Februrary 2015 Group Read: Ghost Story by Peter Straub

[Maxine Marsh]

Andy wrote: "Would anyone be interested in buddy reading through the Blue Rose Trilogy?

https://www.goodreads.com/series/5758...

KOKO, the first book, is incredible."

Yes, Andy! I'd definitely be in for that one!

[Daniel]

Andy wrote: "Would anyone be interested in buddy reading through the Blue Rose Trilogy?

https://www.goodreads.com/series/5758...

KOKO, the first book, is incredible."

I'd definitely be interested in buddy reading KOKO in the near future.

[Myst]

Just finished pg 77 and I'm a touch confused about the Bates family.

(view spoiler)[What did the kids mean by "We go over". With the reference to Gregory going over, it sounds like some sort of passage to a different dimension. (hide spoiler)]

[Kimberly]

Myst wrote: "Just finished pg 77 and I'm a touch confused about the Bates family.

[spoilers removed]"

I'm at 30% now, but my personal interpretation about your question (view spoiler)[ regarding the Bates kids when they say "We go over", is that they "die"--or at least, "go over" to where Gregory's spirit is now. A different plane of existence, certainly. Perhaps an "in-between" place; I'm assuming that Gregory was so filled with rage and hate that he refused to move on, even after his death. (hide spoiler)]

[Andrew]

Just started less than 5%. Still girl with the man when the story starts to unfold.

[Kasia]

I got my copy delivered last night, wahooo.. I will be starting today, hopefully :)

[Andrew]

Double that to 10% and characters are still
Pretty raw. They are going to start telling stories. When will something start that will get me hooked ?

[Jeremy]

Andrew wrote: "Double that to 10% and characters are still
Pretty raw. They are going to start telling stories. When will something start that will get me hooked ?"

(view spoiler)[For me, it was the chapter titled "Alma" that kicked off the interesting part for me. But there is a loooooot of set up and tangential information for sure. (hide spoiler)]

[Kimberly]

60%, and things are really starting to connect, for me..../

[Dennis]

Hang in there everybody. I admit it can be a tough slog at times but there's richness in this novel. Ghost Story is one of the few books that's stayed with me long after finishing it.

[Kimberly]

At 75% now--hard to put down even for a moment. (view spoiler)[ All of the pieces seem to be in place; moving towards the endgame!! (hide spoiler)]

[Elizabeth]

I just have 60 pages left and I love, love this book!

[Char]

Elizabeth wrote: "I just have 60 pages left and I love, love this book!"

I'm enjoying everyone's comments. :)

[Kimberly]

Okay--had to finish the final 25% in one sitting. Simply amazing the little--and some not so little--details that I'd forgotten since the last time I'd read this!

[Andrew]

23% now, certain portions are good as below but still can't grasp where it is heading. Non-linear doesn't help either

(view spoiler)[
the bates family is good
the spider pounding scene is OK
2 lawyers going down to investigate the unnatural death of the sheep is so-so
now I'm at the party.
(hide spoiler)]

[LyndiLea]

I tried to read this one but I keep getting bored A's zoning out

[Andrew]

@Jeremy,

I think you're right. It takes about 35%.

Hope to finish and could join you guys for March reads

(view spoiler)[ The conversations in bars and parties are pretty draggy and too many characters appearing. Now the cousin met Alma and the Alma's ex( ghost ) and the X.X.X appearing. Very much prefer chapter like this whereby I can read smoothly (hide spoiler)]

[Jeremy]

I've got 100 pages to go, and while it still drags in places, it's now scary as hell for the most part.

[Myst]

Almost 60% through (278/483) and the pieces are finally starting to connect. Especially at House Breaking Part 2.

My goal is to try and get at least 50 pages done a day. I wish I could've taken it with me on sat when I was out half the day, but my library copy is hardcover and I was not going to haul that around for 6 hours.

[K.N.]

I'm usually a lightning-fast reader, but this book had me reading at a much slower pace. There was a lot to digest and keep track of, which was in no way a bad thing. It was a treat for me to have my mind buzzing.

I called a lot of plot points prior to them happening, but that ultimately didn't bother me (sometimes it's good to have things fall into place) and there were enough surprises to thrill me.

