Publication
Orion (2009), 272 pages
Description
Freddie Watson is a stilted young man who has not gotten over older brother George's disappearance on the Western Front during WWI. It is now 10 years since the Armistice, and Freddie, after a stay in a mental institution, has come to the French Pyrenees to find peace. While motoring through a snowstorm, he crashes his car and ends up in the small village of Nulle, where he meets a beautiful young woman named Fabrissa. In the course of an evening, Fabrissa tells Freddie a story of persecution, resistance, and death, hinting at a long-buried secret. By the next morning, she is gone, leaving Freddie alone to unlock a ghostly mystery hidden for 600 years.
User reviews
LibraryThing member juliette07
Listening to this as an audio book whilst travelling in France I was struck by the fact that this boook could have been set anywhere as long as there was a good helping of ghoulish history, unpleasant winter weather conditions and a village of unusual characters. The plot involved an English man
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mourning his beloved brother killed in WW1 action and a letter he wishes to be translated into English. The means by which the letter came into his possession is basically the story and the denouement is that translation. The main character was suffering psychiatrically and in some ways the story and his encounters with other characters in the book are the means by which he comes to terms with his loss. I have to admit I did not find the ghost genre to my taste and was probably expecting more of the setting along with the link to the first world war. However, I continued with the reading as we clocked up the miles and regard it as a reasonable, if slightly predictable yarn. Show Less
LibraryThing member soliloquies
Lovely writing as ever, but this was a nowhere book. There didn't really seem to be any reason for writing it. That may sound harsh, but I was expecting so much more having loved her previous books.
LibraryThing member dizzyweasel
"The Winter Ghosts," a story of death, grief, and letting go, begins with a young man, Freddie, who is in deep, extended mourning for his dead brother George (who died in WWI under brutal, but not unusual circumstances). Having been institutionalized for his inability to cope, Freddie now travels
That's basically what the book jacket would have you believe this story is primarily about. Unfortunately, the novella is only 260 pages. Freddie doesn't even meet Fabrissa until page 103. The preceding 102 pages are atmospheric lead-in material. Mosse weaves a dramatic cloak of mournful melancholy under which all the survivors of WWI live. She effectively creates the feeling of palpable loss - a whole generation destroyed by the inexorable forward momentum of the war machine. But if you're expecting a creepy ghost story and you get depressing WWI memoirs, you (like me) might be turned off. I appreciate Mosse's talent for description, but when there is little narrative development to drive the descriptive passages, I get bored. It took me two weeks to finish this short book, and I generally read voraciously. I just wasn't motivated to continue.
As for the ghost story, when the book finally comes to its point, it isn't particularly frightening. A bit shiver-inducing, with the plot of military occupation, heartless religious persecution, and needless killing, but not really "ghost-y" per se. The reader easily spots the 'chilling truth' about Fabrissa, and aside from a mildly macabre scene in a winter cavern, there is nothing to recommend this book as an effectively spooky tale. The melancholy tone persists to the end, and the conclusion is too anticlimactic even for a book as slight as this. For a much more sinister example of the novella-horror genre, I would recommend Susan Hill's "Woman in Black" or "Man in the Picture."
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the French countryside on an extended tour recommended by his doctors to clear his head and give him new purpose. When he car breaks down in the Pyrenees, he must stay in Nulle, a dying town nearby. There, at a strange local festival, he meets Fabrissa, who tells him a tale of persecution and exile. Shaken out of his misery by Fabrissa's delicate beauty and unique mannerisms, Freddie regains an interest in the living, only to be drawn into a sad tale of the dead.That's basically what the book jacket would have you believe this story is primarily about. Unfortunately, the novella is only 260 pages. Freddie doesn't even meet Fabrissa until page 103. The preceding 102 pages are atmospheric lead-in material. Mosse weaves a dramatic cloak of mournful melancholy under which all the survivors of WWI live. She effectively creates the feeling of palpable loss - a whole generation destroyed by the inexorable forward momentum of the war machine. But if you're expecting a creepy ghost story and you get depressing WWI memoirs, you (like me) might be turned off. I appreciate Mosse's talent for description, but when there is little narrative development to drive the descriptive passages, I get bored. It took me two weeks to finish this short book, and I generally read voraciously. I just wasn't motivated to continue.
