What do you think?
Rate this book
Hauntings: Is There Anybody There?
The classic Norah Lofts collection of spooky, creepy haunted house stories.
240 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1974
About the author
Norah Lofts
108 books315 followersNorah Ethel Robinson Lofts Jorisch (27 August 1904–10 September 1983) was a 20th century best-selling British author. She wrote over fifty books specialising in historical fiction, but she also wrote non-fiction and short stories. Many of her novels, including her Suffolk Trilogy, follow the history of a specific house and the residents that lived in it.
Lofts was born in Shipdham, Norfolk in England. She also published using the pseudonyms Juliet Astley and Peter Curtis. Norah Lofts chose to release her murder-mystery novels under the pen name Peter Curtis because she did not want the readers of her historic fiction to pick up a murder-mystery novel and expect classic Norah Lofts historical fiction. However, the murders still show characteristic Norah Lofts elements. Most of her historical novels fall into two general categories: biographical novels about queens, among them Anne Boleyn, Isabella of Castile, and Catherine of Aragon; and novels set in East Anglia centered around the fictitious town of Baildon (patterned largely on Bury St. Edmunds). Her creation of this fictitious area of England is reminiscent of Thomas Hardy's creation of "Wessex"; and her use of recurring characters such that the protagonist of one novel appears as a secondary character in others is even more reminiscent of William Faulkner's work set in "Yoknapatawpha County," Mississippi. Norah Lofts' work set in East Anglia in the 1930s and 1940s shows great concern with the very poor in society and their inability to change their conditions. Her approach suggests an interest in the social reformism that became a feature of British post-war society.
Several of her novels were turned into films. Jassy was filmed as Jassy (1947) starring Margaret Lockwood and Dennis Price. You're Best Alone was filmed as Guilt is My Shadow (1950). The Devil's Own (also known as The Little Wax Doll and Catch As Catch Can) was filmed as The Witches (1966). The film 7 Women was directed by John Ford and based on the story Chinese Finale by Norah Lofts.
Lofts was born in Shipdham, Norfolk in England. She also published using the pseudonyms Juliet Astley and Peter Curtis. Norah Lofts chose to release her murder-mystery novels under the pen name Peter Curtis because she did not want the readers of her historic fiction to pick up a murder-mystery novel and expect classic Norah Lofts historical fiction. However, the murders still show characteristic Norah Lofts elements. Most of her historical novels fall into two general categories: biographical novels about queens, among them Anne Boleyn, Isabella of Castile, and Catherine of Aragon; and novels set in East Anglia centered around the fictitious town of Baildon (patterned largely on Bury St. Edmunds). Her creation of this fictitious area of England is reminiscent of Thomas Hardy's creation of "Wessex"; and her use of recurring characters such that the protagonist of one novel appears as a secondary character in others is even more reminiscent of William Faulkner's work set in "Yoknapatawpha County," Mississippi. Norah Lofts' work set in East Anglia in the 1930s and 1940s shows great concern with the very poor in society and their inability to change their conditions. Her approach suggests an interest in the social reformism that became a feature of British post-war society.
Several of her novels were turned into films. Jassy was filmed as Jassy (1947) starring Margaret Lockwood and Dennis Price. You're Best Alone was filmed as Guilt is My Shadow (1950). The Devil's Own (also known as The Little Wax Doll and Catch As Catch Can) was filmed as The Witches (1966). The film 7 Women was directed by John Ford and based on the story Chinese Finale by Norah Lofts.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 30, 2015
DNF.
I'm aware that Lofts' novel Gad's Hall is considered a modern classic in the haunted house genre, but this collection didn't impress me. At all. There was no set-up to any of the characters, all of whom sounded the same, & the stories themselves never really went anywhere. Even the longer offerings felt like unfinished vignettes.
I read 6 stories total (roughly half the book). Of those, only 2 were actual haunting and/or residual paranormals. Another centered around a faked haunting & a nasty teenager (who should've been smacked by the noodle-spined narrator -- just sayin'). Two other pieces had nothing to do with ghosts at all -- they were psychological oddities about hallucination & murder -- and the "Victorian Echo" story was just plain lame. (See, I'm listing that one by name so y'all can avoid. It was that bad.)
