Spectral

[susanstinson]

Ghost stories -- ones that are well written -- can focus the attention in an intense vivid way on questions about death, memory, morality, history, and tensions between inner and outer life. I love that.

And, as long as I can stand it and if I trust the writer, there's a pleasure to being teased and scared that way.

I haven't yet read Affinity by Sarah Waters, but I'm looking forward to it. Anybody else like ghost stories? Or want to tell one?

Comments

[beatgoddess.livejournal.com]

Ghost stories. Yikes. Something about ambiance tends to sell a ghost story for me. Like when we went to see the midnight showing of The Ring, sat close up to the screen in a packed theater, the terrifyingness of that ghost story was exponential. For a week, I had to read nothing but children's books and sleep with 3976 stuffed animals. But now we own that movie, and while it is still scary ass scary, it's not the same scary ass scary as before.

My favorite ghost stories are urban legends. They're just so sensational and partially-believable.