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Forest Ghost: A Novel of Horror and Suicide in America and Poland
Modern-day America. Fifteen Boy Scouts and their seven adult leaders are found to have committed suicide in the forest of a scout reservation. One of the dead boys is a friend of Sparky Wallace, whose father Jack runs a Polish restaurant in Chicago. Drawn into investigating the suicides, Jack discovers a connection with his own grandfather, who killed himself in the Kampinos Forest in Poland when he was fighting the Nazis in World War II.
Together, Jack and Sparky travel to Poland to unlock the terrifying mystery of what really makes people panic in the forest. But before they can do so, they have to experience panic for themselves, and reach the very brink of madness.
Together, Jack and Sparky travel to Poland to unlock the terrifying mystery of what really makes people panic in the forest. But before they can do so, they have to experience panic for themselves, and reach the very brink of madness.
251 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2014
94 people are currently reading
433 people want to read
About the author
Graham Masterton
422 books1,968 followersGraham Masterton was born in Edinburgh in 1946. His grandfather was Thomas Thorne Baker, the eminent scientist who invented DayGlo and was the first man to transmit news photographs by wireless. After training as a newspaper reporter, Graham went on to edit the new British men's magazine Mayfair, where he encouraged William Burroughs to develop a series of scientific and philosophical articles which eventually became Burroughs' novel The Wild Boys.
At the age of 24, Graham was appointed executive editor of both Penthouse and Penthouse Forum magazines. At this time he started to write a bestselling series of sex 'how-to' books including How To Drive Your Man Wild In Bed which has sold over 3 million copies worldwide. His latest, Wild Sex For New Lovers is published by Penguin Putnam in January, 2001. He is a regular contributor to Cosmopolitan, Men's Health, Woman, Woman's Own and other mass-market self-improvement magazines.
Graham Masterton's debut as a horror author began with The Manitou in 1976, a chilling tale of a Native American medicine man reborn in the present day to exact his revenge on the white man. It became an instant bestseller and was filmed with Tony Curtis, Susan Strasberg, Burgess Meredith, Michael Ansara, Stella Stevens and Ann Sothern.
Altogether Graham has written more than a hundred novels ranging from thrillers (The Sweetman Curve, Ikon) to disaster novels (Plague, Famine) to historical sagas (Rich and Maiden Voyage - both appeared in the New York Times bestseller list). He has published four collections of short stories, Fortnight of Fear, Flights of Fear, Faces of Fear and Feelings of Fear.
He has also written horror novels for children (House of Bones, Hair-Raiser) and has just finished the fifth volume in a very popular series for young adults, Rook, based on the adventures of an idiosyncratic remedial English teacher in a Los Angeles community college who has the facility to see ghosts.
Since then Graham has published more than 35 horror novels, including Charnel House, which was awarded a Special Edgar by Mystery Writers of America; Mirror, which was awarded a Silver Medal by West Coast Review of Books; and Family Portrait, an update of Oscar Wilde's tale, The Picture of Dorian Gray, which was the only non-French winner of the prestigious Prix Julia Verlanger in France.
He and his wife Wiescka live in a Gothic Victorian mansion high above the River Lee in Cork, Ireland.
At the age of 24, Graham was appointed executive editor of both Penthouse and Penthouse Forum magazines. At this time he started to write a bestselling series of sex 'how-to' books including How To Drive Your Man Wild In Bed which has sold over 3 million copies worldwide. His latest, Wild Sex For New Lovers is published by Penguin Putnam in January, 2001. He is a regular contributor to Cosmopolitan, Men's Health, Woman, Woman's Own and other mass-market self-improvement magazines.
Graham Masterton's debut as a horror author began with The Manitou in 1976, a chilling tale of a Native American medicine man reborn in the present day to exact his revenge on the white man. It became an instant bestseller and was filmed with Tony Curtis, Susan Strasberg, Burgess Meredith, Michael Ansara, Stella Stevens and Ann Sothern.
Altogether Graham has written more than a hundred novels ranging from thrillers (The Sweetman Curve, Ikon) to disaster novels (Plague, Famine) to historical sagas (Rich and Maiden Voyage - both appeared in the New York Times bestseller list). He has published four collections of short stories, Fortnight of Fear, Flights of Fear, Faces of Fear and Feelings of Fear.
He has also written horror novels for children (House of Bones, Hair-Raiser) and has just finished the fifth volume in a very popular series for young adults, Rook, based on the adventures of an idiosyncratic remedial English teacher in a Los Angeles community college who has the facility to see ghosts.
Since then Graham has published more than 35 horror novels, including Charnel House, which was awarded a Special Edgar by Mystery Writers of America; Mirror, which was awarded a Silver Medal by West Coast Review of Books; and Family Portrait, an update of Oscar Wilde's tale, The Picture of Dorian Gray, which was the only non-French winner of the prestigious Prix Julia Verlanger in France.
He and his wife Wiescka live in a Gothic Victorian mansion high above the River Lee in Cork, Ireland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
April 12, 2025
An Ecological Horror!
The mystery begins in a scout camp, situated in the forest wilderness of Owasippe, in the US state of Michigan. The entire scout troop and their leaders have committed suicide! Similarities become apparent linking the tragedy to the infamous Japanese "suicide forest" of Aokigahara and the Kampinos forest in Poland.
The story then moves on to Poland itself, where during the second world war, thousands of intellectuals were murdered in the Kampinos forest by the Nazis.
We were then introduced to an array of mythological gods and spirits who reside in forests all over the Earth, protecting the natural world.
The ending was rather sad, but said a lot about how the human race is abusing our environment. A rather thought-provoking tale indeed!
The mystery begins in a scout camp, situated in the forest wilderness of Owasippe, in the US state of Michigan. The entire scout troop and their leaders have committed suicide! Similarities become apparent linking the tragedy to the infamous Japanese "suicide forest" of Aokigahara and the Kampinos forest in Poland.
