The Ghost Writer
John Harwood
It's The Fall of the House of Usher but not so nearly well written.
I have really no idea what prompts me to do this to myself.
I was discouraged by the many stories within a story - that starts to drive me mad after a bit and I had the sinking feeling that no ghost would appear - yes indeed it would be the mad woman in the attic.
I guess we could find a moral in the story - don't fall in love sight unseen but what's the fun in that?
No, wait stop me.
You see, I'll make a confession, I'm on the hunt for a good ghost story - there were a few moments within this book that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up but alas - and I'm not sure why writers do this, but we fall back into the mad woman in the attic.
That offends me. Perhaps because I live in my own attic and I don't need to be reminded that thwarted love drives us all over - when really it doesn't. Thwarted love drives us to stupid decisions that we giggle over with girlfriends and a fine bottle of wine afterwards – and then we decide to make a few more stupid decisions that really good girlfriends encourage. WHEN will that happen in a ghost story?
I suppose when I find that "someone," who both moves me mentally and then physically, he may point out to me that perfect ghost story - you know the one with a real, live - oh pardon me - well with a ghost in the story and not some demented female who wastes time and life on a bungled love affair. Really we must move on.
