The Haunting of Alma Fielding ★★☆☆☆

The Haunting of Alma Fielding: A True Ghost Story (Click Here To Buy)

★★☆☆☆

The Haunting of Alma Fielding: A True Ghost Story by Kate Summerscale states on the book jacket that it is a book about a woman with a poltergeist in her house that possesses her.

I read this as a Peak Pick checked out from the library.

My first two star read of the year - I have many issues with this book, the number one being that it deceives readers. It is not about a haunting or ghosts at all, it’s about a woman faking hauntings in her house and then doing magic tricks to trick paranormal investigators. Both the title and the dust jacket are misleading; if it’s not about ghosts thats fine, but don’t tell me it’s about ghosts and then have it not be. Next issue, Alma Fielding is a phoney, the ghost hunters find out she’s a phoney, and then they continue their investigation like they didn’t already catch her in the act…WTF did yal lose your short-term memory? Also first the house is haunted, then Alma is possessed but by way of making things appear/come out of her, then she says a vampire bit her? It’s like pick a possession lady. After catching her mid-sham a number of times, Fodor, the main investigator, decides she actually must be suppressing childhood trauma and then continues working with her as a psychoanalyst (he’s not trained)…um, how is that ethical?? Finally, the writing style was boring as hell, if you’re gonna write about a haunting, make it at least feel scary, am I right? Okay my rant is done…for now.

If you liked The Haunting of Alma Fielding, I also recommend Sybil by Flora Rheta Schreiber, Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo, White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi, and My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh.

Happy reading,

Ms.Bjork

P.S. I walk by this house everyday on my way home from work and it feels like it’s haunted.