The story then moves on to Poland itself, where during the second world war, thousands of intellectuals were murdered in the Kampinos forest by the Nazis.
We were then introduced to an array of mythological gods and spirits who reside in forests all over the Earth, protecting the natural world.
The ending was rather sad, but said a lot about how the human race is abusing our environment. A rather thought-provoking tale indeed!
March 19, 2023
Why did Malcolm and a whole group of scouts commit suicide? What happened in the woods? Jack and his son Sparky find out shocking facts about the Forest Ghost. Their way even leads to Poland... can they stop those white spirits? Who are they and why do they drive people into killing themselves? Interesting kind of environmental horror presented by one of horror's true masters. I especially liked the references to mythology and the fine twist at the end. The Polish parts were a bit overdrawn but otherwise a compelling and eerie read. Recommended!
February 1, 2017
Masterton has always been able to tell a good story, it's just an innate talent. Granted, his later work is almost never as strong as his glory days of the 80s and 90s, but it's still plenty of fun. And yes, he loves using Polish motives and Native American ones, so this novel is very much drawing on that and there is always a pretty decent backstory. The general plot is somewhat muddled because it seems to constantly be changing from something like a murder mystery to ancient mythology to spirits to talking trees to extraterrestrial intelligence, but it does round up in the end, on a poignant note. Some interesting connections here...did you know that pants can communicate? Or that the word panic comes from Pan, remember your Greek mythology, Pan of wild, shepherd, flocks and so on, or for that matter to expand on the etymology Pan's name originates within the Ancient Greek language, from the word meaning to pasture. Ok, that last part wasn't in the book, but I'm a word nerd. Those sort of things are fun for me, the way Masterton always tries to give his stories something extra, genuine originality instead of just using old and tired genre clichés. I'd like why the publishers didn't think Masterton's name and reputation and the title alone were enough and had the need to write out exactly what it is. I really don't like that. Is it meant to be enticing or extra persuasive? Or save the potential buyers the precious minute or two it would take to read the plot summary and figure things out for themselves? Why not give the readers some credit instead of sticking the book with a clunky and tacky description? Anyway, the book was very decent, not great, but a pretty entertaining way to pass 3 hours. More of a plot driven than gore and guts reliant sort of thing. Genre fans should enjoy this one.
February 28, 2014
This was an ARC from NetGalley.
A chilling supernatural thriller concerning an elemental force lurking in the world's forests, an entity that wields fear as a weapon, leaving madness and suicide in it's wake. Masterton mixes mythology and a touch of Machen into a potent cocktail that will keep you out of the woods permanently.
Highly recommended.
Publication Date: March 1st, 2014
A chilling supernatural thriller concerning an elemental force lurking in the world's forests, an entity that wields fear as a weapon, leaving madness and suicide in it's wake. Masterton mixes mythology and a touch of Machen into a potent cocktail that will keep you out of the woods permanently.
Highly recommended.
Publication Date: March 1st, 2014
April 7, 2014
While I enjoyed the idea behind this book, I felt it was just "middle of the road" for the type of read I expect from Masterton. The characters were interesting enough, and I really enjoyed the thought behind this story; so I'd have to say it must have just been something in the execution of the novel. There were several parts that I just didn't feel "connected" to the story as a whole, and that it could have been more streamlined, without.
Still, Masterton remains high on my list of "must read" authors.
Still, Masterton remains high on my list of "must read" authors.
December 27, 2020
3 stars.
It was okay.
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It was okay.
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September 3, 2024
Lesní duch má slibný začátek, kdy hlavní tahoun je tajemno a děsuplná záhada. Co dokáže člověka vystrašit v lese natolik, že je pro něj přijatelnější zemřít hned na místě vlastní rukou? Masterton umí hezky naservírovat šokující scény nepěkných úmrtí, minimálně jedna taková scéna se mi vryla do paměti. Začátek mě namlsal. Bohužel zbytek byl pro mě mírné rozčarování, jako zjistit, že ta kobliha, na kterou se člověk těšil, je bez náplně. Scény v lese začaly být repetitivní, postavy jednají zkratkovitě a poněkud strojeně, občas dost nelogicky (zvlášť Jack vs jeho syn Sparky). S odhalením lesního "zla" děj ztrácí napětí, které hrálo podstatnou roli v hutné atmosféře, dokud čtenář nevěděl, o co jde. Rozklíčování je zpracované asi v pohodě, ale mně nesedlo, možná jsem čekala, že se to vydá jiným směrem.
October 15, 2014
This book unfortunately really annoyed me. It starts out with an interesting premise, with boy scouts committing mass suicide for unknown reasons. Unfortunately, the mass suicides become repetitive--and when the reason is revealed the "forest ghosts" commit the ultimate sin of not just not being scary but being smug and annoying. They make pompous lectures about how this is all about how people are so terrible for not taking care of the environment, and we'll be sorry now because they're going to leave us. It's never clear exactly what service they've been performing up until now--there's talk about how much they "love us" and "protect us" from ourselves etc., but they don't seem to do anything except either drive people to suicide or rip them apart limb from limb even if they're pro-environmentalist. Also, peoples' souls gets stuck in trees when they die and that's why you shouldn't cut them down. That's supposed to sound beautiful but unfortunately made me think of farts in a couch.
The main character, Jack, also becomes tedious. He lives through several of these suicides but always gets saved himself at the last minute, which wound up making me just resent him. Why is he always spared after leading group after group into the forest for yet another panic attack/suicide?
His son Sparky (why oh why did the author give him this distracting name?) does star charts that always turn out to be completely true, yet as in all things, his father spends most of the book tediously saying they can't work. The reader is always several steps ahead of Jack in just excepting the premise, so you just want Jack to accept it too--even though having everything predicted before it happens kills suspense. This is especially frustrating when Sparky's clearly been possessed and Jack doesn't seem to notice. (Not that Sparky was very likeable to begin with to me.) There's a lot of conversations where Sparky just says the same thing over and over in response to Jack's protests.
