Will Storr has done some seriously bizarre and other-wordly things over the course of his career as a journalist. But even spending an entire day with Ozzy Osbourne wasn't as frightening as when he agreed to follow Philadelphia "demonologist" Lou Gentile on his appointed round. Will Storr never believed in ghosts--but his healthy skepticism couldn't explain the strange lights and sounds he witnessed, and the weird behavior of the occupants of several allegedly haunted houses.
What resulted is a confirmed cynic's (and proud of it!) dedicated search for answers in a shadowy world of seances, mediums, devil worshippers--even the Vatican's chief exorcist. So get ready to confront the genuinely creepy along with the hilariously ridiculous in Will Storr vs. the Supernatural!
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After my last three books, I thought it was about time I get back to reading books where I don't already know the ending. What better way to do that than to read a work of non-fiction?
I was surprised by this book. I went into it expecting to get a straight-forward progression from complete skeptic to full-on believer. That did not happen. The book basically involves a cynic having this beliefs (or lack thereof) tested. Storr attends countless paranormal research events, meets with renowned investigators, questions a philosopher, interviews a psychiatrist and sits down with an exorcist.
Ultimately, he finishes completely unsure about whether or not the paranormal exists, but that's fine. The guy did his research. I'm surprised the guy lasted a year. I would have slapped every psychic he came in contact with. His experiences with psychics and mediums were so awkward (not written awkwardly...like the situations themselves were awkward). I would not have been able to smile and nod the way he did.
One complaint...and it really has nothing to do with the content of the book. My complaint...WHO THE HELL EDITED THIS BOOK?! I can understand the occasional spelling error (and I had to have a little leeway for the fact that Storr is British and so you get the expected differences), but there were words that were consistently just flat out spelled wrong. Spell check is your friend, people. Look into it.
Bottom line...read it. No matter who you are, read. Originally, I was just going to recommend this to people who are believers. As the book went on though, I changed my mind. No matter which side of the paranormal fence you fall on, I think this is a book to read. It makes you consider things maybe you haven't thought of before. It's not shy about revealing the seedy underbelly of TV ghost hunting programs. Hell...it makes it painfully obvious just how full of it some psychics and mediums are. Read it.
~Missy
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