Creepy Book Club discussion

Hey guys! Here are my thoughts on Ghost Story, our December book!

I liked the set-up for the book, some people might find that it goes pretty slowly, but I love a slow burn. Straub takes his time setting the scene, introducing the town, the various characters, and the Chowder Society, our main cast. By the time the first ghost story was told, I was very into the plot.
I also loved the detail in the descriptions for the figures and creatures, it really put me in the narrator's shoes and painted a vivid picture of what was going on.
I really liked the literal idea of the past coming back to haunt these men, and the stakes are higher because the entity haunting them, will take out anyone in her path, hence why the Chowder Society is so intent on finding out who is behind everything...it gets to a point where it doesn’t just affect them.
I also liked the vagueness with which Eva/Alma is described like we never find out what kind of entity she is...she’s just Evil, which made her terrifying.

The middle of the book goes by VERY slowly. It’s like there’s a really good set-up, in the beginning, then the middle gets bogged down by endless character backstories. Not to mention, the Chowder Society remains passive until Don Wanderley shows up and starts taking action. So, for a good portion of the book, we’re stuck with these characters who believe in each other, but don’t tell each other what is happening with them for fear of being judged. It makes for a VERY long middle section.

Overall, I didn't hate it, I got back into it by the end, but it's not something I would pick up and read again. I am excited, however, to watch the movie and see how it compares! If anyone has already seen it, let me know what you thought!

My Rating: 3.5/5

I read this a few years ago and agree with pretty much everything in maven’s review. The set up of the town and the chowder society are memorable, as is the general sense of atmosphere that Straub creates, but sections of it were a bit slow to read.

I read this having loved Straub’s and King’s ‘Black House’, another narrative in which the general uncanny atmosphere is more memorable than the plot specifics.

I read this but it honestly just felt so long! I got all the characters mixed up too.