Of all the suicides the one that annoyed me the most was the death of Sally, a police woman and friend of the family. She's introduced early with Jack telling us that he's considered her as a love interest (he's still in love with his dead wife whose been dead 2 years) but it probably wouldn't work and then he'd lose the friendship. Sparky then tells him he'll fall in love with a woman they're going to meet in Poland--and since his prediction are always just true, you just accept it. Plotwise this means Jack spends a lot of time carefully noticing his soon-to-be-true-love's clothing choices and going through the motions of really mild romantic interest because it's in the script. There's nothing about the two characters that make them a particularly good couple, they're just designated as such. What's annoying is that when Sally, the policewoman dies, it's hard not to think that this is yet again lucky for Jack because she wasn't the woman for him and is therefore expendable.
Then there's one scene I have to mention because it almost made me stop reading. Jack and Sparky go to see Jack's mother. Jack explains that although the woman was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, she talks "like a immigrant." And he's not kidding. She can't get through a single line without some non-English construction like "Your sister no call." She's almost like a cartoon immigrant. Jack claims this is explained by the fact that her immigrant parents spoke Ukrainian at home and then after she married she spoke Polish with his father (no explanation of where the Polish came from that I remember). So we're supposed to believe that unlike millions of American children of immigrants, his mother bizarrely insists on speaking English like this. She must be quite committed to this affection to have not been contaminated by any of her friends growing up or her teachers, or everyone on the street or all the media she'd have consumed since birth--unless she's supposed to have only ever spoken to her parents and her Polish husband. I found myself imagining her showing up to school in 19th century Ukrainian peasant attire just to go all the way. This is not how language works.
The main character, Jack, also becomes tedious. He lives through several of these suicides but always gets saved himself at the last minute, which wound up making me just resent him. Why is he always spared after leading group after group into the forest for yet another panic attack/suicide?
His son Sparky (why oh why did the author give him this distracting name?) does star charts that always turn out to be completely true, yet as in all things, his father spends most of the book tediously saying they can't work. The reader is always several steps ahead of Jack in just excepting the premise, so you just want Jack to accept it too--even though having everything predicted before it happens kills suspense. This is especially frustrating when Sparky's clearly been possessed and Jack doesn't seem to notice. (Not that Sparky was very likeable to begin with to me.) There's a lot of conversations where Sparky just says the same thing over and over in response to Jack's protests.
Of all the suicides the one that annoyed me the most was the death of Sally, a police woman and friend of the family. She's introduced early with Jack telling us that he's considered her as a love interest (he's still in love with his dead wife whose been dead 2 years) but it probably wouldn't work and then he'd lose the friendship. Sparky then tells him he'll fall in love with a woman they're going to meet in Poland--and since his prediction are always just true, you just accept it. Plotwise this means Jack spends a lot of time carefully noticing his soon-to-be-true-love's clothing choices and going through the motions of really mild romantic interest because it's in the script. There's nothing about the two characters that make them a particularly good couple, they're just designated as such. What's annoying is that when Sally, the policewoman dies, it's hard not to think that this is yet again lucky for Jack because she wasn't the woman for him and is therefore expendable.
Then there's one scene I have to mention because it almost made me stop reading. Jack and Sparky go to see Jack's mother. Jack explains that although the woman was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, she talks "like a immigrant." And he's not kidding. She can't get through a single line without some non-English construction like "Your sister no call." She's almost like a cartoon immigrant. Jack claims this is explained by the fact that her immigrant parents spoke Ukrainian at home and then after she married she spoke Polish with his father (no explanation of where the Polish came from that I remember). So we're supposed to believe that unlike millions of American children of immigrants, his mother bizarrely insists on speaking English like this. She must be quite committed to this affection to have not been contaminated by any of her friends growing up or her teachers, or everyone on the street or all the media she'd have consumed since birth--unless she's supposed to have only ever spoken to her parents and her Polish husband. I found myself imagining her showing up to school in 19th century Ukrainian peasant attire just to go all the way. This is not how language works.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 15, 2018
Oh how I do love Graham Masterton, he has a wonderful way of not only pulling me straight into the action but making me feel that I already know & care about the characters that I've just been introduced to, who in this case are father & son, Jack & Sparky.
I enjoy Masterton's work most when it involves spirits, demons....any sort of supernatural being really...that has its base in traditional folklore, superstition & myths, with the Polish nish-gites & the greek god Pan featuring here. In this case the danger is lurking in a forest though I won't go into all the ins & outs of the story suffice to say it was pretty gruesome at times & I was pretty much gripped.
As to the ending....well not what I was really expecting (struck me as a little sci-fi, reminded me of a film) but that said I guess it tied with the environmental aspect of the story. My only niggle overall was that despite Jack saying Sparky needed a lot of care, being a twelve-year-old with Aspergers, he wasn't half left on his own a lot!
A great read.
I enjoy Masterton's work most when it involves spirits, demons....any sort of supernatural being really...that has its base in traditional folklore, superstition & myths, with the Polish nish-gites & the greek god Pan featuring here. In this case the danger is lurking in a forest though I won't go into all the ins & outs of the story suffice to say it was pretty gruesome at times & I was pretty much gripped.
As to the ending....well not what I was really expecting (struck me as a little sci-fi, reminded me of a film) but that said I guess it tied with the environmental aspect of the story. My only niggle overall was that despite Jack saying Sparky needed a lot of care, being a twelve-year-old with Aspergers, he wasn't half left on his own a lot!
A great read.
July 7, 2021
This is a forced and trite story. Never believable, never really flowing. The characters are all paper-thin, impossible to care for any of them. The cardboard plot is childish and as boring as a soy burger.
July 19, 2020
this book will give you chills. every page and every word grips you and won't let go. I deeply recommend this book by the master of modern horror. DON'T READ AT NIGHT!!!!!! you've been warned.
July 7, 2025
Not one of his best
But I did enjoy it anyway. At times it felt like the writing of someone without as many years at it as Masterton has. Definitely an environmental theme, and I’m not sure why but it felt a little forced. Still, not a bad read.
