Ghosts at Christmas

by Darren W. Ritson (primary_contributor)

Featuring eyewitness accounts, a unique history of how Christmas came to be associated with ghosts, spirits and apparitions of all kinds


From Charles Dickens' famous A Christmas Carol to Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas , the festive season has long been closely associated with ghostly tales. This fascinating work looks not only at the fictional treatment of Christmas ghosts but also at a host of true-life stories from across the country. Featuring accounts of unexplained phenomena, apparitions, and poltergeists from across the country, and including the stories of Christmas Eve Kitty in Blackpool, the Carlisle Devil Dog, the ghost children of Bramber Castle, and the skulls of Calgarth Hall this book is will delight anyone interested in the paranormal. Drawing on historical and contemporary sources and illustrated with over 70 images, this collection of spine-chilling tales will entertain and terrify in equal measure and is guaranteed to spice up the festive season.

Genres: Ghost Stories

144 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2010

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Darren W. Ritson's 2010 Ghosts at Christmas is a collection of "true" ghost stories set in England and Wales and also includes an introduction, an analysis of Christmas ghosts in motion pictures and literature as well as a bibliography and index (with the presented paranormal accounts per the book title obviously taking place in December but actually not really having all that much if at all to do with Christmas as a celebration, as a holiday, which kind of makes me growl a bit and to equally think that the title Ghosts at Christmas is more than a trifle misleading).

And indeed, it is only that Ritson includes a bibliography for Ghosts at Christmas and that I have also kind of enjoyed his analysis of ghostly Christmas movies and fiction that prevents me from rating Ghosts at Christmas with only one star. For the main textual body of Ghosts at Christmas, for the collection of ghost stories are (well, at least in my humble opinion) tediously and frustratingly penned by Darren W. Ritson and full of annoying information dropping but are also at the same time contents wise much too creepy and horrifying to and for me and with Ritson obviously absolutely favouring evil ghosts and horror over friendly and helpful spirits. But no, these types of tales are absolutely not at all my reading preference for ghost stories both fictional and meant to be true, so that Ghosts at Christmas has been if truth be told not at all enjoyable and as such also pretty much a waste of my reading time (and that I am as such equally glad I read the book on Open Library as I would also consider Ghosts at Christmas a waste of money had I actually tried to purchase a copy).

Therefore Ghosts at Christmas is most definitely not recommended by me except perhaps for what Darren W. Ritson provides regarding Christmas ghosts in fiction and in motion pictures (which is decent enough although also not textually spectacular either) or for his included bibliography, and just to say that I personally speaking also find Ritson's accounts in Ghosts at Christmas of his ghost hunting exploits mind-numbingly uninteresting and also do rather majorly resent that Darren W. Ritson obviously has an attitude of "you had better believe ghosts are real or else" towards his audience, towards his potential readers and which ALWAYS makes me livid when encountering collections of reputedly true ghost stories and Ghosts at Christmas is certainly and sadly no exception.

[Jo Berry ☀️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This is an OK book, but it suffers because it’s blurb is misleading. I picked this up because it’s described as a look at the fictional treatment of ghosts in Christmas stories. However, that’s only covered very briefly in one, short introductory chapter.

Then we move on to a lot of ‘true’ short accounts of Christmas ghost sightings. It never gets into any depth. It’s more like one of those slim books you buy on holiday in the UK about local hauntings. They’re designed to give you a bit of local colour as you drive around the area (and, I see the author has written several of these types of books, so I’m not wrong, e.g. ‘Haunted Durham’ and ‘Haunted Northumberland’).

This is a light and breezy book, perfectly pleasant, but it’s not the look at fictional ghosts in literature I was promised. If someone improves this book’s blurb, I think it will get better ratings.

(Also, the goodreads description says this book has 70 images, but the ebook version I have has no pictures. I think this might be another mistake).

[Greg Kerestan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book showed promise- an anthology of supernatural writings, fictional and nonfictional, related to the strangely haunting Christmas season. However, it gave both fiction and legend short shrift, and most of the book was taken up with a mostly uneventful series of ghost-hunt reports. My search for a genuinely good supernatural Christmas anthology will have to continue.

[Britt · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted a book about the history of ghost stories at Christmas instead you get the author’s “ghost hunting” stories and other dull ghosts that he actually thinks are real.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has anything a supernatural fan would want.
Fictional ghosts,non fiction ghosts and 2 investigation at the end

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess I didn’t read the description of this book very well before I read it. I thought it was going to be spooky Christmas tales. Instead, it is accounts of “real” ghostly presences in various places around Great Britain that have some Christmas association. Kind of like a Ghost Hunters Christmas Special, but in book form.

[Steven Karalash · Rating 2 out of 5]

Finished book#1 for the #HSreadathon. On to book 2. Sticking with the Christmas in July theme for the whole two weeks.

[cas.intoclassics · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is just an ok book.
Nothing special, literally just a book. 2 stars.