[.ca] Haunted Houses of California: A Ghostly Guide to Haunted ... (ISBN 1884550355)

Lacks any real depth:
This book was a dissapointment, but I love the subject of haunted houses, so I keep it around. Antoinette May concentrated more on the history of the actual buildings than on the hauntings themselves, and in one case (a story about Hollywood actress Thelma Todd) she treats the story like a who-done-it rather than account for any haunting. She goes on for six and a half pages about who killed Thelma Todd, and finishes up with ONE PARAGRAPH about building workers who say they've seen a ghost. The story of the Red, White, and Blue beach is the only readable story in the book, and is the ONLY reason I give this book 2 stars, but even that could have backed with research or better pictures or SOMETHING, ANYTHING. The story was chilling, all the details the physics were picking up, and the fear they all felt, but again, I was left dissapointed with the story overall. This is a light read, and if you have nothing better to do, and are in some tourist information about California, then by all means pick it up. If you are looking for depth and insight into hauntings and haunted houses, I suggest you look elseware.

It's almost like a field guide!:
Since I live in the bay area, I'm pretty close to most of the places talked about in the book. It's a pretty fun weekend activity; my friends and I make a mini road trip of it. I've been to the majority of the places listed, and I have to admit that there have been a few times where I've had the ba-jezus scared out of me. Plus, it's a good way to connect with the state history. Unfortuatly, this book is definatly a lot more interesting to someone who lives in California or is planning on visiting. Otherwise, I highly recommend it to anyone who loves anything supernatural.

Expansive, if not a bit lacking in depth:
While I do, to a degree agree with those who disliked this book, I find that for it's breadth of haunted locales in the Bay Area and California, it cannot be beat. It covers so many locations that it would be hard to cover with more depth. Also, the book focuses more on the HISTORY of the sites then the hauntings themselves. However, the story of Red, White and Blue beach made me have to visit!

Boo!:
I just purchased this book upon visiting the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, CA. The house was a bizarre maze designed by the mind of Sarah Winchester, who was told by a psychic that she must continually add on to her house 24 hours a day to appease the spirits that were killed by her husband's Winchester Rifles. Stairways lead to nowhere, fireplaces don't reach the ceiling, doors open into walls and closets lead to other rooms. This book tells the tale of other haunted houses within California and makes you wonder...what if?

A lot of FUN for Californians!:
I collect books on hauntings, and a major problem I often find is that the telling of the "incident" or "occurence" can be either dry or so wordy you are bored to tears. This is not a problem with this book. The author attempts the bring the location alive with history and accounts of what (may have) taken place to cause the phenomena. However, it's greatest asset is also it's greatest flaw. As others have stated, some "ghost" stories have very little documentation of the actual hauntings, which is disappointing. Personally, I really enjoyed this book. I would recommend it, especially if you are from Califonia. I used it to plan "haunted tours" with friends, and it provides information about each location (address, ph#, when and if it's open to the public) for those who want to experience it themselves. If you know the area(s), familiarity adds to the fun. If you are looking for an in depth study, I wouldn't say this book is for you. It's a fun, spooky, simple read, not an in depth study. But overall, I think people have been too hard on it, I've owned my copy since 1993, and reread it many times. It's pretty much what it claims to be. And really it's the only book I have read so far that is focused exclusively on (the entire) state of California.