As for the ghost story, when the book finally comes to its point, it isn't particularly frightening. A bit shiver-inducing, with the plot of military occupation, heartless religious persecution, and needless killing, but not really "ghost-y" per se. The reader easily spots the 'chilling truth' about Fabrissa, and aside from a mildly macabre scene in a winter cavern, there is nothing to recommend this book as an effectively spooky tale. The melancholy tone persists to the end, and the conclusion is too anticlimactic even for a book as slight as this. For a much more sinister example of the novella-horror genre, I would recommend Susan Hill's "Woman in Black" or "Man in the Picture."
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LibraryThing member cameling
In this book, one Freddie Watson, having been released from a psychiatric treatment center for a nervous breakdown suffered years after the death of his brother George in the war, finds himself on a roadtrip across France. As he drives through the mountains, a winter squall blows in and his car
He manages to disentangle himself from the wreckage and walks to the nearest village he can find, a village that seems cloaked in shadows and an intense silence. He does, however, find an inn for the night and the innkeeper invites him to an annual village fete. He meets some merry people at the fete, including a captivating young lady who seems to know things about him and his brother. But before he can get to know her better, a brawl starts and soldiers ride in on horses, seemingly intent on massacring everyone present.
Who are these people? Who is the woman he met and who managed to help him escape? As she tells him a horrific story of people in the area who are regularly hunted by others, one starts to become aware that all is not as it seems. As her story comes to a close, she disappears. Was she a dream? Why does no-one at the fete remember seeing Freddie there? Why do they not mention the brawl? Freddie needs to uncover the mystery if only to fulfill his wish to find the woman again.
Very light quick read and a 3 star effort.
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spins out of control and hangs over a precipice. He manages to disentangle himself from the wreckage and walks to the nearest village he can find, a village that seems cloaked in shadows and an intense silence. He does, however, find an inn for the night and the innkeeper invites him to an annual village fete. He meets some merry people at the fete, including a captivating young lady who seems to know things about him and his brother. But before he can get to know her better, a brawl starts and soldiers ride in on horses, seemingly intent on massacring everyone present.
Who are these people? Who is the woman he met and who managed to help him escape? As she tells him a horrific story of people in the area who are regularly hunted by others, one starts to become aware that all is not as it seems. As her story comes to a close, she disappears. Was she a dream? Why does no-one at the fete remember seeing Freddie there? Why do they not mention the brawl? Freddie needs to uncover the mystery if only to fulfill his wish to find the woman again.
Very light quick read and a 3 star effort.
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LibraryThing member Soniamarie
The first quarter of this novel...zzzzzzz. What a bad start. We meet Freddie. He has spent time in the looney bin and it's not surprising. When he was a young boy, his older brother went off to fight in the Great War and died. For some reason, ten years later, TEN YEARS.. Freddie can't get over it.
Okay, the book finally gets interesting when Freddie wrecks his car. No, unfortunately, he didn't die. He goes to a village and meets a lady who has a very intriguing and sad tale to share. I liked that, but even then, what does Freddie do? Brings up George again.
A miss for me.
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He still sees George. He thinks about George constantly. Every other page has a George thought, witticism, or memory. Are you sick of hearing about George yet? I got sick of reading George this, George that. He's been dead ten years already!Okay, the book finally gets interesting when Freddie wrecks his car. No, unfortunately, he didn't die. He goes to a village and meets a lady who has a very intriguing and sad tale to share. I liked that, but even then, what does Freddie do? Brings up George again.
A miss for me.
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LibraryThing member litaddictedbrit
On the face of it, this is a great ghost story - were it not sent in rural France, I would have said it had a rather gothic feel to it. A lone man roaming through the wilderness after a car crash in a blizzard, stumbles upon an eerily quiet village before finding a guest house and realising that
At less than 250 pages, I expected either a quick-fire story or a character study. I was pleasantly surprised by this novel actually managing, for the most part, to provide both! The story, as I said, has a very quaint feel about it - rural France has the most idyllic villages and Mosse's descriptions are perfect! Every smudge of dust, every dagger of ice and every whiff of liquer is captured with just the right amount of detail. There isn't anything complicated about the way that Mosse writes - she just seems to know how every moment should be described without grandeur or pretence.
