Ghost

by J.N. Williamson

Zach Doyle is gone. Where, he does not know. His wife cannont feel his caresses, his voice cannot be heard. It is not a nightmare, it is real. And within this dreamlike reality is a plan, a terrible plan tailored for him alone. Only one old man and one very special boy can save him, lead him on a breathtaking excursion toward the ultimate escape.

Genres: Horror

288 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1987

About the author

Gerald Neal Williamson (April 17, 1932 - December 8, 2005) wrote and edited horror stories under the name J. N. Williamson. He also wrote under the name Julian Shock.

Born in Indianapolis, IN he graduated from Shortridge High School. He studied journalism at Butler University. He published his first novel in 1979 and went on to publish more than 40 novels and 150 short stories. In 2003 he received a lifetime achievement award from the Horror Writers of America. He edited the critically acclaimed How to Write Tales of Horror, Fantasy & Science Fiction (1987) which covered the themes of such writing and cited the writings of such writers as Robert Bloch, Lee Prosser, Richard Matheson, Ray Bradbury, H. P. Lovecraft, August Derleth, William F. Nolan, and Stephen King. Many important writers in the genre contributed to the book. Williamson edited the popular anthology series, Masques. Some of his novels include The Ritual (1979), Playmates (1982), Noonspell (1991), The Haunt (1999), among others.

He was also a well known Sherlockian and received his investiture (The Illustrious Client) in the Baker Street Irregulars in 1950.

Source: Wikipedia

Reviews

[Kenneth McKinley]

Zach Doyle is pretty sure that he's dead. He doesn't remember dying or what might have caused it. He just knows that he's stuck watching his wife and children go through their daily routines without being able to communicate with them. They can't see him. They can't hear him. Nor can they feel his touches. His hands travel right through like wisps of smoke. His family is in the process of getting on with their lives without Zach and he's stuck in limbo. Is this purgatory? Has there been a mistake? Did someone fall asleep at the switch and forget to collect his soul or is this how it's supposed to be? Just when Zach thinks he'll forever be a spectator unable to communicate with the living, the movers come to collect all of Zach's belongings and the worker and his grandson can see him. Furthermore, they aren't frightened at seeing a ghost. Can these people help him or is he destined to wander alone through this netherworld for eternity?

Williamson's offering is a schizophrenic tale isn't sure what it wants to be. Somewhere amongst all of the confusion is some interesting subjects that he seems to have a hard time focusing on. The idea of this poor guy not being able to communicate with his loved ones and watching his life try to assemble a love life again is a mix of so many strong emotions - frustration, sadness, despair, loneliness, and grief. That alone makes for a horrific journey for the reader. Unfortunately, Williamson didn't anchor his focus here. He would bounce from what Zach was going through to the ESP ability of the movers, then onto some weird sidebar of a struggle for Zach's soul by an angel and a demon, and then delve into some esoteric rambling about what he was going through. If you could cherry pick the interesting pieces out of Ghost, it would have the backbone of 2-3 good stories. I don't know if Williamson was going through some midlife crisis at this period in his life, but it really made the flow of the story suffer. And even thought it sounds like I'm trashing the story, I'm really not. While it may not be his greatest tale that I've read of his, Williamson does offer up some interesting and thought provoking points to consider. They just so happen to be stuck in the middle of this schizophrenic soup.

3 Rattling Chains in the Attic out of 5


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[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book, but it’s definitely schizophrenic. It has 2-3 different elements going on at the same time. It doesn’t have a consistent tone.

However, it does have an uplifting ending. So there’s that. If you’re looking for something different, give this one a chance!

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the typical ghost story - more spiratural/higher power elements than horror. Had a decent amount of character depth too. More akin to a 'cosy Sunday afternoon horror' than the mass produced splatter punk horror of the 80's.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tough novel to rate because it is so unique.

Zach Doyle is dead but has come back to his home as a ghost. His wife and children cannot see him as he moves about. The writing is quite plodding and stale; most of the pages are filled with Doyle's inner thoughts and reflections. His fascination with staring at his wife naked was also off-putting.

I can't quite explain, but this novel took on a strange sort of charm as it went on. It kept me reading. So, while it is plodding at times, it was an interesting read.