Haunted Ground

by Stephen Gresham

The arrival of Ted O'Dell's crippled cousin Ilona in the summer of 1955 awakens the ghosts of the murderous Trogler family that once lived down the road - and sets an evil force in motion. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786015373
• ISBN13: 9780786015375
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: Pinnacle Books
• Length: 350 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 4.2" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

Surprisingly Different But Quite Entertaining

Stephen Gresham's "Haunted Ground" offers many surprises for its readers. The publisher classified the book as horror, but after reading this story, I am not so sure that designation is an appropriate one. Nominally, the author's story does contain a significant plotline concerning a house populated with ghosts, a supernatural element that often takes a back seat to the interactions between the two main characters, Judith and Teddy. "Haunted Ground" is closer to an intense psychological drama about "coming of age" than the usual gruesomely graphic horror novels I am used to reading. This does not mean the book is bad, as nothing could be further from the truth. It's just that I went in looking for a conventional haunted house story and discovered something else entirely different. I soon made the necessary adjustments and, much to my surprise, found that I enjoyed this gripping story immensely. Ted O'Dell lives with his family on their farm in Saddle Rock, Kansas in the mid 1950s. Teddy's family is a model of contrasts: his father is a stoic farmer/mechanic whose primary role is holding the line in this troublesome clan. Ted's mother is a strange lady, prone to deep depressions that only grow greater with the arrival of Teddy's cousin Ilona (who prefers to call herself Judith). Teddy's two brothers are holy terrors, dedicated to making his life a living nightmare. Judith's arrival presents several problems that will ultimately exacerbate the simmering problems in the O'Dell household. She has a medical problem that resembles polio, a condition requiring Judith to wear cumbersome leg braces wherever she goes. Then there is the first few words she says to Teddy upon her arrival, a statement to the effect that she sometimes wakes up the dead. I don't know about you, but if I heard anyone remotely related to me say something along these lines, I would head for the hills as fast as my feet would carry me. Teddy doesn't flee because he finds himself tremendously intrigued by this beautiful and exotic relative. Young Ted soon considers himself the protector of this frail creature, and the two embark on numerous adventures around the farm.Teddy has more problems to deal with than a semi-invalid cousin. For starters, there is his relationship with his brothers Jack and Norman. These two guys give troublesome a whole new meaning. One should look no further than the experience with the grease gun in the barn to recognize the utter sadism of these two figures. Even worse, Jack will eventually develop feelings for Judith, a situation that causes Teddy no end of worries. Another problem with Ted's life concerns his best friend, David, a budding homosexual who sets his sights on his good friend. Fortunately for Teddy, David is out of town for a significant part of the summer and therefore moves into the background of young O'Dell's life. Still, this complicated relationship occasionally arises in our narrator's mind, as Teddy is unsure of his sexual orientation

A Letter to Mr. Gresham

This is a copy of an email I sent to Mr. Gresham, to which he very kindly replied:Where have you and your work been all my life? I had never heard ofyou before or read any of your work, but while browsing through theshelves of my local library one day, I came across Haunted Ground andhave been falling hopelessly, madly in-love with your writing eversince. At the risk of sounding like a pretentious, literary snob,Haunted Ground is truly one of the most unique and original "horror"novels I've read in a very long time. Your writing is eloquent,flowing, and down-right beautiful at times, and I actually found myselfrereading passages; something I hardly ever do with horror novels. Theplot and theme are refreshingly lacking in gore, but rich inpsychological depth and characterization. The running allusions to someof the "greats" like Shakespeare, Woolf, and Thoreau are fabulous. Theforbidden triangles between Teddy, Judith, and Jack, and Teddy, Judith,and David are fascinating. The portrayal of Mrs. O'Dell is terrific. And the intrigue surrounding the ghosts, Mr. O'Dell, and Mr. Suggs iscompelling. A novel like Haunted Ground is exactly the kind of thingmany of us who are horror fans wish for but rarely, if ever, receive. In fact, I love the book so much, I incorporated passages from it into alesson I did with my tenth graders last week on descriptive and creativewriting. If you're flattered by that, you should be; you're writing iswonderful. I can hardly wait to read In the Blood and Dark Magic, and Iwait with baited breath for your unpcoming release. Good luck and Godbless!

A Hauntingly Good Read

Not only do the supernatural elements of this story entertain, but the interpersonal and "interpet" aspects make it more engaging. The fate of Gussie and Oatmeal, while upsetting and vividly described, connect a reader to the real emotions experienced by 14 year old Teddy who is troubled by his confused sexuality and, to put it mildly, dysfunctional homelife. The ending of the novel is satisfying and a culmination of a tale that will remain with a reader after the book's final page is finished.