And yet every reader knows that even the best descriptions won't carry a story by themselves. The characters and themes, fortunately, live up to the setting. The story is set in both 1928 and 1933 and is told from the perspective of Freddie. Freddie is a touchingly vulnerable Englishman struggling to cope with life after World War I and the death of his older brother, an Englishman like many others of the time trying to bear the unbearable. He is, perhaps, a victim of his own 'English-ness'. One thing I think we're still stereotyped for (although I can't be sure) is our repressed emotions. Freddie is never allowed to show his grief but is supposed to just bury it and live on. Like the novel says:
"He walked like a man recently returned to the world. Every step was careful, deliberate. Every step to be relished....
But nothing is as it seems.
For every step was a little too careful, a little too deliberate, as if he were unwilling to take even the ground beneath his feet for granted"
So even as a ghost story, this book isn't all that it seems. Because underneath the mystery, the snow and the voices on the wind is a man who so desperately needs someone to prove to him that he's worthy of love, worthy of anything, that he doggedly pursues shadows 700 years old...and therein lies the story!
And there isn't really much more to say - just that you should read it before the Spring comes and the snow passes on and takes away the perfect atmosphere for reading this book.
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everything is not as it seems...Had it been nothing more, it would be great. As it happens, it was even better! At less than 250 pages, I expected either a quick-fire story or a character study. I was pleasantly surprised by this novel actually managing, for the most part, to provide both! The story, as I said, has a very quaint feel about it - rural France has the most idyllic villages and Mosse's descriptions are perfect! Every smudge of dust, every dagger of ice and every whiff of liquer is captured with just the right amount of detail. There isn't anything complicated about the way that Mosse writes - she just seems to know how every moment should be described without grandeur or pretence.
And yet every reader knows that even the best descriptions won't carry a story by themselves. The characters and themes, fortunately, live up to the setting. The story is set in both 1928 and 1933 and is told from the perspective of Freddie. Freddie is a touchingly vulnerable Englishman struggling to cope with life after World War I and the death of his older brother, an Englishman like many others of the time trying to bear the unbearable. He is, perhaps, a victim of his own 'English-ness'. One thing I think we're still stereotyped for (although I can't be sure) is our repressed emotions. Freddie is never allowed to show his grief but is supposed to just bury it and live on. Like the novel says:
"He walked like a man recently returned to the world. Every step was careful, deliberate. Every step to be relished....
But nothing is as it seems.
For every step was a little too careful, a little too deliberate, as if he were unwilling to take even the ground beneath his feet for granted"
So even as a ghost story, this book isn't all that it seems. Because underneath the mystery, the snow and the voices on the wind is a man who so desperately needs someone to prove to him that he's worthy of love, worthy of anything, that he doggedly pursues shadows 700 years old...and therein lies the story!
And there isn't really much more to say - just that you should read it before the Spring comes and the snow passes on and takes away the perfect atmosphere for reading this book.
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LibraryThing member wagner.sarah35
*I received this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewers*
Similarly themed as Kate Mosse's other novels, The Winter Ghosts is full of Cathars, haunted characters, connections between different time periods, and a touch of the fanciful. The central character, Freddie, still grieves for the lose of
Similarly themed as Kate Mosse's other novels, The Winter Ghosts is full of Cathars, haunted characters, connections between different time periods, and a touch of the fanciful. The central character, Freddie, still grieves for the lose of
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his brother during World War I and when he travels through France his adventures lead him to an encounter with a mysterious woman named Fabrissa, a mountainous cave, and a town in the shadow of death. I liked this novel well enough, but I think I would have struggled to understand it had I not recently read another of the author's novels. I would recommend The Winter Ghosts to those who have enjoyed other works by Kate Mosse, but not necessarily to anyone else. Show Less
LibraryThing member alana_leigh
With The Winter Ghosts, Kate Mosse has crafted an eerie tale of wrongs from the past coming to light in an unearthly way... a concept at which she rather excels. Fans of Mosse and her books will be delighted to learn about her latest novel -- but they might feel a touch disappointed when they find
Our narrator is Freddie Watson, a young Englishman whose revered older brother died in World War I, leaving Freddie's life empty and his parents' lives even emptier, as they contend with the loss of their heir and their near-constant disappointment in the spare. After scraping by for years, Freddie endured a full on breakdown in his early twenties and now, he's still not quite set to rights, but at least he's not still institutionalized. His parents have died and rather than feel any remorse at their passing, he only feels relief. Now he simply makes by on his grief and simple means -- and The Winter Ghosts opens upon Freddie motoring through France, without an exact course so much as a general idea of touring the region and its castles. A sudden blizzard nearly sends his car careening off a precipice, but he manages to traipse through the wilderness and find a small town that seems quite untouched by the weather that nearly cost him his life. After checking in to a small bed and breakfast, he's invited to the celebrations for a local festival -- to which he eventually decides to go. He doesn't quite read the map correctly, so he trusts his instincts to help him find the way -- and sure enough, he stumbles upon a welcoming-looking building with a festival cheerily buzzing inside. What he finds there in the rough hewn clothing of the locals and the company of a beautiful girl... well, it's more than Freddie could ever imagine finding.
