Ghost Story

In Ghost Story, Peter Straub crafts a haunting and intricately layered supernatural thriller centered on four elderly friends—members of Milburn’s Chowder Society—who gather weekly to tell ghost stories as a diversion from grief and guilt. One tale, tied to the death of their fifth friend Edward Wanderley, sets into motion a chain of eerie events. They summon Edward’s nephew, Donald Wanderley, a writer haunted by his own tragic past, to investigate the dark energy stalking them.

The antagonist materializes in many forms—Eva Galli, Alma Mobley, Ann‑Veronica Moore—each linked to the ancient entity’s shapeshifting vengeance. The novel gradually unveils its mythology through interwoven flashbacks: Sears James’s childhood encounter with the Bate siblings, the mysterious deaths within the group, and the sense of cosmic retribution tied to past transgressions.

Strangers allied with Don, including Peter Barnes, confront the supernatural trio Gregory and Fenny Bate in a chilling theater showdown. Ultimately, the shapeshifter assumes its final form—a wasp—and Don must make a desperate choice to end its legacy. The narrative closes with ambiguity: Donald remains vigilant, knowing the entity may return again.

Straub’s prose is richly atmospheric and moralistic, blending American gothic tradition with psychological terror. Ghost Story explores themes of memory, guilt, the power of storytelling, and the shape of evil itself. A slow‑burn classic praised for its depth, literary tone, and enduring dread.