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Ghosts I Have Met, and Some Others
By the American author and satirist, and the creator of modern Bangsian fantasy, the school of fantasy writing that sets the plot wholly or partially in the afterlife.
100 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1898
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About the author
John Kendrick Bangs
463 books42 followersJohn Kendrick Bangs was an American author and satirist, and the creator of modern Bangsian fantasy, the school of fantasy writing that sets the plot wholly or partially in the afterlife.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 6, 2023
Entertaining ghost listening 🎶🔰
This is a free novella e-book from Amazon by John Kendrick Bangs
This novella e-book contains seven short stories about ghost 👻stories. Each story is different with interesting well developed characters lots of action and misdirection leading to the each conclusion.
I would recommend this novella and author to 👍 readers looking for a quick ghost stories read 👍🔰. 2023 😀😮👻
This is a free novella e-book from Amazon by John Kendrick Bangs
This novella e-book contains seven short stories about ghost 👻stories. Each story is different with interesting well developed characters lots of action and misdirection leading to the each conclusion.
I would recommend this novella and author to 👍 readers looking for a quick ghost stories read 👍🔰. 2023 😀😮👻
October 13, 2021
Loved it Great stories A very fun entertaining read
September 30, 2015
“Coleridge, I think it was, was once asked by a lady if he believed in ghosts, and he replied, ‘No, madame; I have seen too many of them.’ Which is my case exactly.”
Unless you are out searching for older macabre writers you might not have run across this gem of a classic. Bangs, tries and succeeds excellently to portray visitations by ghosts that come to him, are drawn to him for different reasons throughout his narration. It would seem to the reader that he is being haunted for the impeccable act of truth telling.
“I hold that it is a man’s duty in this life to give to the world the benefit of his experience. All that he sees he should set down exactly as he sees it, and so simply, withal, that to the dullest comprehension the moral involved shall be perfect obvious.”
Now, having written that and given his quote about the pains one should take upon themselves in the exactness of retelling; one cannot overlook the fact that the ghosts were not interested in his writings as he imagined they might have been. During one such conversation with a specter in his room in the summer of 1895, the ghost admits that it holds him in high regard for the spirit of truth in which he writes, however, makes it clear that while his writing might be truthful it was not interesting.
Throughout Bangs’s stories he makes the supernatural into an everyday occurrence that simply cannot be avoided when you are able to see them, such as, is narrated. Even though this may seem to some reader’s humdrum, I beg to differ. He truly understood that life is not filled with phantoms the way we see them now portrayed in novels, short stories and movies, yet as common, on occasion comical and sometimes irritating. The simple fact that these stories are marked by some, flawed and fanciful makes them all the more closer to reality than we can wish to read.
“If we could only get used to the idea that ghosts are perfectly harmless creatures, who are powerless to affect our well-being unless we assist them by giving way to our fears, we should enjoy the supernatural exceedingly, it seems to me.”
What an intriguing thought, no?
Unless you are out searching for older macabre writers you might not have run across this gem of a classic. Bangs, tries and succeeds excellently to portray visitations by ghosts that come to him, are drawn to him for different reasons throughout his narration. It would seem to the reader that he is being haunted for the impeccable act of truth telling.
“I hold that it is a man’s duty in this life to give to the world the benefit of his experience. All that he sees he should set down exactly as he sees it, and so simply, withal, that to the dullest comprehension the moral involved shall be perfect obvious.”
Now, having written that and given his quote about the pains one should take upon themselves in the exactness of retelling; one cannot overlook the fact that the ghosts were not interested in his writings as he imagined they might have been. During one such conversation with a specter in his room in the summer of 1895, the ghost admits that it holds him in high regard for the spirit of truth in which he writes, however, makes it clear that while his writing might be truthful it was not interesting.
Throughout Bangs’s stories he makes the supernatural into an everyday occurrence that simply cannot be avoided when you are able to see them, such as, is narrated. Even though this may seem to some reader’s humdrum, I beg to differ. He truly understood that life is not filled with phantoms the way we see them now portrayed in novels, short stories and movies, yet as common, on occasion comical and sometimes irritating. The simple fact that these stories are marked by some, flawed and fanciful makes them all the more closer to reality than we can wish to read.