The Winter Ghosts is a decent enough tale, bringing an interesting bit of history to attention, but the fact remains that the reader is always waiting for Freddie to catch up and figure out what's going on. Sure, he doesn't have the book title to clue him in, but it's a very long wait for such a small novel. Freddie is a somewhat sympathetic character, but I quickly grew a bit irritated with his failure to understand what was happening. (I also grew a bit irritated about how belabored a point his grief becomes even early on... such stress on the point was totally unnecessary and only served to irritate me a bit as I wished that we'd move on from the set up and reveal more while other things happened, as opposed to front-loading all our Freddie knowledge. Yes, we get it, George was awesome and Freddie has totally ceded the spotlight of his life to his dead brother. Uh-huh. Can we keep going?) Perhaps we needed a slightly unhinged young fellow because he would assume he was losing his mind as opposed to figuring out that life in a Kate Mosse novel frequently yields centuries-old corpses.
The story rather loses the creepy factor by keeping the reader waiting for the grand revelation -- we got to the party so long ago that now we don't much care any more and when there's nothing else that's going to surprise us in the end. When the main descriptive features of the novel include the word ghosts, tragedy, war, romance... well, I suppose it isn't hard to screw that up, but it's hard to make it dull. The history bits were the most engrossing! (Perhaps not a shocker for history fans, but for those who preferred those other four buzzwords, it might be.) I do always appreciate the fascinating historical details that Kate Mosse digs up and presents to her readers -- perhaps more than anything, it's this sense she has for really interesting history that keeps me coming back to her novels. Alas, The Winter Ghosts probably won't win her any additional fans, but if you treat this as a taste of something to tide you over until her next work, well, then I hope we don't have long to wait.
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that The Winter Ghosts is a much less substantial epic than Labyrinth and Sepulchre. Sure, it certainly counts as a novel in general terms, but in Mosse terms it feels almost like a novella. It has a quick pace, a small cast, and a straightforward story where two lives damaged by wars come together to bring the past into the light of day so each can find a release... and while all of those things could be seen as positive items in one light, they just aren't the things that I want when I look to Kate Mosse and her rich and elaborate historic novels. Our narrator is Freddie Watson, a young Englishman whose revered older brother died in World War I, leaving Freddie's life empty and his parents' lives even emptier, as they contend with the loss of their heir and their near-constant disappointment in the spare. After scraping by for years, Freddie endured a full on breakdown in his early twenties and now, he's still not quite set to rights, but at least he's not still institutionalized. His parents have died and rather than feel any remorse at their passing, he only feels relief. Now he simply makes by on his grief and simple means -- and The Winter Ghosts opens upon Freddie motoring through France, without an exact course so much as a general idea of touring the region and its castles. A sudden blizzard nearly sends his car careening off a precipice, but he manages to traipse through the wilderness and find a small town that seems quite untouched by the weather that nearly cost him his life. After checking in to a small bed and breakfast, he's invited to the celebrations for a local festival -- to which he eventually decides to go. He doesn't quite read the map correctly, so he trusts his instincts to help him find the way -- and sure enough, he stumbles upon a welcoming-looking building with a festival cheerily buzzing inside. What he finds there in the rough hewn clothing of the locals and the company of a beautiful girl... well, it's more than Freddie could ever imagine finding.
