Will Storr starts out as a sceptic. Despite his good Catholic upbringing, he has lost his faith and he starts out on his paranormal journey as a bit of a joke. Hoping to turn it into an article for Loaded magazine, he spends a few days with Lou Gentile, an American demonologist. It was meant to be a comic look at an American eccentric, but Storr finds himself deeply unsettled by the things he experiences in Gentile’s company. Stuff happens that he can’t explain and which really does seem to have some kind of paranormal origin. Worse still, he doesn’t believe he’s being hoaxed. He’s convinced that Gentile, and the people whose ‘afflicted’ houses they visit, genuinely believe that what’s happening is the work of spirits. What if they’re right? That’s sobering stuff. If ghosts exist, that – reasons Storr – suggests the existence of an afterlife. If the afterlife exists, it follows that all the heaven-and-hell business might be real too. And that, concludes Storr, is enough to make a man think twice about the way he’s living his life. He needs to find out more, to probe deeper into the world of the so-called paranormal – just in case. And to do that, he’s going to need some help..,.

For the full review, please see my blog:
https://theidlewoman.net/2020/03/05/will-storr-vs-the-supernatural-will-storr/#m... ( )

Will Storr's book [b:Will Storr vs. The Supernatural: One Man's Search for the Truth About Ghosts|934267|Will Storr vs. The Supernatural One Man's Search for the Truth About Ghosts|Will Storr|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1442891441s/934267.jpg|919255] reminds me of Mary Roach's [b:Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife|14990|Spook Science Tackles the Afterlife|Mary Roach|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1401287778s/14990.jpg|2398507]. That is a very good thing! Will is struggling to reconcile the religion he grew up in, his loss of faith and stories he's heard about the supernatural. His research takes him into haunted woods; he talks to a priest in Rome about exorcism; he goes onto the set of a Ghost Hunters sort of show; and he (tries to) spend the night in a haunted room above a pub. All the while, he is skeptical and questioning, but in a way I completely understand and not disrespectful of those he writes about. I won't ruin the end for you, but do check this book out if you are a fan of quasi-investigative journalism. He made me question my non-belief of the supernatural, maybe he'll do the same for you. If not, it's still an entertaining read! ( )

Love ghost story books. This is kind of a new take on what I would generally read. Will Storr is a British journalist who takes us along on his journey to try and discover the truth behind ghost and their investigators. He visits numerous different people and groups from ghost hunter groups and "demonologists" to a psychiatrist who is of the opinion that we're all animated zombies. Was an interesting read. At the end of the book Storr seems to be leaning towards more of a believer than a skeptic as he had started out. ( )

An interesting look at Ghosts and ghost hunting froma number of different viewpoints. To be honest some came across as a bit scary, some came across as a bit mad and a few came across as plain depressing (the Psychologist definitely wouldn't be someone I'd like to meet! That everyone is only a zombie is a truly depressing thought!) They all are firm in their beliefs and many disparage others. Some of them are holding on to hope despite all available evidence and some are simply curious (a few are pure eccentricity)

As another reviewer said, Will goes from disbelief to tottering on the edge of belief, still a fair bit on the fence but leaning towards belief. It's an interesting journey but a little disjointed. ( )

This book was hilarious. I really loved it! ( )