MUST READS: Out Now In Paperback
By Sally Morris
|
A NATURAL HISTORY OF GHOSTS BY ROGER CLARKE (Penguin £9.99)
Why are we so fascinated by ghosts? Whether they ‘appear’ in novels, films, historic houses or theatres, whether people recount first-hand experiences or anecdotes passed down the years, spectral visions are common to almost all cultures.
Clarke, who himself grew up in two haunted houses on the Isle of Wight and became the youngest member of the Society for Psychical Research aged 14, attempts to be even-handed, examining the evidence for more famous examples of ghosts (The Tower of London, The Queen Mary, The British Library) but also including the scams and charlatans who have preyed on the gullible.
What the book succeeds in doing is raising questions about why some of us believe and others dismiss spiritual or psychic happenings while acknowledging the power of the subject.
Comments (0)
Share what you think
No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.
We are no longer accepting comments on this article.
