I thought this was an utterly brilliant exploration of our national obsession: the ghost. I was totally pulled in by the storytelling here, taking me through the ages to see how the spirit world has changed. As with good ghost stories, this cultural history was as much about the haunted as the ghosts themselves. Interesting, clever and sharply observed.

Really cool book! Definitely gave me all the scary history to UK ghosts that I didn't know I needed!

Unfortunately I didn't realize it was a PDF when my request was approved so I was unable to read it. My library has purchased a copy of it though, & I fully intend to check it out soon.

I downloaded this, but was unable to read it before the PDF expired. I cannot get my hands on it now, so I will not be reviewing it.

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

Ghosts are woven into the very fabric of life. In Britain, every town, village, and great house has a spectral resident, and their enduring popularity in literature, art, folklore, and film attests to their continuing power to fascinate, terrify, and inspire. Our conceptions of ghosts—the fears they provoke, the forms they take—are connected to the conventions and beliefs of each particular era, from the marauding undead of the Middle Ages to the psychologically charged presences of our own age. The ghost is no less than the mirror of the times.
Organized chronologically, this new cultural history features a dazzling range of artists and writers, including William Hogarth, William Blake, Henry Fuseli, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, John Everett Millais, Susan Hiller and Jeremy Deller; John Donne, William Shakespeare, Samuel Pepys, Daniel Defoe, Percy and Mary Shelley, Emily Bronte, Charles Dickens, Wilkie Collins, Henry James, Thomas Hardy, Muriel Spark, Hilary Mantel, and Sarah Waters.

Why are we so fascinated with ghosts? What draws us to the mystery, the horror, the changing perceptions of ghosts?

This book goes a long, long way to covering these questions - and so much more. Basically a history of ghosts in British culture, this book is brilliant.

The best thing about this book is that the author didn't set out to make this a "Do ghosts exist?" type of thing, nor did she go out of her way to make fun of those who do or don't believe - it is what it says on the packet: a cultural history of ghosts in the UK.

If you have even the slightest interest in ghosts, or the culture of ghosts, then this could very well be the book for you!


Paul
ARH

A brilliantly-researched and fascinating history of our relationship with ghosts, and how they reflect the preoccupations of each age.

This is a very interesting study of ghost stories throughout history. I enjoyed both the tales themselves and the analysis of them. The book withholds judgment on whether ghost experiences are real, but there certainly have been a lot of them! If you are interested in the background in addition to ghost tales, you will enjoy this book.

I received a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you're looking for a collection of ghost stories or a paranormal investigation book, Susan Owen's The Ghost is not for you. If you're more interested in the cultural influence of ghosts on the culture of England, be prepared for a treat. English majors will rejoice in this well-researched guide to ghosts from the early tales of England to slightly more modern fare. While Susan Owen's cannot cover every ghost story (let's be real, that would take a HUGE book), she does an incredible job of condensing it into an accessible book for those of us who love a good stoery.

I was kindly accepted to read this ARC but sadly after I downloaded when I was first accepted, it now won't open so I can't read it - I'm so sorry!

I was pleasantly surprised by The Ghost. It was a great look at how our perceptions of the afterlife have changed over the years. I loved the way Owens remained neutral in her opinions on what constitutes 'truth' focusing instead on the way society perceives spectres and how context changes that perception.

An in-depth and well researched examination on the cultural and social history of ghosts and apparitions. Where did they come from? Where do they go?

Delving into religion, literature and a little bit of government, Susan Owens, examines this fascinating unknown phenomenon.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book just wasn't for me. I couldn't finish it. I wanted to like it, I thought I would like it. I'm not sure if it was too academic for me (this book is incredibly researched!) or if it's just the cultural divide from me not being from the UK - but it just wasn't the right book for me. I found it too dense and academic, while I would have liked a more conversational reading experience. Again, well researched, but just not right for me.

Fascinating from beginning to end. Extremely well researched. I liked that the author wrote about ghosts from an unbiased view- letting the reader decide and interpret the information for themselves.
Was interesting to see how ghost stories and legends have changed over time, and the most interesting thing to me that the author brought up, was that no matter your beliefs, whether you believe in ghosts or not-everyone seems to have a story regarding one.

Would recommend this to everyone as there is something in this book for everyone.
Will be picking up a physical copy for myself.

I would like to thank Susan Owens and ABRAMS and for a copy of this provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm unfortunately unable to review this book as I have misplaced my egalley and it archived before I could redownload it. However, it looks like an amazing collection of tales and I would have loved to read and review it. The collection of authors brought together by Owens would have given a grand overview of the ghost in Western culture.

I am very interested in ghosts!! There I said it. This book is awesome. It does not give you a bunch of mumbo jumbo, it does not fill you up or break you down for your belief in ghosts. It is 5000 years of history of ghosts in the UK. It allows you to make your own conclusion on whether you believe in ghosts or not. Very well written and very interesting.

Focused predominately on British ghosts and the history of the British ghost, this book is an interesting overview of the traditions surrounding ghosts, ghost-hunting, and haunted places. It's more a history of how society created ghosts and enjoys the telling of ghost stories than anything else. I think I would have preferred a more worldwide or at least western worldwide history than one focusing on just Britain.

Very interesting although a little more wide-ranging and academic than I hoped. Moire of a history with less focus on pop culture than I expected.

I have always been fascinated by ghosts. Therefore I was very intrigued when I discovered this book. It has a great view on ghosts, and lists how the view have changed throughout the years. It does not take the discussion if they exist or not, and do not patronise any reader and their belief. This is one of the best characters of the book, you can read it no matter your opinion and end up with your own conclusion. This because it is filled with history and stories.

A great read under a blanket in the autumn storms.

These dead refused to stay in their tombs and insisted on climbing out and stalking back to their towns and villages, night after night, to attack the living. But what was the background to these stories?

Death comes to us all, and it would seem ghostly beings do as well, regardless of what country you live in or what time period. Ghosts certainly seem to be a tie that binds, be it harbingers of pending doom, terrorizing haunts, revenants bent on revenge- why is it that there are so many encounters and stories about something that ‘doesn’t exist’ and that science denies. This book is a fascinating look at the history of ghosts. Was it true that the English Reformation and religious reform did away with all our ‘haints’? Spirits kept appearing, they continued to walk the nights despite the cleanliness of religion. Maybe ghosts were simply optical illusions? How did witchcraft and ingrained habits and beliefs come into sightings and stories of ghosts? Maybe it’s madness of one’s mind? What does purgatory have to do with any of this?

Are ghosts simply ‘refugees from the after-life’? I like that, refugees from the afterlife! It wasn’t just uneducated peasants that told tales, were visited by apparitions and passed around ghostly tales. The middle class and upper crust were just as enthralled by the subject. If literature is any proof, certainly much was written and in fact, still lines our shelves today. How many ghostly themed reality shows can you count? Let’s not forget our fascination with shows about mediums talking to ‘ghosts’ that aren’t supposed to exist. Remember all that table tapping, the seances fine ladies took part in during the Victorian age?

Ghosts, it seems, even entered the political arena, art, church… is there anywhere they don’t ‘haunt’ us? Susan Owens has written a well researched work, be you a believer or skeptic, there is meat for anyone to chew on. Ghosts have evolved with our changing world, look at us now using meters and special instruments to capture that other realm. Are they real, simply a product of our own minds (some guilty)? Will we ever truly know? The walk through our cultural history of ghosts is fascinating and strange. Just in time for Halloween.

Publication Date: October 3, 2017

Abrams

Tate Publishing

The Ghost A Cultural History by Susan Owens is a book published soon by Tate Publishing a division by ABRAMS and it is a stunning book about The Ghost and the meaning of the ghost in our society and in the past.