This may only be my experience, but I live in NY. My father works at Cornell and my brother used to play hockey in Binghamton. My grandparents live near Elmira too. This year has been an agonizingly cold and snowy winter... It certainly made the book more chilling for me (ha, pun)! I'm there in that setting!

As for my favorite Chowder boy, I loved Lewis the handsome bad boy as well. While I was reading I saved Sears James' description of him. Sears was a close second-favorite himself.

[Andrew]

Myst, you may consider using the kindle :)

[Andrew]

Kait, just wondering how do you keep track of so many characters and as what you say plot points also?

Since reading is a leisure to me ( like watching TV serials ), I don't really prefer to have a piece of pen and paper beside me. tee hee.

[K.N.]

I've got a great memory for the trivial! No pad and paper required! I can't remember more than ten phone numbers, but I usually can tell you the names of most of the characters from a book I've just read.

As for plot points, I read so much I catch hints and patterns. I'm genre-savvy.

[Simon]

I am on 25% trying to speed read. I swear the part where (view spoiler)[Fenny and Gregory part seems very familiar. (hide spoiler)] I know for a fact I never read this book, but I felt like I heard that part of the story before.

I don't know where this is heading. Too many stories mixing together. It's boring.

[Myst]

Andrew wrote: "Myst, you may consider using the kindle :)"

I've got a kindle, but my library didn't have this on kindle. The book I took on sat was a nice fun little paperback.

[John]

Simon, you can't speed read Peter Straub. No wonder you're finding it boring. Straub has to be sipped and savoured...

[Simon]

Certain parts are good but I just find it a bit boring since there so many stories.

[Andrew]

I'm at 60% now.

(view spoiler)[
- More party talks that I still feel is boring
- Still uncovering the mysterious death of those animals
- Mysterious death of the 3 guys
- Alma hooks with Don then Edward?
- They just broke in the house and the story switches back to Don.

Still pretty patient and I feel I will finish this even though it's not as simple as it seems as most of the guys mentioned the story is everywhere , non-linear etc
(hide spoiler)]

[John]

Simon, all the threads will draw together at the end and I'm sure you'll find it rewarding. Soldier on, mate.

[Myst]

Pg 356. More stories are getting connected.

(view spoiler)[Still not sure what the beings are as they've been likened to a couple other myths but aren't those creatures.

And boy is Stella's husband either understanding or unwilling to see. She sure gets around in a small town. And Lewis engaging in activities with other chowder society members wives is pretty sleezy. (Well anyone's wife, but especially his friends.) (hide spoiler)]

[Simon]

@John - actually I am up to 54% and I feel like it's getting a bit interesting. (view spoiler)[I must admit I was a little spooked about the Woman at the window staring right at them. It reminds me of a real place in NYC that many have experiences with. Long ago though. (hide spoiler)]
I know I shouldn't be speed reading (I am also learning), but I need to catch up on all my books! lol

[John]

Okay. However, in the end, I hope you enjoy it. The book is regarded as a significant contribution to the supernatural genre. Anyway, don't neglect your studying!

[Myst]

Figured I might be busy later tonight so went to try and get more read. 50 pages just felt like they whizzed by. 80ish pages left. Hope to finish by noon tomorrow.

[Andrew]

@ 70% . Everything kinda linked . Hope there is more creepy parts coming. Not enough LOL

@ John, can help to expand a bit regarding this supernatural genre? What's the breakthrough and distinction?

(view spoiler)[
- The girl looking towards the boys telescope creeps me a bit also. Some sort like The Shining saying high outside the window.
- Seems like there is quite a bit of A.M iterations
- More deaths
- Wow, shapeshifting to werewolves
- A Master controlling the "puppets"
- The deaths are pretty similar also, most of them in the form of "jumpers" ( pushed down from high attitude )
- Now the witch hunting begins
(hide spoiler)]

[John]

Straub's style. He takes his work seriously and has an erudition which is rare in this genre and is more common in mainstream fiction. You could not accuse Straub of turning out hack work. Even his short stories are chosen word for word and are worked on until they are deemed perfect. Read The Blue Rose for example. This is a story which could easily be classified as mainstream, but the way Straub instruments what happens in the story makes it truly horrifying. With Ghost Story, Straub read everything - but everything - he could lay his hands on before setting out to compose a big novel within a genre which he likes. Because of its size, Straub feared he would struggle with its structuring, so he examined how King did it with Salem's Lot and found his answer.