But I did enjoy it anyway. At times it felt like the writing of someone without as many years at it as Masterton has. Definitely an environmental theme, and I’m not sure why but it felt a little forced. Still, not a bad read.
December 10, 2022
A very good read and an interesting take on nature, life and death, the afterlife, and some horror and gore along the way. Very much enjoyed
March 5, 2014
4.5 stars
Forest Ghost adds a new twist to the classic "monster kills campers" horror tale. The victims are not killed but are driven to suicide. For me, this approach made the horror more visceral; we've all had the experience of being in a forest which has become suddenly silent for no apparent reason. There is gore aplenty here, but it is not gratuitous or used to shock the reader.
The characters of Jack and Sparky are well-developed and likeable. Masterton makes good and surprising use of Sparky's condition: surprising because I expected the resolution of the story to center around Sparky channeling some supernatural entity, not on his ancestry. In a sense, this ending was disappointing, not because it was unsatisfactory in the context of the story, but because Masterton's reference to "a series of seven squares of power which are going to keep reappearing for the next three years" led me to hope for sequels.
My only significant complaint is Masterton's explanation of the forest ghosts and their motivation. It appears that Masterton wants the ghosts to be seen as only protecting humans against the depredation of humans, yet it is hard to reconcile this point of view with their action in maliciously causing people to panic and commit suicide. Why couldn't they instill the feeling of panic only long enough to scare people away, saving the harsher treatment for those who can't take the hint? It disturbs me that Masterton never explains what triggered the attack on the scouts; what did they do for the forest ghosts to consider them an environmental threat?
A second minor complaint is the way Jack continually uses his restaurant ownership as an excuse for not doing something; I counted nine instances in which he was "too busy" to read, exercise, etc. because he "owns a restaurant." I supposed this could have been deliberate, but this implicit narcissism is not otherwise evident in Jack's personality.
Forest Ghost is not for those whose definition of horror is splatterpunk, but for those who like their horror incorporated into a well-written novel, it is highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Forest Ghost adds a new twist to the classic "monster kills campers" horror tale. The victims are not killed but are driven to suicide. For me, this approach made the horror more visceral; we've all had the experience of being in a forest which has become suddenly silent for no apparent reason. There is gore aplenty here, but it is not gratuitous or used to shock the reader.
The characters of Jack and Sparky are well-developed and likeable. Masterton makes good and surprising use of Sparky's condition: surprising because I expected the resolution of the story to center around Sparky channeling some supernatural entity, not on his ancestry. In a sense, this ending was disappointing, not because it was unsatisfactory in the context of the story, but because Masterton's reference to "a series of seven squares of power which are going to keep reappearing for the next three years" led me to hope for sequels.
My only significant complaint is Masterton's explanation of the forest ghosts and their motivation. It appears that Masterton wants the ghosts to be seen as only protecting humans against the depredation of humans, yet it is hard to reconcile this point of view with their action in maliciously causing people to panic and commit suicide. Why couldn't they instill the feeling of panic only long enough to scare people away, saving the harsher treatment for those who can't take the hint? It disturbs me that Masterton never explains what triggered the attack on the scouts; what did they do for the forest ghosts to consider them an environmental threat?
A second minor complaint is the way Jack continually uses his restaurant ownership as an excuse for not doing something; I counted nine instances in which he was "too busy" to read, exercise, etc. because he "owns a restaurant." I supposed this could have been deliberate, but this implicit narcissism is not otherwise evident in Jack's personality.
Forest Ghost is not for those whose definition of horror is splatterpunk, but for those who like their horror incorporated into a well-written novel, it is highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 1, 2015
I wish that I had access to every single Graham Masterton book ever written. It is like Christmas morning is supposed to be every single time I get my hands on one I have not read. I found this one through my library system and had it transferred to my local library and to say I devoured it would be accurate.
Once again, Masterton has taken his incredible knowledge and obvious affection for world mythology and put it to good use in a modern setting. This time the setting is both the Midwest of the US and Poland. He draws upon his great knowledge of Polish culture and even geography to tell the story of Jack Wallace and his son, Sparky-an intelligent and intuitive child who has Asperger's Syndrome as well as an incredible gift for astrology. Both Jack and Sparky are grieving the loss of Jack's wife Aggie--a beautiful woman of Polish descent who haunts both of them in different ways. Masterton's wife, Wiescka passed away in 2011 and she fills his novels in so many ways--never more directly than in this one. It's a tribute to their relationship and his love for her that he finds ways both directly and indirectly to weave her into his novels--from discussing the grief specific to a widower, to discussing Polish culture and food (she was Polish). This novel concerns the idea of a forest spirit that has the power to cause panic and even suicide in human beings. He manages to intertwine Polish, Greek and Native American mythology into a creepy and moving story that had me chewing my nails to the quick until the finish--partially because it is disturbing and partially out of concern for the characters---a trait he shares with Stephen King. Both authors have a way of making you peek under the bed for a monster and fall madly in love with the human beings he brings to life. I don't like to get anywhere close to spoilers so I will not go into much detail in terms of the plot. As with all of his novels, you will find horror, humor, culture, food (a trait I love--not everyone enjoys descriptions of food in books but I do..:), mythology and humanity. Another score in my book for one of my favorite authors.
