09-02-2010, 09:25 PM
welcome Burneyfan. I am a lifelong fan of Barbara Michaels as well and have to agree that Here I Stay stands out among the rest because of the downbeat ending. To me, the idea of lonely souls wandering the earth in search of rest is tragic to begin with, and my favorite ghost stories are those that do not end happily. Dark Water and The Changeling are two ghost films that come to mind, and of course the classic The Innocents / Turn of the Screw.
I just re-read Ammie, Come Home over the weekend. Considering it was written in 1968, a full three years before The Exorcist was published, it was chock full of musings on the nature of the supernatural and ghostly possession. While it did not have a tragic ending, it certainly set the bar high for Ms. Michaels' career. It treated the subject very seriously, and the author had clearly done her research. More Gothic than Romance, it was a fun "spooky" but light read. Also interesting to note that it was set in Georgetown / Washington DC, the same setting for Mr. Blatty's horror novel of demonic possession.
I'm looking forward to re-reading more Barbara Michaels supernatural Gothics as the autumn progresses!
I just re-read Ammie, Come Home over the weekend. Considering it was written in 1968, a full three years before The Exorcist was published, it was chock full of musings on the nature of the supernatural and ghostly possession. While it did not have a tragic ending, it certainly set the bar high for Ms. Michaels' career. It treated the subject very seriously, and the author had clearly done her research. More Gothic than Romance, it was a fun "spooky" but light read. Also interesting to note that it was set in Georgetown / Washington DC, the same setting for Mr. Blatty's horror novel of demonic possession.
I'm looking forward to re-reading more Barbara Michaels supernatural Gothics as the autumn progresses!