This is the second time I've been disappointed by Lofts. :/ I'm holding onto Gad's Hall & The Little Wax Doll because they still have potential...but my hopes are officially dimmed.
I'm aware that Lofts' novel Gad's Hall is considered a modern classic in the haunted house genre, but this collection didn't impress me. At all. There was no set-up to any of the characters, all of whom sounded the same, & the stories themselves never really went anywhere. Even the longer offerings felt like unfinished vignettes.
I read 6 stories total (roughly half the book). Of those, only 2 were actual haunting and/or residual paranormals. Another centered around a faked haunting & a nasty teenager (who should've been smacked by the noodle-spined narrator -- just sayin'). Two other pieces had nothing to do with ghosts at all -- they were psychological oddities about hallucination & murder -- and the "Victorian Echo" story was just plain lame. (See, I'm listing that one by name so y'all can avoid. It was that bad.)
This is the second time I've been disappointed by Lofts. :/ I'm holding onto Gad's Hall & The Little Wax Doll because they still have potential...but my hopes are officially dimmed.
June 26, 2016
Read this twice now and enjoyed it both times. I think my favorites are the man who spends the night at an old hotel that does not exist and the man who has to buy the haunted house without his wife knowing as she is on the verge of a nervous breakdown. The second one is called The Watchers but I forget the title of the missing hotel at the moment.
July 11, 2013
'A ghostly caress in an empty room...A rush of emotions not entirely one's own...A mysterious presence on a dark staircase...' This book is a collection of twelve ghost stories written by an author known for her bestselling historical romance novels, who has "an obsession about houses" and a love of ghost stories. Now, with this book she has combined her two passions with chilling success.
I really enjoyed reading this book. It wasn't the scariest book I have ever read, perhaps, but it was certainly worth my time reading it anyway. None of these stories were written in order to shock and terrify the reader; the horror was of a gentler nature, but I'm glad to have read this book because it was written by Norah Lofts. Overall, I give this book an A+!
I really enjoyed reading this book. It wasn't the scariest book I have ever read, perhaps, but it was certainly worth my time reading it anyway. None of these stories were written in order to shock and terrify the reader; the horror was of a gentler nature, but I'm glad to have read this book because it was written by Norah Lofts. Overall, I give this book an A+!
May 25, 2014
Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...
1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.
2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.
3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.
4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.
5 stars... I loved this book! It had earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.
2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.
3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.
4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.
5 stars... I loved this book! It had earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
July 24, 2011
From my understanding, Nora Lofts wasn't often a writer in the realm of the paranormal. Nevertheless, "Hauntings," echoes back works by such authors as Shirley Jackson and Arthur Machen. It was an excellent book.
September 5, 2012
I like some of Norah Lofts' books, but this one is not so much ghost stories, but seems like a handful of odd ideas that don't have much plot or lead anywhere, so (the long-dead) Lofts decided to lump them all into a little volume and label it supernatural. Disappointing overall.
October 15, 2016
Copyright 1965, my copy is from 1974. There are 12 short stories that focus on ghosts. I first read this book as a teenager, next as a young adult.
I just finished reading it for the 3rd time. With the perspective of an older adult, this book was interesting. There's only a few of the stories that actually have ghosts. Most are psychological in nature. Pesticide would have made a good Alfred Hitchcock story.
I liked Mr. Edward & A Visit To Claudia. These actually have a ghost. My favorite is The Watchers, only because the husband is so wonderful. You're also thinking, "was there actually a ghost in this one, or was it just the wife's imagination?"
The cover is awesome!
The forward by the author was also worth reading. She gives you some advice about buying a house & how to tell if it's haunted or not.
I just finished reading it for the 3rd time. With the perspective of an older adult, this book was interesting. There's only a few of the stories that actually have ghosts. Most are psychological in nature. Pesticide would have made a good Alfred Hitchcock story.
I liked Mr. Edward & A Visit To Claudia. These actually have a ghost. My favorite is The Watchers, only because the husband is so wonderful. You're also thinking, "was there actually a ghost in this one, or was it just the wife's imagination?"
The cover is awesome!
The forward by the author was also worth reading. She gives you some advice about buying a house & how to tell if it's haunted or not.
November 17, 2021
This book can very easily get sidelined by the gore and visceral stuff that dominate the horror genre. It’s not horrific at all. But the stories have an unsettling ability to create a sense of unease among the reader.
