I’ve never read that Maupassant story, but I will have to give it a go. I think that some measure of ambiguity in the ending is best with a very atmospheric story. That way you are left with some of that chilly frightening feeling.

I’m exactly the reverse. I don’t believe in supernatural ghosty things at all, so when I read those stories, I get the thrill but not the actual fear. There was a serial killer wandering around my state when I was a young teenager, so scary stalker murder guy? Distinct possibility & thus incredibly scary.

lol, I think my problem is that I only 99.9% don’t believe in ghosts. There’s about 0.1% belief that makes me hide my head under the covers after reading a ghost story.

Scary stalker murder guy? Not scary. Supernatural killer ghost that pops out of TVs and strangles you? TERRIFYING.

See, yeah. I think I’m prejudiced because I always want it to be a ghost. Ghosts are more fun! If it’s a person, it takes all the fun out of it. But maybe I just haven’t read any good ones where it turns out to be a person.

Hope you enjoy it! It’s a lot of fun (despite flaws)!

I can’t really remember the plot of The Ghost Writer – which just goes to show, it was the atmosphere that was so good in that book! I can still remember lying curled up on my bed in England, totally unable to put the book down.

I don’t like it when a book’s too predictable either – but I’m never sure if I’ve legitimately predicted it. Since I always read the end.

Makes total sense – but I still tend to prefer a ghost. 😛 I like ghost stories because they could never happen, and the only way they could never happen is if it’s really a ghost. Then I get all the creepy fun, without really having to worry about it.