Once again, Masterton has taken his incredible knowledge and obvious affection for world mythology and put it to good use in a modern setting. This time the setting is both the Midwest of the US and Poland. He draws upon his great knowledge of Polish culture and even geography to tell the story of Jack Wallace and his son, Sparky-an intelligent and intuitive child who has Asperger's Syndrome as well as an incredible gift for astrology. Both Jack and Sparky are grieving the loss of Jack's wife Aggie--a beautiful woman of Polish descent who haunts both of them in different ways. Masterton's wife, Wiescka passed away in 2011 and she fills his novels in so many ways--never more directly than in this one. It's a tribute to their relationship and his love for her that he finds ways both directly and indirectly to weave her into his novels--from discussing the grief specific to a widower, to discussing Polish culture and food (she was Polish). This novel concerns the idea of a forest spirit that has the power to cause panic and even suicide in human beings. He manages to intertwine Polish, Greek and Native American mythology into a creepy and moving story that had me chewing my nails to the quick until the finish--partially because it is disturbing and partially out of concern for the characters---a trait he shares with Stephen King. Both authors have a way of making you peek under the bed for a monster and fall madly in love with the human beings he brings to life. I don't like to get anywhere close to spoilers so I will not go into much detail in terms of the plot. As with all of his novels, you will find horror, humor, culture, food (a trait I love--not everyone enjoys descriptions of food in books but I do..:), mythology and humanity. Another score in my book for one of my favorite authors.
February 6, 2023
I enjoyed the concept at the center of the story - I love mythology of all kinds and so was really interested to see where this book would take that thread. The book overall, however, was weak and downright offensive at times. The ending provides no real resolution. The use of autism as semi-mystical and a plot device is gross. It's incredibly likely I'll never read another book by this author for that fact alone.
August 25, 2022
I love the horror stories of Graham Masterton- they are always wild, gory, and out there. I enjoyed this entire book and its crazy premise but did not love the conclusion; for that reason, I am giving it 3 stars instead of 4.
March 20, 2014
Very disappointing
October 23, 2016
Weird, gory and scary! Excellent book from Graham Masterton. Read more about it in Bulgarian here:
http://citadelata.com/forest-ghost/
http://citadelata.com/forest-ghost/
September 9, 2023
Grahama Mastertona milovali Poláci (aby taky ne, když odtamtud původně pocházela jeho žena/agentka), takže ho v mém mládí vydávali po desítkách. Pravda, zase ho nemilovali natolik, aby mu za to i něco platili, takže vztahy brzy poněkud ochladly, ale díky tomu jsem mohl číst spousty jeho hororů. Obvykle postavené na nějaké bájné bytosti, která se objeví, brutálně zabíjí lidi a do toho je trochu sexu. K tomu ještě ty nádherné obálky, které dotvářely tu béčkovou atmosféru.
Jasně, velká literatura to nebyla, i ten Koontz byl proti Mastertonovi velký literát, ale četlo se to dobře, autor měl lehkou ruku a víc než na děsu z neznáma stavěl na napětí, tempu a gore detailech.
Tudíž jsem byl rád, když si na tohohle borce u nás někdo vzpomněl – a k nakladatelství Golden Dog, které má pro pulp a klasické hororové fláky slabost, to docela sedlo. I když sáhli po jeho novějším titulu, který je přece jen už trochu ukecanější, uhlazenější a pozvolnější.
V jednom lese spáchá sebevraždu celý oddíl skautů, včetně vedoucích. Vzápětí se tam zabijí další lidé. A do toho je tu jeden majitel polské restaurace žijící v Americe s lehce autistickým synem a vzpomínající na mrtvou manželku (dva body dokonalého muže splněny). A jeden ze skautů byl kámoš jeho syna, tudíž ten trvá na tom, že zjistí, co přítele zabilo. A jelikož je syn expert na horoskopy (jdoucí až do takových detailů, že specifikují nejenže poletíte zpátky do Polska, ale i v kolik hodin a že si tam nabrnknete babu), nelze mu odporovat.
Kniha je čtivá, to zase jo, ale je už vidět, že se s tím Masterton moc nepatlal. Celý děj posouvá tím, že něco řekne 1) syn nebo 2) mrtvá manželka (ať už přes jasnovidku nebo dál už sama) a hrdina to provede. Obvykle to znamená, že vezme pár lidí a jdou do nějakého lesa, kde se všichni kromě hrdiny zabijí, hrdina se vrátí, bleskově se oklepe a vyrazí na další výpravu.
Jak je tu Mastertona zvykem, má tu odkazy na historii… a jak je u něj taky zvykem, moc se s tím nepáře. Zápletka je zajímavá, ale tady si trochu hodil klacky pod nohy těmi sebevraždami. I když je jich pár zajímavých a brutálních, stejně to obvykle působí dost rychle a ne tak napínavě, než kdyby postavy pronásledoval a zabíjel někdo jiný. Což si Masterton kompenzuje tím, že dává duchy a přízraky i do skoro všech ostatních scén. Obvykle se horory snaží vytvořit dojem reality, která pak zrealističťuje i ty podivnosti, které se hrdinům dějí. Tady je fakt všechno, co měl autor v mystickém zásobníku. Od horoskopů přes duchy, démony, zjevení, posmrtný život, indiánské mýty, řecké mýty, ekologii a policii, které nepřipadá divné, že pokaždé, když hrdina s někým vyrazí do lesa, vrátí se sám.
Je z toho i hodně cítit, že se autor snaží být in a staví na moderních trendech… což je ostatně poslání všech autorů čtiva. Koneckonců Masterton psal horory, thrillery, katastrofické romány, erotické příručky… a v poslední době přešaltoval na detektivky s ženskou hrdinkou. Je jeho práce psát to, co lidi chtějí.
A Lesní duch je opravdu ryzí "čtivo". Je to rozhodně svižně napsané a neuráží vás to neohrabaností… jen se chvílemi člověk zarazí, podívá se zpátky a řekne si „moment…“. Ale pokaždé, když o tom začne přemýšlet, zabije autor koťátko (nebo policistu), takže člověk na nějaké pochybnosti zapomene.
Jasně, velká literatura to nebyla, i ten Koontz byl proti Mastertonovi velký literát, ale četlo se to dobře, autor měl lehkou ruku a víc než na děsu z neznáma stavěl na napětí, tempu a gore detailech.
Tudíž jsem byl rád, když si na tohohle borce u nás někdo vzpomněl – a k nakladatelství Golden Dog, které má pro pulp a klasické hororové fláky slabost, to docela sedlo. I když sáhli po jeho novějším titulu, který je přece jen už trochu ukecanější, uhlazenější a pozvolnější.
