Having read most of Jeanette Wintersons books I was happy to be given the chance to read this and it did not disappoint. Interesting and thought provoking. I don’t think is one of her best offerings but certainly worth a read.

I love Jeanette Winterson's writing - it's always engaging, thought-provoking and beautifully-written, and 'Night Side of the River' is no exception.

This is a collection of short stories, billed as 'Ghost Stories' but actually so much more than a bunch of unconnected tales. Instead, Winterson divides her collection into four sections: Devices, Places, People and Visitations. There's also mini-essay sections where Jeanette Winterson herself puts forward ideas about ghosts or personal perspectives - I particularly loved the introduction where Winterson explores the human fascination with ghosts and their place in different cultures.

One of the ideas running through the book is the impact of new technologies on our lives, deaths and afterlives - Winterson has a track record of engaging with some complex questions around AI, the metaverse and our digital footprints. This is intriguingly explored in the early sections of the book with stories about an app that keeps your loved one installed in your life, plus a story about virtual reality and living through an avatar after death. I'm not crazy about stories based on technology, but Winterson's take is refreshing and not without a horrifying, ghostly element that fits well with the book.

My personal preference in the realm of ghost stories is for the gothic - count me in for haunted houses, darkness, curses, spooky seances and general creepiness! Luckily for me, there's plenty of this evident in the collection - from ghostly, tragic, doomed lovers to spooky happenings at Blackdog Castle, remote houses and empty parks, hidden rooms and messages from beyond the grave. There's stories narrated by the living, the dead, the ghostly, the haunted, the grieving - and, because this is the ever-playful Winterson, the con-artist wanting to cash in on ghost events as entertainment.

As expected, there's strong undercurrents of horror in some of the stories - the boatman one is terrifying! However, there's much subtlety beyond this - especially in Winterson's presentation of grief and the things that make us remember, the things that provide comfort or provoke memories. Some of the stories are really moving, something I wasn't really anticipating.

Lots of the stories are also really clever and there are some twists along the way. There's also a really pleasing variety in the collection, from the downright scary to the dystopian, the tender to the gently humorous. I definitely had favourites and ones that will stay with me, but I enjoyed them all.

I'm not sure whether this was just a feature of the Kindle proof, but my copy didn't clearly separate the stories so it was a bit tricky to read. The contents page gives story titles, but these weren't evident as story dividers - I think maybe a physical copy of this would be easier to navigate, especially as there were sometimes linked ideas where I wanted to flick back to check something in a previous story.

This is a really thought-provoking and entertaining book with something for everyone - even those totally cynical about the supernatural (which, I confess, is where I stand!) Whatever your tastes, this is some skilful and enjoyable storytelling.

Thanks to NetGalley for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

DNF - 30%

I saw the author and auto-piloted, and should've really read the blurb as well. This wasn't for me. It was an interest exploration of AI and humans, but I was really after more traditional style horror/ghost stories and sadly these left me flat

Don't let this put you off though! Had I been looking for this content, this would be a great choice. One of the stories really dragged me in, in spite of myself. And Winterson is an amazing writer

I received an advance copy for free from NetGalley, on the expectation that I would provide an honest review.

"A strange development in the history of ghosts is that a significant number of people who don't believe in a god continue to believe in ghosts."

This collection of 14 'ghost' stories is as much about the living as it is the dead. The book is divided into four kinds of encounters with ghosts or the otherworldly: devices, places, people, and visitations. In between the author recounts her own experiences with the supernatural.

Some tales are chilling and eerie, others are funny and sweet, or even heartbreaking. A woman whose abusive husband has died has him turned into a nicer version in a utopian alternate reality, much to his ghost's chagrin. A thieving couple con their way into a rundown cottage, only to be haunted by its previous occupants who slowly erode their relationship. A man who's grieving the loss of his partner is watched over and lovingly tended to by his ghost. A woman sees her recently deceased mother's spirit, only to realise something disturbing about her own materiality.

Blending the metaverse with the supernatural, 'Night Side of the River' is an exploration of life, death, grief, love, and belief. While the river in the title of the book refers to a story taking place on the River Thames in London, it reminds me of the River Styx, across which the dead were ferried in mythology. All of the stories have one theme in common: life and death are much closer to one another than most people think – one is not merely the end of the other. What really happens after death, we don't know, but it's still one of our most enduring and prescient questions.

It's a beautiful book for chilly nights and fireplaces.

In a world where our lives are lived in the digital realm—exposed, always-on, and interconnected—we meticulously track our friends and family, wielding a wealth of knowledge at our fingertips. The vastness of information about our world is within reach, yet we remain oblivious to the enigma of theirs.

