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Whistle Stopper - 20th Century Ghosts
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List Price: $24.95
Our Price: $12.99
Your Save: $ 11.96 ( 48% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: William Morrow
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN: 9780061147975
ISBN: 0061147974
Label: William Morrow
Manufacturer: William Morrow
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 336
Publication Date: 2007-10-01
Publisher: William Morrow
Release Date: 2007-10-16
Studio: William Morrow
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Not as good as Heart-Shaped Box
Comment: When I read Heart-Shaped Box, I thought that this book of short stories had potential to be very scary. I was very disapointed to find out that not only were none of these stories scary in the least, they had no ending, which left you hanging. Some of the stories, such as "Better than Home" in NO WAY constituted a ghost story, or was frightening in any way, shape, or form. As another reviewer mentioned, my favorite part of the book was a story that was told within one of the srories... I would not reccomend this book overall.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Genetics?
Comment: The last story in this collection, called "Voluntary Committal", is of the kind that I never get tired of - alternate universes juxtaposed with the normal harsh realities of everyday. Redemption and loss possible in every paragraph. If this story appeared in a Stephen King collection I would only think that old Steve has scored another 10, like he has done so many times before. Joe Hill, like his Dad, has some of that ability, that seemingly effortless alchemy, that can create a great tale. It pleases me that, even though Steve should be around for a while, we could have a long time to enjoy more work of this quality.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Indelible images
Comment: I'm only really reviewing the first short story in this collection, "Pop Art," even though I read the entire book. I'm not really into short stories, preferring fully-realized characters and settings, which makes the impact of "Pop Art" on me even more impressive. The other stories didn't make much of an impression on me, but I consider "Pop Art" to be worth the price of admission in and of itself.
To say much would be to spoil it, but I will say that the premise was developed with consistency and poetry. I will never forget some of the images this story left me with.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Haunted Characters, Haunting Stories...
Comment: So the cat's out of the bag now that Joe Hill is one of Stephen King's sons. Well, no such thing as nepotism here, because this is an absolutely beautiful book--definitely on my list of favorites.
Hill wears his influences and inspirations on his sleeve. "You Will Hear the Locust Sing" is like Kafka's The Metamorphosis set during a 1950's giant bug movie. "Abraham's Boys" is his take on the Van Helsing character from Dracula. "The Cape" is both a realistic character study and a superhero origin story. "20th Century Ghost" is a nostalgic homage to both film history, in general, and Steven Spielberg, in particular.
Yet, none of the stories ever feel derivative or lazy, because Hill always manages to add some new or unexpected twist. Many of the stories are disturbing, some are even shocking, but they also manage to be humorous, warm, and tender. There's authentic emotional depth in these tales. I can't manage to make it through "Pop Art," the absolute masterpiece of the collection, without crying every single time.
The title couldn't be more accurate, because these stories all feature characters that are haunted--haunted by their pasts, by inner demons, by troubled childhoods, and horrible secrets. Identity seems to be the common theme that connects these stories--how do we decide who we are? Is it a gift (or a curse) from our families? Do we decide ourselves who we are? Do we embrace our secret self (You Will Hear the Locust Sing, The Cape), do we run from it (Best New Horror), do we hide from it (Voluntary Committal)? Are we predetermined to become our parents (My Father's Mask)?
Hill displays incredible talent in this book. I can't wait to see what he produces in the future. In the meantime, I highly recommend this one.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Not much of a short story lover, but...
Comment: I'm not much of a short story lover...don't know why, just don't care for them. HOWEVER, I enjoyed this collection of short stories immensely. Pop Art is especially amazing. In Pop Art one finds a meaningful story line and characters about whom one can care. I almost passed 20th Century Ghosts by, but I'm so glad I didn't.
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Editorial Reviews:
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Imogene is young and beautiful. She kisses like a movie star and knows everything about every film ever made. She's also dead and waiting in the Rosebud Theater for Alec Sheldon one afternoon in 1945. . . . Arthur Roth is a lonely kid with big ideas and a gift for attracting abuse. It isn't easy to make friends when you're the only inflatable boy in town. . . . Francis is unhappy. Francis was human once, but that was then. Now he's an eight-foot-tall locust and everyone in Calliphora will tremble when they hear him sing. . . . John Finney is locked in a basement that's stained with the blood of half a dozen other murdered children. In the cellar with him is an antique telephone, long since disconnected, but which rings at night with calls from the dead. . . .
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