V jednom lese spáchá sebevraždu celý oddíl skautů, včetně vedoucích. Vzápětí se tam zabijí další lidé. A do toho je tu jeden majitel polské restaurace žijící v Americe s lehce autistickým synem a vzpomínající na mrtvou manželku (dva body dokonalého muže splněny). A jeden ze skautů byl kámoš jeho syna, tudíž ten trvá na tom, že zjistí, co přítele zabilo. A jelikož je syn expert na horoskopy (jdoucí až do takových detailů, že specifikují nejenže poletíte zpátky do Polska, ale i v kolik hodin a že si tam nabrnknete babu), nelze mu odporovat.
Kniha je čtivá, to zase jo, ale je už vidět, že se s tím Masterton moc nepatlal. Celý děj posouvá tím, že něco řekne 1) syn nebo 2) mrtvá manželka (ať už přes jasnovidku nebo dál už sama) a hrdina to provede. Obvykle to znamená, že vezme pár lidí a jdou do nějakého lesa, kde se všichni kromě hrdiny zabijí, hrdina se vrátí, bleskově se oklepe a vyrazí na další výpravu.
Jak je tu Mastertona zvykem, má tu odkazy na historii… a jak je u něj taky zvykem, moc se s tím nepáře. Zápletka je zajímavá, ale tady si trochu hodil klacky pod nohy těmi sebevraždami. I když je jich pár zajímavých a brutálních, stejně to obvykle působí dost rychle a ne tak napínavě, než kdyby postavy pronásledoval a zabíjel někdo jiný. Což si Masterton kompenzuje tím, že dává duchy a přízraky i do skoro všech ostatních scén. Obvykle se horory snaží vytvořit dojem reality, která pak zrealističťuje i ty podivnosti, které se hrdinům dějí. Tady je fakt všechno, co měl autor v mystickém zásobníku. Od horoskopů přes duchy, démony, zjevení, posmrtný život, indiánské mýty, řecké mýty, ekologii a policii, které nepřipadá divné, že pokaždé, když hrdina s někým vyrazí do lesa, vrátí se sám.
Je z toho i hodně cítit, že se autor snaží být in a staví na moderních trendech… což je ostatně poslání všech autorů čtiva. Koneckonců Masterton psal horory, thrillery, katastrofické romány, erotické příručky… a v poslední době přešaltoval na detektivky s ženskou hrdinkou. Je jeho práce psát to, co lidi chtějí.
A Lesní duch je opravdu ryzí "čtivo". Je to rozhodně svižně napsané a neuráží vás to neohrabaností… jen se chvílemi člověk zarazí, podívá se zpátky a řekne si „moment…“. Ale pokaždé, když o tom začne přemýšlet, zabije autor koťátko (nebo policistu), takže člověk na nějaké pochybnosti zapomene.
February 17, 2025
V blízkosti skautského tábora v Michigane je objavených 15 mŕtvych skautov a 7 ich vedúcich. Hrozivé nie je len samotné číslo obetí, ale aj skutočnosť, že všetci spáchali samovraždu. Otázka je, čo ich k tomu viedlo? Na miesto tragédie sa okrem iných vydávajú aj Jack, majiteľ poľskej reštaurácie a jeho syn Sparky, pre ktorého je udalosť veľmi osobná, keďže medzi obeťami je aj jeho najlepší kamarát Malcoln.
„Nedokázal pochopit, čeho byl právě svědkem, ale věděl, že je to pravděpodobně to nejhorší, co kdy v životě uvidí. Poprvé po dlouhé době se pokřižoval.“
Ako vyšetrovanie postupuje, Jack objaví súvislosť medzi touto tragédiou a smrťou svojho starého otca, ktorý v Poľsku bojoval proti nacistom a zomrel za podobných okolností v Kampinonskom lese pri Varšave. Čo stojí za týmito úmrtiami? Niečo nadprirodzené, alebo má celá nešťastná udalosť reálne vysvetlenie? A podarí sa im prísť na koreň záhady?
„Někteří lidé říkali, že to vypadá jako duch. Jiní popisovali anděla, pumu, bíleho jelena nebo velkého boha Pana s tělem člověka a nohama kozy.“
Masterton nás hneď od úvodu vťahuje do víru akcie a nešetrí detailnými a nechutnými opismi situácií. Veľmi dobre vystihuje desivú atmosféru hustých a temných lesov, kombinuje vyšetrovanie záhady a mytológiu a vystihol psychiku ľudí, ktorí sa v lesoch dostali až na hranicu šialenstva. Samotný Sparky bol pre mňa najzaujímavejšou postavou. Je to tajomný chlapec, ktorý má záľubu v horoskopoch a astrológii. Na knihe sa mi páči aj akési ekologické posolstvo a filozofický podtón, ktorý kniha má. Masterton nenásilne upozorňuje na náš vzťah k prírode a to, ako ju často berieme ako samozrejmosť.
„Žijeme na skutečné planetě, což je úžasné, ale bereme to jako naprostou samozřejmost.“
„Jsme na této planetě jako hosté a je naší povinností se o ni starat.“
Ide o temný a záhadný horor s mrazivou atmosférou a opismi, ktoré nemusia sedieť citlivejším čitateľom. Ak máte radi knihy, ktoré vás vtiahnu do desivého sveta plného záhad, Lesní duch rozhodne stojí za prečítanie. Mňa osobne pri knihe mrazilo po celú dobu čítania.
Je to moja prvá kniha od autora a určite sa pozriem aj po jeho ďalšej tvorbe, keďže je pomerne bohatá a rozmanitá.
Veríte, resp. riadite sa podľa horoskopov? Veríte v nadprirodzeno?
Za knižku ďakujem: Golden Dog.
„Nedokázal pochopit, čeho byl právě svědkem, ale věděl, že je to pravděpodobně to nejhorší, co kdy v životě uvidí. Poprvé po dlouhé době se pokřižoval.“
Ako vyšetrovanie postupuje, Jack objaví súvislosť medzi touto tragédiou a smrťou svojho starého otca, ktorý v Poľsku bojoval proti nacistom a zomrel za podobných okolností v Kampinonskom lese pri Varšave. Čo stojí za týmito úmrtiami? Niečo nadprirodzené, alebo má celá nešťastná udalosť reálne vysvetlenie? A podarí sa im prísť na koreň záhady?
„Někteří lidé říkali, že to vypadá jako duch. Jiní popisovali anděla, pumu, bíleho jelena nebo velkého boha Pana s tělem člověka a nohama kozy.“
Masterton nás hneď od úvodu vťahuje do víru akcie a nešetrí detailnými a nechutnými opismi situácií. Veľmi dobre vystihuje desivú atmosféru hustých a temných lesov, kombinuje vyšetrovanie záhady a mytológiu a vystihol psychiku ľudí, ktorí sa v lesoch dostali až na hranicu šialenstva. Samotný Sparky bol pre mňa najzaujímavejšou postavou. Je to tajomný chlapec, ktorý má záľubu v horoskopoch a astrológii. Na knihe sa mi páči aj akési ekologické posolstvo a filozofický podtón, ktorý kniha má. Masterton nenásilne upozorňuje na náš vzťah k prírode a to, ako ju často berieme ako samozrejmosť.
„Žijeme na skutečné planetě, což je úžasné, ale bereme to jako naprostou samozřejmost.“
„Jsme na této planetě jako hosté a je naší povinností se o ni starat.“
Ide o temný a záhadný horor s mrazivou atmosférou a opismi, ktoré nemusia sedieť citlivejším čitateľom. Ak máte radi knihy, ktoré vás vtiahnu do desivého sveta plného záhad, Lesní duch rozhodne stojí za prečítanie. Mňa osobne pri knihe mrazilo po celú dobu čítania.
Je to moja prvá kniha od autora a určite sa pozriem aj po jeho ďalšej tvorbe, keďže je pomerne bohatá a rozmanitá.
Veríte, resp. riadite sa podľa horoskopov? Veríte v nadprirodzeno?
Za knižku ďakujem: Golden Dog.
June 11, 2023
Jack Wallace has no idea how to tell his son Sparky the horrific news that his best friend Malcolm has committed suicide at a boy scout weekend, along with the rest of the troop and all its leaders. But Sparky's reactions shocks him: his autistic son, who's revealing more and more of a talent for reading fortunes, seems to know already. And not only that: Sparky seems convinced that someone - something - made him do it.
When the pair travel up to the Owasippe Scout Reservation, to support Malcolm's mum, Sparky senses a malign presence in the woods, Jack's dubious, but he investigates......and is filled with panic. There's something out there. Something white. Flickering behind the trees.....
It soon becomes clear that the death of the boy scouts was only the beginning.
After Stephen King, Graham is my next favourite horror writer. His books are chilling, scary and full of the supernatural, horror and suspense. I have read his books for a long time - he not only writes horror but has a wonderful detective series set in Ireland. I do hope he continues with this series. Long may Graham continue writing his fabulous books.
When the pair travel up to the Owasippe Scout Reservation, to support Malcolm's mum, Sparky senses a malign presence in the woods, Jack's dubious, but he investigates......and is filled with panic. There's something out there. Something white. Flickering behind the trees.....
It soon becomes clear that the death of the boy scouts was only the beginning.
After Stephen King, Graham is my next favourite horror writer. His books are chilling, scary and full of the supernatural, horror and suspense. I have read his books for a long time - he not only writes horror but has a wonderful detective series set in Ireland. I do hope he continues with this series. Long may Graham continue writing his fabulous books.
June 17, 2025
Take a shot every time the main character tells someone that he has a very busy restaurant to run and you'll be pleasantly buzzed by the end of the book.
This book started out really promising with the mass suicide of a troop of boy scouts. The mystery continues in a forest in Poland and the horror aspect was going along really well. Then, all of a sudden, we are told that the demon/ghost is actually an army of ghosts that are really the Greek god Pan. Kind of like an army of Lorax ghosts. You know, they speak for the trees. That's when the book lost me and I scoffed out loud. The ending completely falls apart with the Pan ghost things claiming that they have protected mankind for years (but it's unclear what they've done to protect us) but are leaving now because mankind just can't pull it together and save the environment.
I am all for protecting the environment and think mankind has done a shitty job of it, but this was such a heavy handed, preachy, and boring way to get the message across.
This book started out really promising with the mass suicide of a troop of boy scouts. The mystery continues in a forest in Poland and the horror aspect was going along really well. Then, all of a sudden, we are told that the demon/ghost is actually an army of ghosts that are really the Greek god Pan. Kind of like an army of Lorax ghosts. You know, they speak for the trees. That's when the book lost me and I scoffed out loud. The ending completely falls apart with the Pan ghost things claiming that they have protected mankind for years (but it's unclear what they've done to protect us) but are leaving now because mankind just can't pull it together and save the environment.
I am all for protecting the environment and think mankind has done a shitty job of it, but this was such a heavy handed, preachy, and boring way to get the message across.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 8, 2023
Golden dog to rozjíždí ve velkém stylu!!! Musím říct, že tohle je další naprostá pecka, kterou vydali (ještě by mohli začít vydávat knihy od Aron Beauregard též ABhorror a byla bych naprosto spokojená)!
Jack je otec samoživitel a s jeho synem Sparksem to není vůbec jednoduché protože má aspergrův syndrom a také trochu obsesí. V tomto případě byl provedený jejich vztah a co je ochoten pro svého syna Jack udělat. Příběh je originální svou myšlenou a zpracováním. Spoustu lidí zná paniku či panické ataky. No tak tady v tomto případě mají drastické následky. Čtenář dostane naservírované pořádné zvraty, které mě naprosto dostali a nechybí ani pořádný WOW efekt na konci knihy. Upřímně jsem to nečekala, něco mě napadlo, ale byla jsem úplně vedle. Další pozitivum je, že děj a jeho průběh nutí čtenáře se zamyslet nad přírodou a tím jak se k ní chováme.
