Urban Legends: Bizarre Tales You Won't Believe

by James Proud

Did you hear about the kids who found a Ferrari buried in their garden? What about the man who sued Satan? Or the woman who woke up in the middle of her funeral? Do you know the legend of the bunny man?

There are some stories that people will claim are true without a doubt, no matter the circumstance. This collection showcases the best of these fascinating and often creepy tales. The tales featured within fall under the following categories:

Supernatural Pop Culture Medical Historical Mystery Death Crimes The Government Animals Tragedies And Many Other Fascinating Topics!

Whether you believe these urban myths or not, they have the power to unnerve and enthrall us all. This incredible compilation of captivating stories will keep any reader on the edge of their seat.

Genres: Nonfiction, Urban Legends, Paranormal, Horror, Reference

289 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 15, 2018

Reviews

[Niki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just a straight up compilation of stories with nothing connecting them besides them being vaguely categorized. I don't know why I expected anything more given that all the reviews say so very clearly. It's more like I was hoping for some kind of commentary by an author, and I didn't get any of that.

2 stars instead of just 1 because it did entertain me a bit.

[Michael Plante · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some stories were really interesting and even funny. But most of them felt like they were retold over and over in the book

[J · Rating 1 out of 5]

Have urban legends died out, or are they still around? Have they evolved, or are they just dusty old stories that are best remembered by nostalgic adults who want to grasp the horrors of their childhoods?

As a compilation, this book seeks to combine urban legends that we are most familiar with with those that will be quite new to readers. Even the most stout fan of urban legends will find that some of these are not quite the same versions that they have heard before.

Due to the nature of the stories, the reader will find that this is one book that is better enjoyed in small doses. Reading a whole section or even from cover to cover takes away from the special tone that makes these stories stand out as the urban legends that they are.

And speaking of tone, it is amazing to find that even though the stories are of different subjects and plots, they all sound the same. You can tell the story is an urban legend just by the way it sounds to you.

Otherwise, the stories were usually quite small, straightforward in the telling, and easy to read. But due to the nature of the stories themselves, I wouldn't recommend them to young readers who are easily given to horrors but to more slightly mature audiences that don't mind a bit of a scare.

Also, the fact they have incorrect information on the events of Amityville when the book was published in 2018 while having full access to the internet was rather sad as well as lazy of the author.

[Rae's Reading Corner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some pretty decent stories and accounts but others I just found myself skimming through

[CultularSatanist · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5/5⭐
Niektóre historie już znałam, więc fajnie było je sobie nieco odświeżyć lub usłyszeć opowiedziane inaczej. Podział na kategorie był miłym zaskoczeniem, legendy były dzięki temu bardziej przejrzyste. No i jak to zbiór historii miał lepsze i te gorsze momenty.

[Jackspear217 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Legendy miejskie to zazwyczaj opowieści o niezwykłych zdarzeniach, tajemnicach nigdy nie wyjaśnionych, głównie opierających się na zjawiskach nadprzyrodzonych, które są opowiadane z pokolenia na pokolenie, mimo że nikt tak naprawdę ich nie zweryfikował. Jak to legendy zazwyczaj nie tyle co przerażają co fascynują całe rzesze ludzi, bo pojawiają się we wszystkich rejonach świata. Powtarzane z ust do ust, czasem ściszonym głosem utrzymują się w społecznościach niczym jakiś viralowy mem, którego powtarzalność i mutacje, przekształcenia utrzymują się i rozprzestrzeniają, zwłaszcza jeśli stanie się on plotką. Jestem pewien, że wielu z nas słyszało nie jedną tego rodzaju nieprawdopodobną historię, jak na przykład to, że ktoś ugotował kota w kuchence mikrofalowej, albo że kanałach wielkich miast pływają aligatory czy nawet większych rozmiarów jaszczury. Takich miejskich legend jest więcej. Jedne są mniej lub bardziej rozpowszechnione i występują w różnych szerokościach geograficznych. Można pokusić się o wymienienie takich jak to, że gdzieś dzieci wykopały w przydomowym ogródku Ferrari, że istnieje plemię zmniejszające ludzkie głowy do rozmiaru jabłka czy to, że istnieje człowiek bez twarzy. Wymieniać można by długo i to robi właśnie ta książka. To spis najsłynniejszych legend miejskich, które zabierają nas do granic prawdopodobieństwa, a gdy tam już dotrzemy, nasz racjonalizm zostaje wystawiony na próbę i bywa i tak, że zaczynamy wierzyć w najbardziej niesamowite historie. I sami dajemy się ponieść fantazji, powtarzając ściszonym głosem, na jakimś biwaku, przy ognisku kolejną wariację tej kulturowej porcji informacji, przyczyniając się do jej dalszego rozpowszechniania i utrzymywania w społecznej puli. Tak jak to dzieje się z wirusami. Co do natury tego mechanizmu odsyłam do książki Richarda Dawkinsa Samolubny gen. Jeśli chcecie poznać tego typu niesamowite opowieści i niewyjaśnione tajemnice z całego świata sięgnijcie po książkę James'a Proud'a, bo w tej materii spełnia swoją rolę i jest jak kompendium wiedzy albo encyklopedia w tym temacie. Serdecznie polecam!!!
Za książkę dziękuję @takczytam.poznan