The Winter Ghosts is a decent enough tale, bringing an interesting bit of history to attention, but the fact remains that the reader is always waiting for Freddie to catch up and figure out what's going on. Sure, he doesn't have the book title to clue him in, but it's a very long wait for such a small novel. Freddie is a somewhat sympathetic character, but I quickly grew a bit irritated with his failure to understand what was happening. (I also grew a bit irritated about how belabored a point his grief becomes even early on... such stress on the point was totally unnecessary and only served to irritate me a bit as I wished that we'd move on from the set up and reveal more while other things happened, as opposed to front-loading all our Freddie knowledge. Yes, we get it, George was awesome and Freddie has totally ceded the spotlight of his life to his dead brother. Uh-huh. Can we keep going?) Perhaps we needed a slightly unhinged young fellow because he would assume he was losing his mind as opposed to figuring out that life in a Kate Mosse novel frequently yields centuries-old corpses.
The story rather loses the creepy factor by keeping the reader waiting for the grand revelation -- we got to the party so long ago that now we don't much care any more and when there's nothing else that's going to surprise us in the end. When the main descriptive features of the novel include the word ghosts, tragedy, war, romance... well, I suppose it isn't hard to screw that up, but it's hard to make it dull. The history bits were the most engrossing! (Perhaps not a shocker for history fans, but for those who preferred those other four buzzwords, it might be.) I do always appreciate the fascinating historical details that Kate Mosse digs up and presents to her readers -- perhaps more than anything, it's this sense she has for really interesting history that keeps me coming back to her novels. Alas, The Winter Ghosts probably won't win her any additional fans, but if you treat this as a taste of something to tide you over until her next work, well, then I hope we don't have long to wait.
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LibraryThing member cathyskye
First Line: He walked like a man recently returned to the world.
It is 1928, and Freddie is still mourning the death of his older brother in World War I. Traveling as a way to both learn and escape, he finds himself high in the French Pyrenees. He loses control of his car in a snowstorm and is
Invited to a village celebration, Freddie meets the beautiful and ethereal Fabrissa who is also mourning the loss of loved ones. During the course of the night, Freddie and Fabrissa share their stories, and when dawn breaks, Freddie not only uncovers an ancient mystery, he also discovers his own role in the life of this remote village.
Having previously read Mosse's other two novels, Labyrinth and Sepulchre, I expected an engrossing tale densely layered with the atmosphere and history of the French Pyrenees. I was not disappointed. Almost from the moment Freddie stepped foot in the quiet, tiny village, the hairs on the back of my neck began to prickle. He was a young man so in need of being rescued-- and of being the rescuer-- that I couldn't help but keep my fingers crossed as he navigated the streets of an ancient place where nothing was really as it seemed to be.
The only quibble I have with this book is that, at one third the size of her previous two novels, I felt a bit cheated. The marvelous atmosphere had time to build only so far before the tale was finished, and my unease allowed to melt away like wisps of fog. If the book hadn't felt so rushed, I would now be waving it around in the air exclaiming, "You've gotta read this!"
It is 1928, and Freddie is still mourning the death of his older brother in World War I. Traveling as a way to both learn and escape, he finds himself high in the French Pyrenees. He loses control of his car in a snowstorm and is
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forced to walk through the woods until he finds a small village where he can take refuge until his car is repaired.Invited to a village celebration, Freddie meets the beautiful and ethereal Fabrissa who is also mourning the loss of loved ones. During the course of the night, Freddie and Fabrissa share their stories, and when dawn breaks, Freddie not only uncovers an ancient mystery, he also discovers his own role in the life of this remote village.
Having previously read Mosse's other two novels, Labyrinth and Sepulchre, I expected an engrossing tale densely layered with the atmosphere and history of the French Pyrenees. I was not disappointed. Almost from the moment Freddie stepped foot in the quiet, tiny village, the hairs on the back of my neck began to prickle. He was a young man so in need of being rescued-- and of being the rescuer-- that I couldn't help but keep my fingers crossed as he navigated the streets of an ancient place where nothing was really as it seemed to be.
The only quibble I have with this book is that, at one third the size of her previous two novels, I felt a bit cheated. The marvelous atmosphere had time to build only so far before the tale was finished, and my unease allowed to melt away like wisps of fog. If the book hadn't felt so rushed, I would now be waving it around in the air exclaiming, "You've gotta read this!"
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LibraryThing member TooBusyReading
Ten years after his brother, George, is killed in WWI, Freddie is still obsessing over him and his death. Entertaining thoughts of suicide, he travels alone to the Pyrenees, crashes his car, and ends up in a sad, isolated village. He meets a woman whom he instantly loves, and listens to her very
Yes, this ghost story has ghosts, a definite plus in my book. I don't understand Freddie's obsession with his brother, an obsession that causes him to be institutionalized. Yes, his parents were cold and distant. Yes, they loved George more than they loved Freddie. Yes, life is not fair. But come on, Freddie, get over it already. The obsession got old fast. And it was just a little creepy, creepier than the ghosts.