Our evolution is evident, but our ghosts persist. They adapt and innovate, finding new channels to reach us, whether haunting the metaverse or lingering in our memories. Inhabiting our apps and permeating our homes, these spirits, our digital phantoms, perpetually seek new ways to connect.

They coexist with us.
They serve as reminders.
They tempt us.
They seek revenge.

These stories are not ours to narrate. They belong to the dead—the ones we've lost, loved, forgotten, and feared. Some may be fictional, but others might not be. The tales unravel the mysteries of the departed, exploring a realm beyond the veil, where the digital and the ethereal converge in narratives that blur the lines between the living and the dead.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if it were in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

This collection raised some interesting discussion and I enjoyed the essays in between each section. The conversation in both the stories and the essays about death, loss and reality we're thought-provoking and interesting. But for me, apart from a couple of exceptions most of the stories were fairly mediocre and didn't do much for me. Slightly disappointing overall.
This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

It was approaching Halloween, and here was a new collection of short stories from one of the great contemporary writers. I was excited. But then I read (or rather ploughed through) the long and rambling foreword and I kinda lost interest.

As ever with a collection, some stories hit the mark and some are a little 'meh'. What shines through, as always, is Winterson's skill with language and her sheer writing-ness, but overall I was a little underwhelmed, I'm sorry to say. 3.5 stars, but I can't round it up.

(With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this title.)

Jeanette Winterson’s 2019 Booker Prize-nominated novel Frankissstein addressed the subject of artificial intelligence, and she returns to it in her most recent anthology. Fortunately, technology does not dominate the collection of thirteen ghost stories, which are divided into four sections: Devices, Places, People, and Visitations. Nonetheless, Winterson is pushing the boundaries once more, producing something unique with varying degrees of success.

Full review: https://westwordsreviews.wordpress.com/2023/10/17/night-side-of-the-river-jeanette-winterson/

Jeanette Winterson does write interesting beautifully written books but this collection of stories is just perfect for the season of long nights drawing in. Each of the stories were enjoyable, some more than others, as is the way with a collection of tales. Would make a great stocking filler.

“Do you believe in ghosts? The creak on the stair, the chill in the room, a strange scent, a wavering light in the window. ….The sudden presence of a presence.”

My thanks to Random House U.K. Vintage/Jonathan Cape for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Night Side of the River: Ghost Stories’ by Jeanette Winterson.

This is a collection of thirteen ghost stories by this award-winning British author. It opens with an informative Introduction on how death and ghosts are treated in various world cultures and the literary history of ghost stories and their enduring appeal.

It is divided into four sections: Devices, Places, People and Visitations. Each section also contains a short personal essay about Winterson’s own paranormal experiences. In the final one, ‘The Future of Ghosts’ Winterson raises questions about the possibility of the haunting of the metaverse.

There were stories that stood out for me, while others made less of an impact. Still, on balance I felt that it was a strong collection that highlighted the traditional ghost story rather than trying to be overly experimental in style.

Some of the stories were quite moving, with ‘The Undiscovered Country’ being the most outstanding for me. I also enjoyed ‘Canterville and Cock’ about haunted house illusionists. Paul Canterville’s encounter with Pamela, a wise-cracking American ghost was quite amusing. Others that proved memorable were the haunting ‘Night Side of the River’ and the disturbing ‘Fur Coat’.

Overall, I found ‘Night Side of the River’ an engaging short story collection and perfect spooky reading as the nights draw in.

Night Side of the River by Jeanette Winterson
Publication date: 5 October 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.25 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK Vintage for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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Jeanette Winterson turns her fearless gaze to the realm of ghosts, interspersing her own encounters with the supernatural alongside hair-raising fictions.
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What a way to kick off spooky season! Ghostly short stories + Jeanette Winterson's beautiful writing, what's not to love?
Winterson introduces each section of the book (Devices, Places, People and Visitations) by relating some of her own paranormal experiences and reflecting on our relationship with death (and by extension, ghosts) and how the advances in technology might change how we view end of life: maybe one day, a physical body might not be necessary; what would this mean for the concept of death?
I enjoyed most of the stories in this collection. "Apparition" was a dark and disturbing revenge story. "A Fur Coat" made me feel so uncomfortable; it was menacing and spooky.
But my favourite story by a long mile was actually two connected stories, "No Ghost Ghost Story" and "The Undiscovered Country" about husbands Simon and William. One of them is dead, the other isn't. This was such a beautiful and moving story of love, heartbreak and grief. I read this while on my lunch break in a very busy café and I thought I might need to hide under the table as I was about to start sobbing. Let's just say there was a lot of furious blinking to keep the tears at bay 😢
I really enjoyed this book; another success in my short stories era!
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Thoroughly enjoyed this selection of ghost stories and short essays from Jeanette’s experience. The majority of the stories are thought-provoking, particularly in the earlier sections, and a good number have that genuine chill down the spine.
In the later section there’s a real sense of grief that permeates the stories and I found them emotionally touching as well as chilling. Thin Air was a particular joy.

