Amanda's Reviews > Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places

2017: I think this book was mismarketed. It was way more academic than I was expecting and didn't supply many ghost stories that it didn't immediately disprove. In the middle section, the themes seems to get away from the author, as though he was trying to talk about too many things at once. There are many references to literature in here, which is great, but he spoiled twists to a few of those works, which is not so great. Overall I liked this and am glad I own it. I'd definitely be interested in reading more from this author in the future!

2020: I definitely got more out of this upon rereading. I do, however, think the author's note is misleading when it says "This book is not about the truth or falsity of any claims of ghosts." I consider a ghost story to be a "claim of ghosts," and this book does point out the historical inaccuracies of ghost stories when possible. However, the statement is true in that this book does not go into whether ghosts exist. This is actually interested in what the ghost stories Americans tell each other say about American culture. I do still think the theses of the chapters became less distinct in the middle of the book. Overall, though, I had a much better grasp of what Dickey was arguing. This time around I don't think it felt academic, though I am still annoyed it unnecessarily spoils plot twists in both King's Pet Sematary and Bronte's Jane Eyre. This was very thoughtful and entertaining of a read. I recommend!