I might have rated this book more highly if my expectations had been lower, but I have liked Kate Mosse's writing in the past. I really enjoyed her Labyrinth and liked Sepulchre. Those were both fairly hefty books, with enough twists and turns to keep me entertained. This very short book felt more like an expanded short story than a novel. There wasn't the depth or complexity that I expected. I did enjoy the last 25 or so pages, thought those more interesting than the earlier part of the book. Still, if you want to read a Mosse book, I'd suggest you not start with this one.
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher through LibraryThing.
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disturbing story.Yes, this ghost story has ghosts, a definite plus in my book. I don't understand Freddie's obsession with his brother, an obsession that causes him to be institutionalized. Yes, his parents were cold and distant. Yes, they loved George more than they loved Freddie. Yes, life is not fair. But come on, Freddie, get over it already. The obsession got old fast. And it was just a little creepy, creepier than the ghosts.
I might have rated this book more highly if my expectations had been lower, but I have liked Kate Mosse's writing in the past. I really enjoyed her Labyrinth and liked Sepulchre. Those were both fairly hefty books, with enough twists and turns to keep me entertained. This very short book felt more like an expanded short story than a novel. There wasn't the depth or complexity that I expected. I did enjoy the last 25 or so pages, thought those more interesting than the earlier part of the book. Still, if you want to read a Mosse book, I'd suggest you not start with this one.
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher through LibraryThing.
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LibraryThing member fyrefly98
Summary: Frederick is a young Englishman, still grieving over the loss of his older brother in World War One ten years previously. One night, while he is travelling alone and aimlessly in France, he gets caught in a blizzard in the Pyrenees and crashes his car. Injured and disoriented, he stumbles
Review: This would have been an excellent short story, or a wonderful novella. As a full-blown novel, however, it's pretty thin on the plot. It doesn't help that the plot is predictable as hell to anyone who has ever read a ghost story (or Ray Bradbury's "The Night Meeting") before; I more-or-less knew what was going on in Nulle practically before Freddie even enters the town. However, even though it's a theme that has been done many, many times before, Mosse renders the details of her version exquisitely well. She conjures the atmosphere of the quiet French mountain town with ease, and slips in a number of story and character elements that are poignant and haunting by turns.
This was a much faster read than the page count might suggest; at least in the ARC version, the margins and the font were both huge. In order for it to be satisfying as a novel, it needed some additional complexity of plot, character, or storyline. However, I do admire the elegance of a simple story told well, and I think that this book might be better served by paring it down to a shorter length, and not trying to pass it off as something more than it is. 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: Fans of Mosse's earlier books will enjoy this one as well, as will those who are interested in a good ghost story with a bit of a historical and romantic twist.
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through the forest to the small village of Nulle. He is taken in at the local inn, and at a festival that evening, meets the hauntingly beautiful Fabrissa. She encourages him to talk about his brother, and by the time morning comes, they have each shared their tales of tragedy and sorrow. But when Frederick wakes the next day, no one in town has ever heard of Fabrissa, and he finds himself caught up in a mystery that spans centuries.Review: This would have been an excellent short story, or a wonderful novella. As a full-blown novel, however, it's pretty thin on the plot. It doesn't help that the plot is predictable as hell to anyone who has ever read a ghost story (or Ray Bradbury's "The Night Meeting") before; I more-or-less knew what was going on in Nulle practically before Freddie even enters the town. However, even though it's a theme that has been done many, many times before, Mosse renders the details of her version exquisitely well. She conjures the atmosphere of the quiet French mountain town with ease, and slips in a number of story and character elements that are poignant and haunting by turns.
This was a much faster read than the page count might suggest; at least in the ARC version, the margins and the font were both huge. In order for it to be satisfying as a novel, it needed some additional complexity of plot, character, or storyline. However, I do admire the elegance of a simple story told well, and I think that this book might be better served by paring it down to a shorter length, and not trying to pass it off as something more than it is. 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: Fans of Mosse's earlier books will enjoy this one as well, as will those who are interested in a good ghost story with a bit of a historical and romantic twist.
