This vivid, bewitching volume of "true" Southern ghost tales reveals not only dogs' enduring devotion to their folk, but the deep attachment of Southerners to these legends. Russell and Barnett both folklorists have culled 20 homespun canine poltergeist narratives, prefacing the volume with a personal anecdote of their Great Dane, Desdemona, whose devotion to the authors knew no earthly bounds and inspired this compilation. Spanning the years between the American Revolutionary War and the present, these stories of ghost dogs and dog ghosts (e.g., humans who manifest as dogs) often recount benign hauntings. Mike, an Airedale, still patrols a Harlan County, Ky., coal mine, alerting miners to potential accidents. The ghosts of a sea captain and his dog ride the waves of the Gulf of Mexico near Mobile Bay, warning sailors of hurricanes. A Boxer ghost named Preston who saved the life of a trick-or-treater from a speeding automobile in the 1950s still roams his old neighborhood every Halloween. A mutt named Moses refuses to be separated in the afterlife from his beloved master, a fallen soldier of the Civil War. Alternately eerie, funny, tragic and sentimental, these tales are told in clear, declamatory prose befitting their origin in the oral tradition. An informative foreword by Genelle Moraine, a University of Georgia comparative folklore professor emerita, clarifies aspects of Southern culture, while a delightful selection of vintage photographs from the authors' personal collection of people and their canine companions accompanies the text. These tales will undoubtedly delight dog lovers and will not fail to charm even the most dour skeptics of supernatural phenomena. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc. |
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10 of 10 found the following review helpful:
 A truly touching collection of ghost dog folk talesMar 21, 2002
By Daniel Jolley
"darkgenius"
This is such a wonderful book; it is just precious (a word I rarely use). Ghost lovers, dog lovers, folktale lovers--this is your book. The stories are wonderfully tongue-in-cheek, folksy tales that capture much of the oral traditions from whence they assuredly came. This is in no way, I should say, a parapsychological study of ghosts; in a couple of stories, a ghost is only briefly mentioned. This is all about the story and the story-telling. We are treated to the internal thoughts of the characters, including the dogs, which might sound silly but works wonderfully. Seeing things from the eyes of the dogs provides a lot of unique perspectives and leads to many smiles and laughs, and it strikes me that we can learn more about human nature (at least the good part of it) from dogs than from many people. My favorite stories involve heroic actions performed by beloved dogs for their masters and even for strangers. The dog who saved a child from getting run over by a car and who returns each Halloween to watch over trick-or-treaters is incredibly touching. There are also some sad, even heartbreaking aspects to some stories--even the bravest, most loyal dogs sometimes pay the ultimate price for their devotion, and some are brutally and senselessly hurt and killed (as are other poor animals). Any dog lover will tell you that the bond between a dog and that dog's human is stronger than death; those who scoff at such a thing will not enjoy this book.I know all dog lovers are wonderful wherever they live, but the fact that these stories take place in the South certainly made them much more meaningful to me as a Southerner. These are our stories; several of them come from places "just up the road a spell" from where I live. Each tale features a tidbit of Southern history I was not aware of. You certainly don't have to be a Southerner to enjoy this book, but those of us from Dixie will feel a little closer to these stories than others might. You may notice that the term "Civil War" is never used in these pages; old-timers (and some of us younger folks) know to refer to that tragic period as the War Between the States. There are a lot of little things like this that help make this book so special to me. As an added bonus, you will learn the difference between ghost dogs and dog ghosts, and you will even get to find out why dogs' lips are black and why dogs chase cats. Finally, this book is a work of art. The care and effort that went into the production of this book deserve some kind of award. Besides the touching cover photo of a boy and his dog, there are old-time photos of men and women, girls and boys, blacks and whites and their dogs interspersed throughout the book. These pictures are not pictures of the dogs whose tales are told in these pages, but they give the book a wonderful, personal touch that evokes the kinds of feelings that are only understood by dog lovers the world over.
6 of 6 found the following review helpful:
Award Winner for Book DesignJul 22, 2002
This book has received an Award of Merit from the 2001 Southern Books Competition. "Ghost Dogs of the South presents itself to us through an evocative hand-colored photograph of a boy and his dog in times of old. And it just gets better. Wonderful photographs in interesting faded-edge shapes change from chapter to chapter. The book is hand-sized, almost a prayer-book testimonial to the dogs in our lives. The designer has created a book begging to be read." Congratulations to the authors, book jacket designer Debra Long Hampton and publisher John F. Blair.
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
Heartwarming and originalJun 14, 2005
By Patrick Myers
"Jazzy"
Ghost Dogs of the South is full of tales that come straight from the south of the United States. With tales such as trick or treating and a ghost dog saving you ("Trick or Treat") and a tale about magical dog teeth ("The Silver Locket"), you will find every kind of dog, person, and tale to fit a perfect collection of stories. Randy Russell and Janet Barnett have out done themselves with finding these tales of southern folklore. With 20 stories of amazing encounters to downright spooky stuff, Ghost Dogs of the South can leave you feeling warm and fuzzy inside.
Although not perfect, this book comes very close. Twenty stories from all over the south, from Texas to Georgia, it makes up for the few mistakes made. Some mistakes include nothing about the authors and a confusing forward. But other than that, this collection is very highly recommended for reading.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Holy Howling Hounds!Jul 21, 2008
By Luna Stormcrow
"Dogma"
If you love dogs, and good, rousing ghost stories, then you need to read this book. I read it in two nights, it was very hard to put the book down. These are not all tales of the "dawn of the dog-dead" variety; there are stories of dogs' loyalties to their former guardians; tales about canines who continue to protect their humans from the "other side"; and also tales that I am sure we have all heard in one form or other: the black dogs that haunt and harass. The best part of this book is the rich southern flavor, and being able to identify the cultural cross-overs in these stories. I highly recommend it as a good solid read, and food for thought about our relationships with our canine companions!
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 Fun ReadingMar 12, 2002
A collection of stories that are generally more interesting and strange than chilling, but always entertaining. A fe minor complaints: Some of the stories seem so crafted that they do not seem to be from oral or storytelling tradition -- they have been given a definite narrative and don't feel as "folksy" as some ghost tales. Also, I'd love to have a little more information about the location of the tales; only the city/town is given in most, and as I live near the one set in Dinwiddie, VA, I wish I could look up the house the tale supposedly takes place in. Very enjoyable supernatural tales for the dog lover.
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