Out of the twelve stories, one was about a very nasty person receiving comeuppance (Pesticide). One was psychological (The Bird Bath). And the best as well as bitterest story was medicinal in all sense (A Clinical Case). The rest had ghosts— some terrifying, some edifying., but all leaving their traces.
The penmanship, characterisation, and infusion of humour were superb. The plots, regrettably, were just average.
Good for a read and recall of past era.
Out of the twelve stories, one was about a very nasty person receiving comeuppance (Pesticide). One was psychological (The Bird Bath). And the best as well as bitterest story was medicinal in all sense (A Clinical Case). The rest had ghosts— some terrifying, some edifying., but all leaving their traces.
The penmanship, characterisation, and infusion of humour were superb. The plots, regrettably, were just average.
Good for a read and recall of past era.
January 27, 2011
12 good ghost stories.
February 10, 2012
Pleasantly ambiguous, understated ghost stories.
July 1, 2026
An... interesting collection. Part of it was predictable because, well, it's always the house. The author's note tells you that up front. So it was a little unexciting to read each story because you knew what was going on, at least to some extent, right away.
However. Even with this constraint, I did enjoy what the author managed to do. It felt like the collection could fall, at times, into being the same story over and over again, but every time I started feeling that way, I'd read a story that managed to put a creative spin on the theme.
I also felt like the characters were of special note. This released in 1965, and the female main characters, which most stories featured, were really interesting to read about. Independent, but in such a 60s way. I don't know if I can explain it properly, but that part of the book felt like a really cool time capsule.
Would I recommend it? Probably not. Maybe just a couple of stories to get a feel for it. But it wasn't bad!
However. Even with this constraint, I did enjoy what the author managed to do. It felt like the collection could fall, at times, into being the same story over and over again, but every time I started feeling that way, I'd read a story that managed to put a creative spin on the theme.
I also felt like the characters were of special note. This released in 1965, and the female main characters, which most stories featured, were really interesting to read about. Independent, but in such a 60s way. I don't know if I can explain it properly, but that part of the book felt like a really cool time capsule.
Would I recommend it? Probably not. Maybe just a couple of stories to get a feel for it. But it wasn't bad!
January 28, 2023
I enjoy this book every time I read it. To be fair, I was disappointed in one or two stories the first time I read it but the writing is so nuanced that I had to read it again. I'm glad I did! Some of the characters are of a type that Lofts writes about regularly but I like them, so I'm happy to encounter them again in a new plot! I can't take any review seriously if the reader hasn't completed the book. In that case, best to say, "It didn't hold my interest." And leave it at that. For me the characters are very real, the settings fascinating, and the plots unique.
May 9, 2025
This short story collection features twelve tales of a creepy nature but are by no means of the horror genre. Only a few have supernatural elements, whereas the others are eerie in other ways, giving the impression of something otherworldly.
The author explains in her foreword that her intention was never to create a blood and guts chiller. Rather, she wanted to create the atmosphere of one feeling not alone, and such like.
Most stories work well, though two or three felt somewhat off topic, lacking any hint of ghostliness or feelings of being ill at ease.
This is my first taste of Norah Lofts’s short stories and non-historical works. While I prefer her historical novels, I still enjoyed these twelve tales.
The author explains in her foreword that her intention was never to create a blood and guts chiller. Rather, she wanted to create the atmosphere of one feeling not alone, and such like.
Most stories work well, though two or three felt somewhat off topic, lacking any hint of ghostliness or feelings of being ill at ease.
This is my first taste of Norah Lofts’s short stories and non-historical works. While I prefer her historical novels, I still enjoyed these twelve tales.
September 5, 2014
On the bookshelf at Powell's, the world's best book store, is a very used copy of a book by one of my favorite authors which I don't remember. At $3 I have to buy it and read it immediately. Ms. Lofts knows how to write a pithy short story. These are ghost stories or just odd moments. Loved all the old houses and the ways that human beings understand their lives. It goes to the beach house book shelf.
November 26, 2010
The best stories are toward the beginning of the collection. Most have a similar tone and point of view so it's not a book you want to read all at once.
July 19, 2022
Some good stories, but an uneven collection.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews