Reviews

Eight Ghosts: The English Heritage Book of New Ghost Stories by Stuart Evers, Andrew Martin, Mark Haddon, Andrew Michael Hurley, Rowan Routh, Kamila Shamsie, Max Porter, Kate Clanchy, Jeanette Winterson, Sarah Perry

velocitygirl14's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

ellenjanemck's review against another edition

informative mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

ophelia_wears_black's review

emotional informative mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

thebookboy's review against another edition

4.0

Some great stories by some very talented writers. As ever with a book of short stories by different authors, some resonated more than others.

My favourites were:

The Bunker by Mark Haddon
Mrs. Charlbury at Eltham by Max Porter
They Flee From Me That Sometime Did Me Seek by Sarah Perry.

All three of these stories have really stuck with me since reading (I even had a horrific Bunker-themed dream so it must have hit the mark!) and as a huge Porter aficionado there was no surprise that his story ranked highly with me too.

I wouldn't say that any of the stories are poor quality. Even the ones I liked less were still written well, and I was impressed that none of them felt predictable or cliche.

What elevated this collection to a 4 star read for me was undoubtedly the afterword and collection of true ghost sightings at various English Heritage properties across the country. This section inspired me to add a number of new properties to my "must visit" list, so I'm definitely looking forward to seeing some hauntings of my own!

camilleisreading24's review

Eight writers submitted ghost stories to this collection, each based at a different historical monument in England. Because of the premise, some of the stories were a bit dry. Also, all were much shorter than expected. I wasn't familiar with very many of the sites mentioned, but the afterword does provide some historical context.

Most liked "Never Departed More" by Stuart Evers and "As Strong As Death" by Jeanette Winterson

ironsandwine's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

3.0

hiking_pages's review against another edition

4.0

A chilling collection of ghost stories by a fantastic array of authors - all based on visits to English Heritage sites around the country.

Steeped in myth and suspense, each short story uses the atmosphere and environment of a chosen location, to create a fictional ghost story rich in gothic imagery and mystery.

Loved each story - and immediately wanted to visit each location to find my own inspiration.

rachael_ellis's review against another edition

lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

theinkdrinker's review

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

laurenjpegler's review against another edition

1.0

Really uninterested in most of the stories. Just readable I guess you could say.