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astrocourt 's review for:
Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places
by Colin Dickey
One of my favourite things to do when I visit a new city – or decide to be a tourist in my own – is to go on a ghost tour. I'm under no illusions about the accuracy of the stories, but it's generally a fun way to explore history from a different angle. While I'm sceptical of the existence of ghosts, I'd love to have a "ghostly" experience some day so I can better understand why some people might interpret strange-but-earthly happenings as visitors from beyond the grave (or, I suppose, become a believer myself).
This book is not concerned with the existence or non-existence of ghosts, which it states outright in the author's note. Instead it focuses on the real history behind a number of hauntings around the US and what this says about American society and culture. One of the central points Dickey makes is that a nation's ghost stories reveal more about its anxieties than the actual history they are based on. The stories he covers are often rooted in racism, sexism and classism – as he debunks the spooky tales, he explains their origin and why they deviated so far from the true stories.
The coolest thing I learned about in this book was the intersection of Spiritualism with the women's rights movements. It never occurred to me before, but it makes perfect sense that a non-patriarchal religious movement would give feminist activists the opportunity to spread their ideas. (I also learned about why circular barns were a particularly important innovation in 19th century farming, which gives you an idea of the breadth of subjects covered in this book.)
Though this was a more academic book than I was expecting, I generally found Dickey's writing clear and engaging. Some chapters were a little drier than others, particularly those where the author became a bit repetitive in his condemnation of those who turn terrible real-life events into more easily digestible spooky tales. (I feel like I often come across this issue: I agree with the person, but I also agreed with them the first dozen times they shared their opinion!) On perhaps a more superficial note, I think the book could have done with some photos to illustrate the different locations, as well as in-text citations to indicate where statements had relevant sources.
However, overall I really enjoyed this more sober take on hauntings throughout the US. I would be very interested to read a book that covers British ghost lore in the same way and looks at how these stories interact with our history and society. In the meantime, Dickey's follow-up [b:The Unidentified|51216215|The Unidentified Mythical Monsters, Alien Encounters, and Our Obsession with the Unexplained|Colin Dickey|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1581568895l/51216215._SY75_.jpg|75967809] is on my to-be-read trolley.
This book is not concerned with the existence or non-existence of ghosts, which it states outright in the author's note. Instead it focuses on the real history behind a number of hauntings around the US and what this says about American society and culture. One of the central points Dickey makes is that a nation's ghost stories reveal more about its anxieties than the actual history they are based on. The stories he covers are often rooted in racism, sexism and classism – as he debunks the spooky tales, he explains their origin and why they deviated so far from the true stories.
The coolest thing I learned about in this book was the intersection of Spiritualism with the women's rights movements. It never occurred to me before, but it makes perfect sense that a non-patriarchal religious movement would give feminist activists the opportunity to spread their ideas. (I also learned about why circular barns were a particularly important innovation in 19th century farming, which gives you an idea of the breadth of subjects covered in this book.)
Though this was a more academic book than I was expecting, I generally found Dickey's writing clear and engaging. Some chapters were a little drier than others, particularly those where the author became a bit repetitive in his condemnation of those who turn terrible real-life events into more easily digestible spooky tales. (I feel like I often come across this issue: I agree with the person, but I also agreed with them the first dozen times they shared their opinion!) On perhaps a more superficial note, I think the book could have done with some photos to illustrate the different locations, as well as in-text citations to indicate where statements had relevant sources.
However, overall I really enjoyed this more sober take on hauntings throughout the US. I would be very interested to read a book that covers British ghost lore in the same way and looks at how these stories interact with our history and society. In the meantime, Dickey's follow-up [b:The Unidentified|51216215|The Unidentified Mythical Monsters, Alien Encounters, and Our Obsession with the Unexplained|Colin Dickey|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1581568895l/51216215._SY75_.jpg|75967809] is on my to-be-read trolley.