Appalachian Ghost Stories, and Other Tales

by James Gay Jones

Consists of an introductory essay on the Appalachian setting and a choice selection of folk stories about ghosts, true experiences, and tall tales.

Genres: Ghost Stories, Folk Tales, Ghosts

118 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Rachelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this one while visiting a friend in West Virginia and it was a good buy! Lots of interesting short tales from the Appalachian area.

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little context... I read this while spending a week in a cabin in the mountains of north Georgia. I didn't see a human for five days. I had modern conveniences -- electricity, heat, hot water, but I learned that you feel the decline of the day and the coming dark a lot more there. This time of year the day feels very short. And sunset there has an entirely different feeling from sunset in Atlanta where I live.

It really means something. You can feel the darkness coming hours before it arrives and you count the hours before its arrival. And when it comes, it's big. It leans against the walls and blacks out the windows. Anything you needed to get done by daylight, that was over now. I was deep in the woods and couldn't see a light in any direction. There was no way I was going to attempt to maneuver that rutted driveway out after dark either -- so I was stuck there, with a crackling fire in the pot-belly stove, and yes, owls hooting. And a lamp, this book, and tall pines swaying gently in the moonlight.

I mention all of this because it really gave me an appreciation for these stories. I can understand why people believed in the supernatural, especially before electricity. In the right environment it seems entirely plausible.

Having read a lot of ghost stories before, nothing here overly surprised me. A few stories here were strange enough to be worthy of note. "Ramp Power" isn't a ghost story, but a very weird tale of life extension unlike anything I've read in folklore before. "A Hog Cried in Upshur" is a more detailed version of a unique legend I recall reading in "The Telltale Lilac Bush and Other West Virginia Ghost Tales." "The Ghost of Zona Shue" is a true story about a ghostly vision revealing a murder. It is a famous case often called "The Greenbrier Ghost." All the stories are well-told, but as I say, there's not too many surprising episodes in the bunch. The right atmosphere makes this collection more potent.

[Emily Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciated the collection variety of stories in this book, spread across different areas of the Appalachias and different plot lines. Given most folklore is an oral tradition, I’d recommend reading the stories out loud. Like a prayer it adds an additional dynamic to the stories. It connects you to the hundreds or thousands of others who told a similar story before. They are good to just read off the page too though, of course. Since the stories aren’t connected, there’s no benefit to reading all of them in one or two long sittings. This could be a fun bathroom book or lobby/coffee table read. Unless you are in a dark tent while camping or huddled around a campfire in the backwoods, these wont be likely to scare you, but there is something unique about the stories that developed out of this region.

[Thomas Scholtes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book of short stories!

While walking through a small town in West Virginia, I came across this book and thought it would be a fun read, and it is! All the stories are less than 3 pages, and I ended up putting this in my bathroom as a fun way to ‘pass the time.’ Very easy to read. Some stories are more interesting than others, and some are really intriguing, while others less so. But I think it did the job I wanted from it perfectly.

Just a great book to pick up, especially if you are from the area.

[Dylan Bean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reminds me of Athens days and trips down to NC. Twin Peaks vibes for sure.

[Aryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun stories!

[Paige Hilderbrand · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really very spooky at all, not at all what I was expecting. Easy enough to read, but not good enough to remember.

[Bethany Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

it gave me chills I love ghost tales