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LibraryThing member Letter4No1
Freddie is haunted by the memory of his brother George, who lost his life during World War I. After years of sadness and a brief stint in a sanitarium Freddie journey's around France. When a snow storm leaves him with a broken car and lost in the mountains he winds up in the village of Nulle,
The Winter Ghosts is a quick read, which is good because it will distract you from the lack of story it has. Mosse took an interesting subject, the Cathars, and made it dull, and ultimately unimportant in her story. Freddie himself, goes from being a character one can pity and really root for to an annoying babbling crazy person.
A big part of the problem is that the story Mosse is trying to tell isn't big enough for the 250 pages she has written. A lot of mindless descriptions and musing happen, and the story moves at a snails pace.
The actually story of the Cathar's is interesting, but as it is told as an unbelievable dream and in short bursts near the end, it felt more like a plot device than a historic even important to the actual story.
Overall The Winter Ghosts wasn't great, but it wasn't terrible, and if nothing else it was a quick read. If you think you can stomach Freddie's whining, you might actually enjoy it.
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Freddie finds a girl with a similar past who leads him to a monumental historical discovery.The Winter Ghosts is a quick read, which is good because it will distract you from the lack of story it has. Mosse took an interesting subject, the Cathars, and made it dull, and ultimately unimportant in her story. Freddie himself, goes from being a character one can pity and really root for to an annoying babbling crazy person.
A big part of the problem is that the story Mosse is trying to tell isn't big enough for the 250 pages she has written. A lot of mindless descriptions and musing happen, and the story moves at a snails pace.
The actually story of the Cathar's is interesting, but as it is told as an unbelievable dream and in short bursts near the end, it felt more like a plot device than a historic even important to the actual story.
Overall The Winter Ghosts wasn't great, but it wasn't terrible, and if nothing else it was a quick read. If you think you can stomach Freddie's whining, you might actually enjoy it.
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LibraryThing member devenish
A new departure for Kate Mosse with this ghost story. Freddie Watson who has lost his brother in the horror of the Great War,has spent several years attempting to come to terms with this loss. In 1928 he journeys to a remote area of France,when in a terrible storm he loses control of his car and
Quite a gentle story written in a relaxed style which is almost soporific . A very quick and easy read which however those who like their ghosts sharper and more scary will find curiously unsatisfying.
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crashes. He manages to stagger to a nearby village where he is received with kindness.He is later invited to attend a local festival but when he gets there,it is a rather different event than expected.Quite a gentle story written in a relaxed style which is almost soporific . A very quick and easy read which however those who like their ghosts sharper and more scary will find curiously unsatisfying.
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LibraryThing member countrylife
The Winter Ghosts is rather a short story, but not a small one. Kate Mosse has chipped off some rocky moments from the mountains of history and used them to construct an intriguing tale of historical fiction.
This was a shivering, chilly, read. Not that it was scary; it wasn't, even with the
The story takes place in the years 1928 and 1933. Freddie's life is haunted by his older brother's death in the Great War. Unable to get past his grief, he is wandering France, when icy roads result in an auto accident that leaves him stumbling for shelter. In a small village in the valley, Freddie meets Fabrissa at the town festival, and they share an evening of deeply heart-felt conversation. By the end of the story, each has helped bring closure to the other's wounds of the past.
Three things took away a bit from my rating. The first pages were filled with a lot of French street and place names in the narrative, and I entered the story thinking this was another of those snobbish books that imply that the reader is an imbecile if they don't 'know' all those references. Which I don't believe was the case here, but made for a weak start for me.
Midway, there was a reference to “good men” that seemed designed to arouse interest in its meaning, but which was not fulfilled within the story. I learned a great deal more from the web after I finished the book. Which brings me to my last quibble – the story could have been much longer!
Still, it was a very satisfying winter's tale, imparting lines of history through a cleverly wrought story. I enjoyed it VERY much.
This was a shivering, chilly, read. Not that it was scary; it wasn't, even with the
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“ghosts” of the title. I was chilled walking through the winter-time setting in these pages, so real was it, set in an area of the Pyrenees where a religious sect called the Cathars had been exterminated hundreds of years ago.The story takes place in the years 1928 and 1933. Freddie's life is haunted by his older brother's death in the Great War. Unable to get past his grief, he is wandering France, when icy roads result in an auto accident that leaves him stumbling for shelter. In a small village in the valley, Freddie meets Fabrissa at the town festival, and they share an evening of deeply heart-felt conversation. By the end of the story, each has helped bring closure to the other's wounds of the past.
