chapter 4 - “Hands Across the Void” - dwells on stories of how peoples in the past kept the dead from rising. Odd burial habits, such as taking the body to the grave feet first, so they couldn’t walk back. This goes hand-in-hand with tales of how people - priests and the like- put the dead back to rest once they rose again. A daunting and dangerous job.

[Skylar Burris · Rating 4 out of 5]

My dad had this Enchanted World series, and I enjoyed reading it when I was growing up. The narrative style wasn't gripping, but the topics and illustrations were. I kept the entire series to this day, and my kids have likewise enjoyed looking at the illustrations, but I don't think they've read much. Perhaps when my son is older, this series may interest him more. My kids even had a neighbourhood friend who would sometimes come over to the house just so he could look at this series. There's something very appealing about it to certain children.

[Jamie Belanger · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some interesting stories in here, but much of the book felt repetitive. Still, I found that I had a rather morbid fascination with the descriptions of the rites and procedures that various cultures use when dealing with their dead. Just getting an executive summary of those rites makes this book a good one for any fantasy author to read.

[Tryfan1701 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have the whole series of these, and they are a great way to kill a bit of time between reading other books. Most of them are divided into a set of individual stories, meaning you can dip in and out as you see fit, but this one I read cover to cover in a single stint. Very good, and worth picking up if you can find a copy.

[Susan]

This was one of my favorite books growing up. I've always loved the macabre and would read my older sister's copy several times a year.