Byways of Ghost-Land
Book Review: “Byways of Ghost-Land” by Elliott O’Donnell ( Classic Supernatural Ghost Stories Collection )
Byways of Ghost-Land by Elliott O’Donnell is a collection of Ghosts and supernatural experiences published in 1911 by the author. Based on the author’s investigations and his several books O’Donnell paranormal ghost stories describe the mystery of the world. It will be of interest to anyone interested in ghosts and the haunting and by its style is a Victorian take on how such things might be written about.
Through this book, the author maps out different places people visit, haunted places such as castles and forests with mystery and suspense at their peak. It is often possible to see that O’Donnel’s writing does not present numerous complexities and it facilitates for the reader as it follows the stories well. His language does edify for the time it was written, the language can be slightly formal and a little wordy but on access the stories can easily be understood. Most of the chapters are based on different gory events and as such it reads like a book of ghost stories. They are rather short and the book is organized in a manner that lets the reader sample through well, from mysteries to hauntings to having a brush with a ghost.
Two, we have found Byways of Ghost-Land to be a work containing vivid specifics and narrative tension on the part of the author. While O’Donnell does not describe the unknown as altogether dreadful, she does explore fear’s capacity to remain unresolved at the end of these stories, and talentedly so; readers are left wondering while also feeling crestfallen. Some of the stories he tells are quite amusing and he shares each story as though is relating events in his everyday life or history. This approach makes the story seem real to mostly skeptical readers.
At the same time, some of the readers might consider O’Donnell’s erudite with his wordiness fabulating many details explaining settings, backgrounds, etc., which makes the reading slower. Though these lengthy passages contain numerous descriptions, they may be boring, and their inclusion makes the real plot seem redundant or, vice versa, compressed. For fans of classic ghost stories, these descriptions can guide the reader through vivid pictorial construction of the places haunted by O’Donnell.
As much as Byways of Ghost-Land may not provide ‘jumps’ even by today’s standards it certainly builds up a tone of unease and does seem to show genuine curiosity in the supernatural. One can see that O’Donnell respects the telling of ghost stories and the supernatural and readers can feel his passion for the subject. This book is intended for those interested in classic ghost stories or for anyone curious about how past societies addressed the paranormal.
Therefore, it turns out that Byways of Ghost-Land is quite entertaining when read by people who are eager to find a book full of ghost stories that are described traditionally. Elliott O’Donnell shares some stories that are at the same time horrifying and inspiring as the author demonstrates that some enigmas are beyond human comprehension. It may not be as action-packed as other supernatural dramas but it does give a nice feel to exploring spirits and places with spirits.
