Welcome to Litsy!

This is a non-fiction retelling of what happened when an English housewife suddenly began experiencing poltergeist activity in her home. This happened at a time when mediums and seances were popular in the UK and just prior to the first stirrings of WW 2. A prominent psychic investigator decided to look into the case. Lots of clever deception with Freudian overtones makes an interesting study of human nature. Four stars

I was hoping for more from this book.
It takes a historical look at one ‘medium‘ in pre-WWII England. While the science is interesting and it‘s unique to see how the paranormal went to more pseudoscience, it was overall bland.

The true story of the 1930s investigation into the paranormal events surrounding suburban London housewife, Alma Fielding, including poltergeist activity in her home. Really interesting look at the rise of spiritualism following WWI.

#HauntedHouse #SavvySettings
@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Enjoying listening to Kate Summerscale at the National Archives talking about and obsession with poltergeist. 👻

I enjoyed this history of the “haunting” of a working class English woman. Mrs. Fielding has a poltergeist that throws and breaks things. When a paranormal researcher investigates the source of the haunting, the ghost begins to steal items from Woolsworth‘s. But nothing is really what it seems in this true tale of living in the anxious environment of England on the precipice of war with Germany. Warning: triggering sexual assault content. ⚠️

Was relieved that this book was not super scary. No need to put it in the freezer when not reading it 😂

Went to the bookstore for the first time in ages yesterday! This book was on my radar after reading about it in the TLS and The New Yorker. Despite reading two reviews about it, I‘m still not sure whether to expect real ghosts or not! #SundayRead #CurrentRead

Was Alma Fielding a charlatan or was she actually haunted by a poltergeist?

This book follows the investigation by a paranormal society, where they conduct seances and experiments to determine the validity of her claims. The overall feeling is that Alma was haunted by her past which manifested itself in her belief that she was haunted.

This book was slow and boring at times but did kept my interest, I wasn‘t completely enamoured with it though!

@Mitch Oh my dear friend! Look what arrived today. Thank you so much! (We both knew I wasn‘t going to wait until Easter to open this, right? 😂) I love Kate Summerscale and look forward to reading this. (Also, can I just say I can‘t believe it‘s only been 4 months since you posted about it? It feels like years 🥺)

Clever title for an interesting, if somewhat pedestrian, book. Alma Fielding was haunted by her past, Kate Summerscale suggests, and the result was the raging gimcrackery of poltergeistery that seemed to follow her wherever she went during several dramatic months in 1938. Fraud aplenty - Freud, even - and precious little in the way of actual supernatural events, but, as the author hints, that was never the real point.

#ThankfulThursday @Cosmos_Moon
Happy Thanksgiving weekend! Thanks for the tag!
Fascinating book that links psychology with paranormal activity post WwI
1. Pizza, I guess?! Also the paruppu thovial my mum makes! (A fried ground mixture of various lentils and chillies)
2. That my family and I are healthy and safe!

On the eve of war, in a house in Croydon, England, Alma Fielding reports objects flying around her house - paranormal researcher Nandor Fodor is called in. The poltergeist activity continues and begins to take on fantastical aspects, is Alma to be believed or is she faking it? Summerscale follows Fodor through his investigation, his aims, his qualms and his conscience. A fascinating read #NFN2020 #Book

The sky is darkening in anticipation of heavy rain, a great day to be enjoying a #Readathon. I have a comfy chair, a blanket and a coffee, plus a window to enjoy the autumn nature - bliss. #NovelNovember @Andrew65

The first 2/3 are a recount of the 4 months Alma Fielding was under study at the International Institute of Psychical Research - trying to fathom out whether she was real or a fake. Whilst compelling reading I was aching for some commentary and more context. The final part gave you just that! A memorable read, an interesting perspective not just on female psyche & how that's been viewed / managed over time, but on anxiety at a national level too.

My perfect Sunday sentiment! Especially today - it‘s new book day! #nfn2020

My stack for #nfn2020 lasted 6 days before I diverted! Which is 5 days longer than my normal stacks last! This arrived today and I‘ve been looking forward to it for ages so going to dive right in!

I thought this was quite an interesting read, fascinating in parts, although I did find the writing style a tad dry for my tastes. It‘s wonderfully researched. I liked the descriptions of what was happening on the periphery amidst WWII. I‘m a little sceptical about there actually being ghosts as I believe there is a rational explanation for everything. However, I enjoyed the reading experience and really wanted to know what happened to Alma.

This was a great book for a sceptic like me, and it wasn‘t at all what I was expecting! Nando Fodor is called to Alma Fieldings house because of what appears to be poltergeist activity. He decides to conduct a thorough investigation. This becomes so much more than a house haunting - it appears that Alma herself is haunted. With a backdrop of the lead up to WW2, there‘s a lot going on in the world. I didn‘t think I‘d like this as much as I did! 👻

https://www.luulit.com/product/the-haunting-of-alma-fielding-a-true-ghost-story-...

(Coming Soon)

Internationally best-selling and Edgar Award-winning author Kate Summerscale follows a ghost hunter in 1938 London in a case that illuminates changing social attitudes toward psychoanalysis, sexuality, and the supernatural.