[Dave · Rating 2 out of 5]

My biggest issue with this book is that it claims contained within are “Myths, mysteries and bizarre tales of UFOs, Monsters and Stranger Things You Won’t Believe.” I love reading urban legends and tales of encounters however the author makes no distinction between the types of tales. For example, the author discusses an alleged UBoat found in Lake Ontario and presents it as an incredible true story. Two minutes of a quick search debunks the story. The author could have easily retold the story and then followed up with what’s accurate or what isn’t. It’s just a random collection of internet hoaxes passed off as genuine urban legends and myths.

[~emily~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading a few of the other reviews, I feel like we all have a common opinion, that is, this book is only interesting if you don't have anything else to read. Otherwise, you will find yourself skimming through the book and only reading something that catches your eye.
Even so, I find many of these stories very interesting and some very scary. I don't recommend this book for small children or faint-hearted people. Those who enjoy a book filled with horror and dead will like this collection of stories a lot.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just didn't have time for it. I felt it was like many other stories on YouTube or the internet. It is not badly written, if I had nothing else to read I would gladly have enjoyed it. However, I have many other books on my list to read and this one just felt to basic to continue, nothing against the author or the writing.

[Allen Gregory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chock Full of Strange Tales...
I've always had a fondness for (supposedly) true weird tales. This book is crammed full of strange urban legends that are purportedly true (?) An entertaining read full of short vignettes that make perfect bedtime reading for spooky story buffs. A fun read!

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

No bibliography or index, no notes section…sigh.

Its a fun read! It has sections on historical tales, supernatural, pop culture, warnings, and what not. I got goosebumps reading about Tommy knockers.

Again, fun read but wish it had more of a historical index.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a fun book in the same realm of Darwin Awards or Uncle John's Bathroom Reader. You can pick it up and read it in no particular order and put it down again.

[Steve Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although a few of them are true - or at least have been reported in mainstream media as being true - this is basically a collection of campfire stories. Pretty good if you like that kind of stuff

[Meghan Hughes · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Andrew Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great book

Extremely enjoyable and interesting, some stories are familiar while others are shocking. Definitely worth a read as a casual book.

[Katherine Coble · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very brief synopses of MANY tales. It’s not all UL, though. Also includes ghost stories, tales of the fantastic and blind items.

[Red · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting read that covers everything from pop culture to horror stories. They're short interesting briefs on stories. That will probably push you to want to read more.

[czytulcia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bezużyteczna.pl

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

These stories are kind of all over the place: Some are clearly just creepy ghost stories, some are old and well-known urban legends or conspiracy theories, and some are odd historical accounts of real events. All of these are jumbled together by broad themes like "history" or "crime." If you've done some reading on the topic, you may be able to recognize which are fact and which are fiction/myth/legend, but the book doesn't make any attempt to sort that out-- the stories are strictly presented for entertainment value.

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is exactly what you think it is. That's why I gave it 4 stars. It is a collection of urban legends, some very good, some not so good. I cant knock the author any stars for it not being a good book. I wanted to read about some urban legends and that is exactly what I got. I would have given 5 stars if the format was unique. Your not going to be surprised by this book but if your looking for urban legends described to you in short, then you will get what you were looking for.

Jeremy
Host, Infinite Rabbit Hole podcast

[Mrs. Read · Rating 1 out of 5]

I should have paid attention to the subtitle. James Proud’s Urban Legends: Bizarre Tales You Won't Believe is not a Snopes-type exploration/debunking of ridiculous but popular “true” stories, but rather a compilation of such stories gathered from supermarket tabloids and their ilk. Every minute spent reading this book is a waste of time.

[Douglas Reedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool tales!

Most of the stories included in this book have been around for years. Some stories are rather stupid and can be easily dismissed as pure fiction. Others will make you wonder if they are true or not.

[Vivek Venkatesan · Rating 4 out of 5]

If there's one thing I'd add, I wish the stories went into specifics of the places, dates and people. James does this in some stories but not most of them. But I really like the stories in this book - they're from a variety of genres and narrated well. Overall, a great read!

[susan walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of stories that I had not heard before.

An easy read. Interesting and entertaining without a lot of gore
Good for as a pre bed time reading choice