#1 New York Times bestselling author Peter Straub’s classic tale of horror, secrets, and the dangerous ghosts of the past… What was the worst thing you’ve ever done? In the sleepy town of Milburn, New York, four old men gather to tell each other stories—some true, some made-up, all of them frightening. A simple pastime to divert themselves from their quiet lives. But one story is coming … themselves from their quiet lives.
But one story is coming back to haunt them and their small town. A tale of something they did long ago. A wicked mistake. A horrifying accident. And they are about to learn that no one can bury the past forever…
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This was my first book by Peter Straub. Thoroughly enjoyed it. It had me turning pages and losing sleep from the cover to the last The End! Highly recommend this book.
Worth a re-read
I first read Peter Straub’s terrifying Ghost Story decades ago, and I recently decided to pick it up again to see if my impressions had changed. They hadn’t. The work is mesmerizing. The author has created in the fictional town of Millburn a waystation steeped in snow where people live their separate lives, oblivious to the horrid things lurking in the forest waiting to strike. Eventually, these corrupt creatures come for the hapless residents, and they are caught unawares.
In many ways, this tale of ghostly revenge is instructive in how it shows us the consequences of mistreatment people visit on one another. The town itself is filled with characters surviving in escalating degrees of guilt, and it is precisely these stains on their souls that mark the victims for the marauders intent on feeding on them.
If you haven’t had a chance to read Ghost Story, I suggest you grab a copy and prepare not to sleep. And while you’re at it, check out the movie, which was released in 1981 and features the esteemed Fred Astaire, Melvyn Douglas, and John Houseman.
This book is one of my favorites. Like, in the top one-hundred favorite. So good.
It’s a classic and must read for horror fans.
Did not want to put down
I read this several years ago and can still remember it almost word for word. A very satisfying story.
Kept me turning pages right until the end!
Could not get into these stories–very slow building and frankly–boring.
If given enough time to really get into it, you will get lost. It took me two different tries, about four years apart, for me to really get sucked in.
Disturbing in all the right ways. Loved it!
I don’t know which one is my favorite, this or Floating Dragon.
If you read my review for FD, yes, I too started reading my children Ghost Story and Floating Dragon like my Mother did for me. It has instilled the love of reading in both my daughters. Thank you Peter for writing such incredible stories.
Read it long ago. Remember it as being a good book.
Straub is a master of this genre. Read this when it first came out.
Took me a few times to really get going. I’m not going to lie, it was a slow build up for me. Worth the read once it got going! I’m glad I read it!
This book was really well written. Peter Straub wove an interesting tale.
Well done Mr. Straub! Well done indeed…!
Want the crap scared out of you? Read this one. I was haunted by it for weeks.
I like this Author very much.
Absolutely brilliantly written.