Book · 1979
Ghost Story
by Peter Straub
Four old men in a small town swap ghost stories at a private club, not knowing one of them is about to come true.
What does Reddit think of Ghost Story?
Ghost Story by Peter Straub mostly shows up as a bullet point, not a conversation. r/horrorlit drops it into recommendation lists next to Lovecraft, Laird Barron, and The Ritual (↑126), and separately alongside Dracula, Carmilla, and Frankenstein when someone wants a classic (↑59). r/suggestmeabook does the same, filing it with Dean Koontz, The Exorcist, and Silence of the Lambs in one thread (↑56) and with Neverwhere and The Ocean at the End of the Lane in another (↑74). None of that is a review. The exception is a single r/suggestmeabook comment (↑71): a slog at first, worth it by the end, and the only book that had the commenter checking under the bed with the lights on. That's the one displayed excerpt with an actual opinion attached. Everything else here is inclusion, repeated across 1,222 recognized references, without anyone arguing the case.
Community feedback & reader fit
Themes
- · A default bullet point on horror-canon recommendation lists
- · Filed with the classics (Dracula, Carmilla, Frankenstein) and the modern favorites (Annihilation, The Ritual) alike
- · One reported slow start that pays off by the ending
- · Mention volume with almost no attached opinion
Common praise
- + The one commenter who actually reviews it (↑71) says it's the only book that had them checking under the bed and sleeping with the lights on.
- + Keeps getting placed on classic-horror lists next to Dracula and Carmilla rather than getting dropped as dated (↑59).
- + Shows up in the same list as Annihilation and The Ritual (↑126), current favorites, not treated as a period piece separate from what horrorlit reads now.
Common criticism
- − The only real review in this sample calls it a slog at first, before admitting the ending changes that verdict (↑71).
- − Nearly every other displayed mention is a title dropped into a longer list with zero elaboration on why.
Who it's for
You want the book recommenders keep filing next to Dracula and Carmilla when someone asks for a genuine classic, not a paperback aisle pick. Patience matters here: the one commenter who reviewed it in these threads warns it drags before it earns anything (↑71). Coming from Annihilation or The Ritual and wanting something that reads as their ancestor rather than their opposite, this is where horrorlit keeps sending people.
Mentions over time
Which Reddit comments matter for Ghost Story?
The most relevant excerpts across the subreddits where this book is mentioned — opinionated, argued takes first, then top-upvoted mentions. Click through to read the full thread.
“This is a list I've typed out for someone else a while ago, but I think it can help you as well! \--- I can give you a list of highly rated, popular, and/or influentialclassics (as well as some more modern ones you wouldn't be able to callclassics yet, but which are highly praised), to give you a …
“Lovecraft’s bibliography Laird Barron’s bibliography too probably Annihilation Jeff Vandermeer The Fisherman John Langan The Ritual and Last Days Adam Nevill The Ruins by Scott Smith The Terror by Dan Simmons Dracula by Bram Stoker Carmila by Sheridan Le Fanu Ghost Story by Peter Straub …
“Peter Straub's "Ghost Story" Dan Simmons' "Dead of Night" Ray Bradbury's "Something Wicked This Way Comes" Erin E. Adams' "Jackal" Slightly edgier, Stephen Graham Jones' Indian Lake trilogy.
“Ghost Story by Peter Straub
“I recommend looking into Neil Gaiman books, the ones I’d specifically recommend are: Neverwhere The Ocean at the End of the Lane The Graveyard Book Coraline A couple of books I have purchased and am saving for October are Ghost Story by Peter Straub and Dark Tales by Shirley Jackson
“Ghost Story by Peter Straub it's a bit of a slog at first but by the end you'll wish it would never end and it's the only book that had me checking under the bed and sleeping with the lights on
“Ghost Story, by Peter Straub At least one of the classic gothics, be it Frankenstein, Dracula, or The Complete Edgar Allan Poe Ghosts, by Edith Wharton
“Twilight Eyes by Dean Koontz The Bad Place by Dean Koontz The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty ) The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris Ghost Story by Peter Straub Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury These are absolutely som…
“Peter Straub - Ghost Story. A leader in this genre. Bram Stroker's - Dracula. Far far more packed with fears than anything after, IMHO.
“There were points in Ghost Story by Peter Straub that legitimately creeped me out
“If you’ve already put it down, at this point, I’d keep it down. Without spoiling anything, the book escalates in this manner. Personally loved it, but, if you’re looking for “none of that” I’d just recommend a classic horror novel with exceptional characters: *Ghost Story* by Peter Straub Or, bein…
“Top 3 Novels: 1- The Shining Stephen King 2- Ghost Story Peter Straub 3- We Have Always Lived in the Castle Shirley Jackson Top 3 Short Stories: 1- I have No Mouth And I Must Scream Harlan Ellison 2- The Colour Out of Space H.P. Lovecraft 3- Sticks Karl Edward Wagner
“Give Peter Straub a shot. Ghost Story, Shadowland and Floating Dragon are all awesome!
“Ghost Story by Peter Straub The Terror by Dan Simmons Blackwater by Michael McDowell These are all long books with slow burns. Definitely not for everyone. They’re also three of my favorite books.
“Fantastic list. For more essentials, could only add William Hope Hodgson's *The House on the Borderland,* Peter Straub's *Ghost Story,* Mark Danielewski's *House of Leaves* and the short stories of Thomas Ligotti.
Convinced? Pick up Ghost Story
What else does r/horrorlit read?
Other books mentioned in the same sub, ranked. Shared-sub overlap with this title breaks ties.
Ghost Story — frequently asked
Is Ghost Story by Peter Straub actually scary, according to Reddit?+
One displayed r/suggestmeabook comment (↑71) says yes specifically: it's the only book that had them checking under the bed and sleeping with the lights on. That's the single opinionated data point in this sample; most other mentions are list inclusions without commentary on how frightening it actually is.
Does Ghost Story by Peter Straub have a slow start?+
According to the one commenter who reviewed it rather than just listing it (↑71), yes: they call it a slog at first, then say by the end they wished it wouldn't finish. No other displayed excerpt weighs in on pacing.
Where does Ghost Story by Peter Straub fit next to classics like Dracula?+
r/horrorlit puts it in the same bracket in a displayed comment (↑59) that lists it alongside at least one classic gothic like Frankenstein or Dracula, and Ghosts by Edith Wharton. It's treated as belonging to that shelf rather than as a separate modern entry.
Is Ghost Story by Peter Straub still recommended alongside newer horror on Reddit?+
Yes. A displayed r/horrorlit comment (↑126) lists it in the same breath as Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer and The Ritual by Adam Nevill, contemporary horror favorites, rather than setting it apart as an older, separate category.