Ghostlore from the land of Steinbeck and Eastwood
Written: May 08 '04 (Updated Aug 19 '09)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: True ghost stories from California's Monterey Peninsula, good grasp of the region's history
Cons: Author's strict adherence to his chronology, the annoying constant references to author's other books
The Bottom Line: Despite the disruptive flow of its reading, Reinstedt has consulted primary contemporary and historical resources and the background info makes these ghost stories fun to read.
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| adriennefoster's Full Review: Randall Reinstedt - Ghost Notes |
Although the flow of the storytelling in Ghost Notes is disorderly, enough theoretical background on the phenomena is provided to make this book intriguing. Author Randall A. Reinstedt is a folklorist living in the Carmel-Monterey bay area of California and knows his locale well.
This 1991 trade paperback is literally an organized collection of Reinstedt's notes in pursuing details of local true ghost encounters. Each anecdote is reported in the chronological order he received them and several black and white photos help illustrate the haunted sites.
An elderly lady arrives the United States Naval Postgraduate School (formerly the Hotel Del Monte) to celebrate her anniversary with her husband, but becomes agitated when the phantom "man in gray" asks her where the stairs are. At the Royal Presidio Chapel (aka San Carlos Cathedral), two security officers watch as their canine escort battles an invisible foe. Motorists narrowly avoid accidents by the Ghost Tree on Carmel's famed Seventeen Mile Drive when they see the mysterious lady in lace walking down the middle of the road on dark, foggy nights.
These vignettes randomly move about the locale and vary in length, depth, and detail. While some may not say much, Reinstedt usually provides some history or theory to fill major gaps in the stories. He has an obvious love for this section of the state. As a long-time resident who takes advantage of local resources, he does his research and has consulted primary as well as secondary sources.
Naturally, the world-famous members of this coastal community receive some attention. Reinstedt briefly describes a haunting revolving around Clint Eastwood's ranch. Robert Louis Stevenson and Nobel Prize winner John Steinbeck are dwelled on several times, but Reinstedt does not offer any verification that they're among the spirits he reports. (This is actually a Good Thing for the deceased authors. No one really wants to stagnate in his evolutionary process.) Doris Day, on the other hand, is overlooked.
The two most annoying factors is the way this book is structured and its constant references to Reinstedt's previous publications. Although he gives his readers a good feel of the region by moving here and there with his anecdotes, his numerous accounts on the Postgraduate School, for instance, lose momentum because of his adherence to his chronology. With so much to say about a single haunted site, it would be better to clump all of its details in a lengthier chapter rather than present them as broken up accounts.
The referrals to Reinstedt's other books come off as a cheap marketing ploy. The list of the author's other publications is sufficient.
Despite the irritating traits in Ghost Notes, Reinstedt's research is impressive and his own. He is willing to speculate with the facts he is familiar so the reader is satisfied and not left with unanswered questions. This is for people who like ghostlore, especially if they have an interest the Carmel-Monterey area.
More California ghost folklore:
California Ghost Notes, by Randall Reinstedt
The Incredible World of Gold Rush Ghosts (The Big Picture), by Nancy Bradley and Robert Reppert
Ghost Hunter's Guide to the San Francisco Bay Area, by Jeff Dwyer
Ghost Stories of California's Gold Rush Country and Yosemite National Park, by Antonio R. Garcez
Ghost Hunting in Mother Lode Country, by Hilber H. Graf
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977542028&nav=MyGather
Haunts of San Jose, by David Lee
San Francisco Ghosts, by Mark Lyon
Haunted Houses of California, by Antoinette May
Ghost Stories of California, by Barbara Smith
Ghosts of San Francisco, by Kathryn Vercillo
Documentary:
Ghosts of California
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Originally posted at Amazon.com on March 28, 2002.
Recommended:
Yes
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