Jeanette Winterson's paranormal short story collection In 'Night Side of the River', is divided into four sections: Devices, Places, People and Visitations. It is very wide ranging, with some of her stories focusing on the return of ghosts from the past, and others of apparitions generated by the future, through virtual reality, AI and phone apps. There are also short essay type sections where Winterson talks about her own paranormal experiences.

I have always enjoyed Winterson's writing and this book was no exception. She is very clever, and her use of language, character development and foreshadowing are very strong. I particularly liked 'A Fur Coat', which was horrifying. In there she describes a keyhole as being like a vulva, which initially seemed gratuitous and later made absolute sense. All of the stories stayed with me afterwards and made me think. My only criticism (and I suspect this is more due to the form of the short story, rather than Winterson) is that the stories often didn't have time to ratchet up the tension and then ended abruptly. However, they were still very very good.

Description:
A bunch of ghost stories loosely categorised under 'Devices', 'Places', 'People', and 'Visitations'.

Liked:
Good, classic ghost stories with a real sense of place. Lots seemed very bound to London, and the buildings were described in loving detail. Found myself quite jealous of some of the characters, despite or perhaps including their ghosts! Some stories were quite moving - particularly loved No Ghost Ghost Story and The Undiscovered Country.

Disliked:
The introduction was interesting but seemed to ruin or repeat points made within the stories - I tend to expect spoiler-y introductions when it's a classic work, and the introduction is written by someone contemporary, but it seemed unnecessary when by the same author. Perhaps would have been better as an afterword? The 'Devices' section was a little hit or miss; App-Arition succeeds by virtue of being less about technology than the relationship, but both Ghost in the Machine and The Old House at Home feel like less interesting versions of Black Mirror episodes.

Would recommend: good solid Halloween fodder.

For the arrival of Autumn with nights getting shorter, the coming Halloween and Winter, Jeanette Winterson gives us a terrific collection of short stories in which she explores the genre of horror and ghosts with the blurring of lines between the living and dead, the mass of the unexplained. Winterson writes an introduction that explores the unsettling themes, including listing classic fiction from the genre that includes A Christmas Carol and The Turn of the Screw, and interspersing her thoughts and experiences throughout the tales from different time periods and the development of the genre with technological and AI developments. The stories are:

DEVICES
Apparition
The Old House at Home
Ghost in the Machine
PLACES
The Spare Room
The Door
PEOPLE
No Ghost Ghost Story
The Undiscovered Country
Canterville and Cock
VISITATIONS
Thin Air
Fountain with Lions
Night Side of the River

I enjoyed most of the stories with their chills and the paranormal, with their occasional frissons of fear. The ones that I particularly appreciated including a recent widow who continues to be haunted by her late husband, via a JohnApp, the last thing she wants as he is a nasty piece of work, Thomas is attending a seance in NYC wandering off only to bump into Esmeralda, and then there is Jonny the Juggler and Max, the thief, whose lives spiral into a nightmare living in the Dower House. We are given a glimpse of different experiences of the divide between the living and the dead with William and Simon, and we have Paul who organises illusions of ghosts, only to be manipulated by the dead Pamela, the upcoming wedding of Stevie and Amy, and perhaps by favourite story in which a scared out of her wits Linda finds herself on a trawler on the Thames she does not want to be on.

I can see many readers liking this latest offering of stories from Winterson, particularly with the approaching dark, cold and winter nights. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

What a delight this was.
It had some great stories in it, that ranged from slightly amusing (to me anyway) to downright sinister..
I'm not a huge fan of short stories, but I couldn't resist a new Winterson book.
Its as creepy, as every good ghost story collection should be .

A collection of ghost stories from Jeanette Winterson? Yes, please! But I think I expected this to be more... unexpected than it actually is. We didn't get off to the best of starts with an odd, rambling introduction that feels like an untouched first draft - and the early technology stories under the title of 'devices' were probably my least favourite.

There are so nicely creepy tales here and the section 'places' is one of the strongest based on haunted locations. But I guess I wanted to see Winterson do something new, innovative and modern with the genre and while her settings are contemporary, too many stories fit well-known models with even some feeling like re-writings of MR James as well as a return to a version of Henry James' The Turn of the Screw.

I also missed Winterson's lush writing - these are stylistically quite plain.

Definitely a collection worth reading but don't expect this to break the mould.