Lovely bones, lovely spells and a not-very-scary ghost

Paddington Library Reading Group delved in to the world of the paranormal and the mysterious at their last meeting.

Among the books considered were The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, a witty short story entitled The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde and J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

The Canterville Ghost is an anti-hero (or perhaps an anti-ghost) in the sense that the family living in the house he inhabits are not in the slightest bit scared.

Sebold’s book is a rather different work. It is narrated from the viewpoint of a teenage girl who is murdered, and who can watch her murderer, her family and her friends from heaven.  As years pass her family and friends recover from their grief and move on in life. The victim is an endearing character and treats all people on earth (except her murderer) in a sympathetic light. I won’t tell you how it ends…

The next two meetings will continue to be held in the Children’s Library, due to the ongoing refurbishment of the main library. Celebrate Short Story Week on 26 November, and enjoy Christmas ghost stories, a seasonal quiz and mince pies on 17 December.

[Laurence]