[Katy]

Anthony wrote: "Catherine wrote: "I picked it up in December and stopped kinda 30% in. It's sooooooo slooooooow.

Does it pick up at any point? Because I really don't think I can handle another 400 pages otherwis..."

I'm about four-fifths of the way through. It's been a long haul, but things are gearing up for the ending.

I agree that when Don arrived, the story picked up.

[Andrew]

Done with this

(view spoiler)[
I feel the non linearity is good.
Like a movie, the start is the end and it continues from the start towards the end of the book. Somehow I feel certain portions are abit repetitive (a couple of jumping suicides, animal killings, a few of the AM killing cycles , boring party conversations , the Jehovah's witness etc )

I love certain short stories that are eerie
i.e intro of the Bates family
previously mentioned the lady looked from the telescope

I wished there are more of this.

Besides, some of the twists are pretty cool
A.M
Lies unveiled from A.M
etc
(hide spoiler)]

[Simon]

It is getting interesting, but I feel that a book shouldn't be interesting when you're almost done with it. It should be a grabber from the beginning to the end.

It's like reading "Niceville" <~ HORRIBLE HORRIBLE BOOK lol

I am at like 71% (view spoiler)[I am a bit confused, is the Eva Galli a shape shifter or it's still part of a story they made up tale telling to Don? (hide spoiler)]

[Tiny Bat :[]

Very behind on this, only started it yesterday and am only about 20% in but never mind I'll just keep plodding on!

[Jeremy]

Finished at last, with a whole day to spare! It was very hard to get through the first half of this book, but there was a definite payoff for muddling through. Scary stuff.

[Char]

Simon wrote: "It is getting interesting, but I feel that a book shouldn't be interesting when you're almost done with it. It should be a grabber from the beginning to the end.

It's like reading "Niceville" <~ H..."


What do you think, Simon?

[Simon]

I think you're pulling my leg LOL I think it's really happening

[Simon]

Finally finished it today. This book is just too boring in the beginning. It felt like a drag until 50% of the book. Time for the next March's book!

[Tiny Bat :[]

Maybe I'm a total wimp but even at 20% this book is scaring me! I'm not usually affected so easily so it must be exceptionally well-written. Since I can now only read it in the day time due to scare factor it might be a few days before I can finish it...

[Brooke]

It did take me a minute to really get into the book, but once I did I couldn't put it down. Great pick!

[Simon]

Normally I would've just stopped reading, but what kept me reading was being part of this group.

I personally didn't find it that scary. Some were creepy, but that's about it.
Not many things I read are scary anymore. I guess that's why I am working on writing my own horrible book. :)

[Andrew]

Simon, yup wasn't that scary to me. Even salem's lot vampire looking from the outside feels lacklustre. I mean it just gives me the creeps.

I'm currently reading house of leaves, you guys can join me in buddy read. Those that read were saying it's scary but so far all books are creepy and mysterious only . My 2 cts

[Micky Blue Skies]

Lyndi wrote: "I tried to read this one but I keep getting bored A's zoning out"

Lyndi,

So did I, but I was listening to the audio version. The narrator was just terrible, so I had Audible remove it from my account and give me my credit back. However, since so many in the group are loving it, I think I am going to get the paperback and give it another go.

[Micky Blue Skies]

Simon wrote: "Normally I would've just stopped reading, but what kept me reading was being part of this group.

I personally didn't find it that scary. Some were creepy, but that's about it.
Not many things I re..."

I totally agree. Please be sure to let me know once you have finished your scary book. I would love to read it.

[Terry]

Took me a little while to get through it, too. I did think the early part was a little slow, but that seemed to be intensionally done to make a more gradual build-up. Looking at the book as a whole, I enjoyed the suspense, and am glad I finally read it.