The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come - A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens. Hooded robe, skeletal pointing finger. Who could ask for anything more in a ghostly messenger? Without a word, this spirit shows Scrooge how his miserable, pathetic life ends in a neglected grave. Point taken, Scrooge changes his ways.
The ghosts of the Overlook Hotel - The Shining, Stephen King. Delbert Grady, Lloyd the bartender, that thing in Room 217. Sinister, manipulative and scary, scary, scary. I slept with the light on for a week after finishing this book and I was 24 years old at the time. Classic.
Peter Quint and Miss Jessel - The Turn of the Screw, Henry James. Illicit lovers in life. Child corrupters (a lovely nineteenth century euphemism) in death. One malevolent and cunning, one melancholy and repentant, both vying for the children's souls. Or are they the product of the fevered imagination of a sexually frustrated governess? I think not.
Catherine - Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte. Heathcliff can't live with her and can't live without her. He even digs up her grave. Obsession at its finest. Added bonus-inspiration for a great Kate Bush song.
Hugh Crain and the ghosts of Hill House - The Haunting of Hill House, Shirley Jackson. Poltergeists and psychic attacks. Pity Eleanor Vance. She just wants to belong somewhere. Only Theo catches a glimpse of the real ghostly horror and she's not talking. Run! Written in 1959 and still one of the best ever.
Mr. Dark - Something Wicked This Way Comes, Ray Bradbury. Although not a ghost per se, Mr. Dark and his collection of evil entities at the Pandemonium Shadow Show, the October People, appear from the supernatural realm to seduce young Will Halloway, his best friend Jim Nightshade, and the needy townsfolk by offering to grant their heart's desires. Will's father knows the truth, but how will good triumph over such evil?
No comments:
Post a Comment