This year I (Brenda Ozog) had the privilege of returning to the Stanley Hotel after eight years. During this return, I decided to pick up a book on the History and Hauntings of the Stanley. This is where I decided, I would like to do book reviews on the paranormal. Just like Lee Thomas(Fox 2 Detroit) does his moving reviews on how many times he looks at his watch during movies, I decided to see how many pages I would read a day to determine if the book keeps my interest.
Rebecca Pittman’s writing did keep me reading for over 112 a day during the history portion of the book. The history portion consisted of the owners of the property and history of each room of the building. There were spots in the book that repeated in certain sections of the book. This made me think the sections were written at different times then placed together in the book. If you are not interested in the history, you can skip the first 202 pages to reach the next section.
The next section was a small section, devoted to the writer Stephen King who wrote The Shining which was supposed to take place at the Stanley Hotel. Mr. King’s book appears to be one of the main factors that draw people to the Stanley. Many souvenirs can be purchased with the room number he stayed in.
The paranormal section started with the basics and theories of Ghost Hunting which is very important for investigators to learn about. You can’t just go into an investigation without knowing some theories.
In the last section, beginning on Page 277 the paranormal experiences begin. Many people’s experiences were told (you need to read for yourself) of when they stayed there or attended the ghost tours there.
They Stanley is not open to private investigations any more at this time but you can wander the grounds and attempt your own investigation, but keep in mind, the place is full of people and it may be hard to get good evidence.
As for recommendations of the book, I loved the history of the hotel and it showed how the family loved the hotel and family and I believe in the paranormal activity because it was a place the Stanley family loved. There appears to be no real tragedy that occurred here but the imagination is there.
Due to the book keeping me reading over 100 pages a day, I would say that the author keeps your attention and it is a good read.
January 2020