Do we believe in ghosts? Most of us do believe in ghosts,and the book starts with the most excellent example in literature that can be taken in consideration: the meeting between Ebenezer Scrooge and his friend and partner/associate of the firm Scrooge&Marley in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

Just: Marley is dead from various years. He re-appeared to Scrooge for trying to help him.
Marley wanted to change Scrooge's final destiny. A destiny of perdition, a destiny of "If I would have helped that person...If I would have acted differently..."
The destiny of a very selfish person just projected to help himself without to taking care of anyone else.
Once dead life can't repeat itself.
The existence lived and spent entirely can't permit any excuse and for Marley that years in the Other World not too happy at all because he was very punished for his hard heart and egoism.

At first Ebenezer Scrooge can't believe that this one was his partner Marley but later maybe he will change his mind.

Who are ghosts? Called phantoms, entities, in general they are spirits of dead people but not yet in peace and back in this world for various reasons.

As we have seen, in this case Marley obtained the permission of acting with kindness with his partner Scrooge for saving his soul giving him a final chance, but sometimes ghosts, spirits can't find peace and decide to rest for ruining the existence of other people still alive.
In Ireland there are proper prayers for the peaceless ghosts/souls who can't see light yet and are still here with us.

In old mansions, castles, wherever there is an old house, be sure that you will find a ghost's story, because it's typical to think that there are some presences in old places. Someone maybe killed abruptly in the old times, a child dead in a very strange way, someone who can't yet find peace because his/her existence ended before the real human time. These souls in general live in the old houses where once they knew happy moments.

In a church in Norfolk you can find a painting where in a side you will see the Three Living and close to them the final result: the dead ones called The Three Dead. There is no doubt, that in the other dimension The Three Dead are repulsive and able to scare people.

The same Samuel Pepys the diarist who lived in London in 1660s told a story of a ghost.

It is also true that the Reformation introduced some novelties: Purgatory didn't exist anymore so the soul once the man was dead went or in Heaven or in Hell so no reasons for staying worried and thinking at the presence of ghosts.

But British people remained affectionate at the idea of ghosts and didn't want to leave them alone.
So although Catholicism not anymore practiced largely, the tradition of believing in ghosts didn't lose its fascination.
The book wants also to let us reflect: the eternal justice of the world is clear. Rich, poor, beauty, ugly, everyone die.

The Ghost doesn't forget many other literary example starting with Beowulf taken in exam profoundly. Henry James like also Oscar Wilde have been masters in ghosts' storytelling but the book remembers also the history of William Polidori and his sad relationship with Lord Byron. Lord Byron wanted to write a story about a ghost or a new character never imagined before and created by Polidori, a vampire, someone not completely dead, but not alive anymore. Lord Byron didn't find any inspiration and so Polidori wrote it, but when the story was printed with high success everyone believed that Lord Byron wrote it...

This first story was the launch for the masterpiece created by Bram Stoker Dracula written in epistolary genre, one of the most sublime books I have every read.

The Ghost by Susan Owens is a wonderful, sublime book about the topic because it mixes very well putting all together the best of literature, art, traditions, religions, facts, saying, stories, legends, and the result is a great fascinating patchwork, plenty of interest and magic. Once you will finish to read this book you will want to continue to read about the topic starting who knows? with Henry James, Oscar Wilde, William Polidori, Bram Stoker, continuing with William Blake's art, religion, the Victorian's period, maybe with some Thomas Hardy in the middle and that's why I love this book so badly! Because it will be for you or for the person you will present it at an inspiration, an intriguing research in grade of opening other doors thanks to the richness erudite research done by the author. Least but not last, ghosts are treated with great respect and love and it pays.

I have always believed in ghosts. They help us to going on well in our life, sometimes they joke, sometimes they can be hilarious, sometimes they let us reflect, sometimes they are necessary in our life for finding more peace, but surely they accompany all of us for a while before to return in the Other Dimension.

I thank NetGalley for this beautiful, stunning eBook.