“If we could only get used to the idea that ghosts are perfectly harmless creatures, who are powerless to affect our well-being unless we assist them by giving way to our fears, we should enjoy the supernatural exceedingly, it seems to me.”
What an intriguing thought, no?
February 4, 2012
Highly amusing collection of rambling tall tales that make fun of serialized ghost stories - though it ends with a solid chiller of its own!
December 29, 2023
“If we could only get used to the idea that ghosts are perfectly harmless creatures, who are powerless to affect our well-being unless we assist them by giving way to our fears, we should enjoy the supernatural exceedingly.”
A silly tale of ghosts that will set your heart at ease rather than frighten you. A bit uninteresting but well-written.
A silly tale of ghosts that will set your heart at ease rather than frighten you. A bit uninteresting but well-written.
September 28, 2008
I was looking for short stories at my uni library, because I'm really busy and don't have alot of time to commit to a novel! I randomly happened upon this one, was intrigued, read the first paragraph, and died. This anthology is about ghosts, but when I read it I find alot of strength from it-- for me, it's really about not letting life's challenges defeat you. The first story is about how the author has met many ghosts and how they have physically affected him (i.e, the hair stands up on the back of his neck,) but he is strong enough not to let them mentally control them-- for me,that means, someone can hurt me temporarily or physically but they can never do so permanently. So, I took alot of meaning from it!
Besides this, which I'm not sure every reader would discover, these stories are wonderful! They are late 1800s ghost stories so they are rather vanilla, but frightfully delicous. In each one the author makes fun of himself and his critics. Very light hearted and humerous, but I won't lie and say I wasn't scared at times.
The only down side to this book was of course racism and sexism, which is to be expected in that time period. It is particularly offensive to blacks, Chinese, and women.
Besides this, which I'm not sure every reader would discover, these stories are wonderful! They are late 1800s ghost stories so they are rather vanilla, but frightfully delicous. In each one the author makes fun of himself and his critics. Very light hearted and humerous, but I won't lie and say I wasn't scared at times.
The only down side to this book was of course racism and sexism, which is to be expected in that time period. It is particularly offensive to blacks, Chinese, and women.
near-completion
August 2, 2025Read so far:
Ghosts that have haunted me : a few spirit reminiscences --2
The mystery of my grandmother's hair sofa --3
The mystery of Barney O'Rourke --2
The exorcism that failed --3
Thurlow's Christmas story (aka Thurlow's ghost story)--3
Carleton Barker, First and Second--2
***
The affliction of Baron Humpfelhimmel
A glance ahead: Being a Christmas tale of AD 3568
A midnight visitor --2
The water ghost of Harrowby Hall --3
Ghosts that have haunted me : a few spirit reminiscences --2
The mystery of my grandmother's hair sofa --3
The mystery of Barney O'Rourke --2
The exorcism that failed --3
Thurlow's Christmas story (aka Thurlow's ghost story)--3
Carleton Barker, First and Second--2
***
The affliction of Baron Humpfelhimmel
A glance ahead: Being a Christmas tale of AD 3568
A midnight visitor --2
The water ghost of Harrowby Hall --3
July 1, 2013
A bit overarch sometimes, and a bit stiff, but largely lightly funny and occasionally pleasantly creepy. I think I might look this one up in paperbook; it feels like the kind of book which would particularly suffer from being e-read.
March 30, 2016
This book was very odd to me but I did enjoyed it. I found it on sale very cheap. What stresses me out the most about all of the events in this book is that I know it's a made up story but I kind of believe it actually happen because the author was that good! Good book for Halloween!
May 7, 2011
Very droll, indeed. This kind of tongue-in-cheekery is really quite splendid, because it ends up, often, with surprisingly insightful views of the writing world itself.
February 27, 2013
One of my favourites. A witty send-up of the gothic horror anthology, written while gothic horror was still a new idea.
March 20, 2013
Don't let the title fool you - it was quite a funny and satirical piece. Fun to read!
August 21, 2013
A really fun little collection of turn-of-the-century ghost stories, told with a lot of humor. Several laugh-out-loud moments for those who like their jokes smart and tucked firmly in cheek.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews