Haunted: The Ghost Stories and Folklore of the British Isles

by E. Jay Gilbert

304 pages, Paperback

Published September 11, 2025

Reviews

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

really enjoyed!! loved the personal narrative alongside the research throughout made it really interesting !! would recommend

[Ashleigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really sorry to say this, but I found this book very disappointing. A lot of the stories were anticlimactic and just plain boring, and I disagreed with the author's assumption that the reason why people are interested in ghost stories is because we want to know how experiencing supernatural events makes people feel, rather than the backstory behind who the 'ghost' might be and any nefarious events that might have led to them haunting people/places. I skimmed a lot of it, but to be fair I should have done a bit more research before buying this because I wasn't expecting it to have so much commentary outside of the ghost stories themselves. I did enjoy the section on White Ladies though, and the image of 19th century workers digging through plague pits to build the London underground is one that will stay with me for a long time, especially as I'm whizzing along the Northern line on my way to work!

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite fascinating comparing ghost folklore from around the world and the similarities that crop up. I particularly liked the section about the London Underground. I’ll make sure I’m not on the last train home!

[Nicole Dunn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit more analytical than I was expecting but I really did enjoy the wide variety of stories. My favourites were the tommyknocker’s and the haunted London Underground but there were many more that I enjoyed. You don’t need to have a thorough knowledge of British history or geography to enjoy this and appreciate the wide variety of folklore and hauntings of the British Isles.

[Emma Rosen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating exploration of ghost stories and superstitions. I loved the blend of historical contexts and personal stories. Fascinating

[Katie Deacon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d give this more of a 3.5 ⭐, I found myself skimming a few of the chapters looking for the actual stories. Props for most of it being local to me though!

[Kelly Wolfe · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book read more like a collection of uncomfortable, but very explainable, situations that people in the author’s town have experienced rather than an exploration of Britain’s folklore.