Jack je otec samoživitel a s jeho synem Sparksem to není vůbec jednoduché protože má aspergrův syndrom a také trochu obsesí. V tomto případě byl provedený jejich vztah a co je ochoten pro svého syna Jack udělat. Příběh je originální svou myšlenou a zpracováním. Spoustu lidí zná paniku či panické ataky. No tak tady v tomto případě mají drastické následky. Čtenář dostane naservírované pořádné zvraty, které mě naprosto dostali a nechybí ani pořádný WOW efekt na konci knihy. Upřímně jsem to nečekala, něco mě napadlo, ale byla jsem úplně vedle. Další pozitivum je, že děj a jeho průběh nutí čtenáře se zamyslet nad přírodou a tím jak se k ní chováme.
December 29, 2023
V lese u skautského tábora je nalezeno patnáct skautů a sedm jejich vedoucích – všichni spáchali sebevraždu. A kamarád jedno z mrtvých chlapců se rozhodne, že důvodu, proč tak udělali, přijde na kloub. Autor tak rozjede nezvyklou duchařinu s lehkým historickým exkurzem do éry nacistů v Polsku.
Masterton dlouhou dobu jen mrazivě naznačuje, jakmile získá „zlo“ v lese jasnější kontury, ubírá mu lehce napětí, na druhou stranu jedna ze závěrečných krvavých scén absenci tajemna ve finále dost dobře vyvažuje.
Autor si pohrává s mytologií různých koutů světa a konání tajemných bytostí dává jasnou motivaci. Proto nepřekvapí, že jim možná bude někdo i fandit. Stejně jako mladému chlapci trpícímu Aspergerovým syndromem, nejzajímavější postavě celé knihy.
Masterton dlouhou dobu jen mrazivě naznačuje, jakmile získá „zlo“ v lese jasnější kontury, ubírá mu lehce napětí, na druhou stranu jedna ze závěrečných krvavých scén absenci tajemna ve finále dost dobře vyvažuje.
Autor si pohrává s mytologií různých koutů světa a konání tajemných bytostí dává jasnou motivaci. Proto nepřekvapí, že jim možná bude někdo i fandit. Stejně jako mladému chlapci trpícímu Aspergerovým syndromem, nejzajímavější postavě celé knihy.
June 25, 2025
Heavy on the allegory.
I really tried to like this book but struggled in vain. It didn't seem to know whether it was a horror story or a cautionary ecological tale. For me it failed in both respects. It was clunky & clumsy &, to be honest, I couldn't summon any empathy or sympathy for anyone concerned. I hate giving negative reviews for books because I know that the author will have spent time & considerable brain power on writing it. For that reason I very rarely give fewer than three stars. In fact if you ever see me review a book below that, then it's going to be a real stinker! My apologies to Graham Masterson but this book just wasn't for me.
I really tried to like this book but struggled in vain. It didn't seem to know whether it was a horror story or a cautionary ecological tale. For me it failed in both respects. It was clunky & clumsy &, to be honest, I couldn't summon any empathy or sympathy for anyone concerned. I hate giving negative reviews for books because I know that the author will have spent time & considerable brain power on writing it. For that reason I very rarely give fewer than three stars. In fact if you ever see me review a book below that, then it's going to be a real stinker! My apologies to Graham Masterson but this book just wasn't for me.
June 24, 2023
1.5 ale to było gówno...
Sam pomysł na książkę nie był zły, ale wykonanie było okropne, płytkie i glupie postacie, okropny watek miłosny, jeśli w ogóle można tak to nazwać, nadprzyrodzone moce które wzięły się nie wiadomo skąd ehhh..
Zakończenie było jeszcze gorsze niż się spodziewałam.
Daje 1.5 gwiazdy zamiast 1 bo do połowy książki czytało się ją z łatwością i była całkiem przyjemna mimo swojej głupoty, ale później czytałam ją z zażenowaniem na twarzy.
Nie polecam
Sam pomysł na książkę nie był zły, ale wykonanie było okropne, płytkie i glupie postacie, okropny watek miłosny, jeśli w ogóle można tak to nazwać, nadprzyrodzone moce które wzięły się nie wiadomo skąd ehhh..
Zakończenie było jeszcze gorsze niż się spodziewałam.
Daje 1.5 gwiazdy zamiast 1 bo do połowy książki czytało się ją z łatwością i była całkiem przyjemna mimo swojej głupoty, ale później czytałam ją z zażenowaniem na twarzy.
Nie polecam
October 30, 2023
I really hate when authors have to make the characters deliberately ignore or deny everything that is happening around them in order for the story to progress. The idea behind the story was interesting (justifying the 2 stars). The execution was terrible. I finished the book, and I'm angry I wasted so much time on it.
January 7, 2024
If this guy is considered a "master of horror"I certainly don't see it.
Flat characters, simplistic writing, unrealistic plot [a ghost who haunts people till they kill themselves"] and an inability to build suspense made me give up 1.3 of the way thru the book.
Life is too short to finish books that don't speak to you.
Flat characters, simplistic writing, unrealistic plot [a ghost who haunts people till they kill themselves"] and an inability to build suspense made me give up 1.3 of the way thru the book.
Life is too short to finish books that don't speak to you.
October 26, 2024
V tábořišti je nalezeno 15 mrtvých skautů...proč zemřeli? Kdo je zabil? To chtějí všichni zjistit, kamarád jednoho ze skautů má nějaké informace...Mysteriózní děsivý horor se mi hodně líbil, nemohla jsem ho přestat číst. Kniha obsahuje i poučení, které ovšem spousta lidí nedodržuje. Konec je smutný a lehce překvapivý.
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