Passing Strange: True Tales of New England Hauntings and Horrors

by Joseph A. Citro and Joseph A. Cotro

Book Overview

New England's dark hills, fogbound coasts, and hidden villages have inspired generations of writers such as Hawthorne, Lovecraft, and King. But these authors' dark imaginings pale when compared to little-known but well-documented and true tales. In this delightfully spine-tingling tour of all six New England states, Citro chronicles the haunted history and folklore of a region steeped in hardship and horror, humor and pathos.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1576300595
• ISBN13: 9781576300596
• Release Date: October 1997
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Great

I read this when I was a teenager, and I was so happy to finally find it again. It's a fun read and an excellent source on folklore.

Citro taps into a rich vein of lore.

This is not a collection of ghost stories designed for telling 'round the campfire. Citro isn't trying to frighten his readers, nor is he striving for a horrific, ghastly atmosphere. Instead, he simply tells the stories in a relaxed, informal narrative which is every bit as riveting as it is informative. He doesn't try to persuade anyone, either; he offers various theories and plausible explanations for the events he describes, but they seldom ring true -- obviously, Citro selected stories of happenings which, to date, have yielded no good answers. But while the explanations generally don't hold water, the stories themselves sound very believable and real. That's because Citro also hasn't targeted the stories where a single gibbering yokel stammered out his story to a disbelieving audience; he's tapped tales with witnesses (at times numbering in the dozens or more), substantial documentation and, where possible, the results of formal investigations.

I will never go outside again....its too scary!

When you meet Joe Citro, he's cheerful and upbeat, and very benign. I had the opportunity to meet him when he talked to my high school english class. He scared us with a simple tale. And then I bought the book...... Had I known what kind of scary state, not to mention region, I lived in, I would have moved. But how bad can the rest of the country be? This is a great book, especially if you never want to sleep....I recommend reading it at a slumber party.....late, late at night!!!

More Scary Than Stephen King

I've been reading and writing horror stories since my pre-teen years, and while I find the novels entertaining, they don't scare me. I'd thought myself "scare-proof" by books until I read this one. Reading about all the "true" stories that happened in places I've visited or lived in scaried me more than I would have thought possible. Don't read it before bed!

Gripping

Having been a native Vermonter and New Englander, I had not realized the ghostlore involved with this section of the country. Many of the stories occur within minutes of my own location. This book points out the origins and as much fact as can be researched. The end result is left with the reader as to which can be explained and that that which can not. Read this book alone at night and you will hear sounds that you used to take for granted, or did you?......

Excellent commentary on New England oddities.

The author takes a humerous approach to the oddities of New England. Many stories are historical dating in 18th and 19th century. This book makes you think twice about the world beyond. The author has gone to great lengths to varify all information presented. Wonderfully written; I couldn't put it down.