Three things took away a bit from my rating. The first pages were filled with a lot of French street and place names in the narrative, and I entered the story thinking this was another of those snobbish books that imply that the reader is an imbecile if they don't 'know' all those references. Which I don't believe was the case here, but made for a weak start for me.
Midway, there was a reference to “good men” that seemed designed to arouse interest in its meaning, but which was not fulfilled within the story. I learned a great deal more from the web after I finished the book. Which brings me to my last quibble – the story could have been much longer!
Still, it was a very satisfying winter's tale, imparting lines of history through a cleverly wrought story. I enjoyed it VERY much.
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LibraryThing member hollysing
Thank you to LibraryThing for providing a review copy of The Winter Ghosts. I can't wait to receive and review this book.
LibraryThing member Eyejaybee
This book is set fairly and squarely in Mosseland, and as one might expect, involves a crossover between more recent times (in this instance the early twentieth century rather than completely contemporary) and medieval history.
The greater part of story is narrated by Freddie Watson, a
Here Freddie meets a beautiful local girl with estrange story to tell.
Mosse handles her material very adeptly and u terry convincingly, and I found myself utterly engrossed, to the extent that I finished the book at one sitting, and then felt disappointed because I wanted to read more.
The greater part of story is narrated by Freddie Watson, a
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psychologically fragile Englishman touring southern France in December 1928, still beset by grief over the loss of his elder brother in the First World War. Watson wanders into the foothills of the Pyrenees in a blizzard and crashes his yellow Austin car. After managing to extricate himself from the wreckage he wanders across the hills to the seemingly deserted village of Nulle where he manages to secure a room in a quiet inn where the residents are preparing for a traditional festival.Here Freddie meets a beautiful local girl with estrange story to tell.
Mosse handles her material very adeptly and u terry convincingly, and I found myself utterly engrossed, to the extent that I finished the book at one sitting, and then felt disappointed because I wanted to read more.
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LibraryThing member ddelmoni
As a historical fiction devotee, I was very excited to win Kate Mosse’s latest novel from LT. I read Labyrinth, the first in Mosse's Languedoc Trilogy, a few years ago. Though not great literature nor flawless, I really enjoyed Labyrinth. Mosse did an exceptional job with the history of medieval
The Winter Ghosts, however, was compelling and Mosse accomplished what I consider quite a coup for an author. To Mosse’s credit, her tight narrative in The Winter Ghosts is so well done I didn't think it was a Mosse work. The story is atmospheric, thought provoking and a wee bit scary with a historically-based mystery all wrapped into one quick read. It’s basically a novella (263 pages with a lot of white space) based on her short story The Cave. Though set again in the Languedoc region of the French Pyrenees, this time in 1928, any comparison to her earlier novels end there. Winter Ghosts is not your typical meaty Mosse historical fiction, and that’s okay it’s not meant to be.
Unfortunately, if you are a fan -- ghost, cave and mystery -- pretty much tell you what to expect. No surprises here. As for me, NOW it’s time to read Sepulcher. I need some conventional Kate Mosse!
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France and the Cathars. I bought the second in the trilogy, Sepulcher, which remained unread for no particular reason other than having 30+ TBRs. I was hoping The Winter Ghosts was the third in the trilogy, alas it isn’t.The Winter Ghosts, however, was compelling and Mosse accomplished what I consider quite a coup for an author. To Mosse’s credit, her tight narrative in The Winter Ghosts is so well done I didn't think it was a Mosse work. The story is atmospheric, thought provoking and a wee bit scary with a historically-based mystery all wrapped into one quick read. It’s basically a novella (263 pages with a lot of white space) based on her short story The Cave. Though set again in the Languedoc region of the French Pyrenees, this time in 1928, any comparison to her earlier novels end there. Winter Ghosts is not your typical meaty Mosse historical fiction, and that’s okay it’s not meant to be.
Unfortunately, if you are a fan -- ghost, cave and mystery -- pretty much tell you what to expect. No surprises here. As for me, NOW it’s time to read Sepulcher. I need some conventional Kate Mosse!
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LibraryThing member sianlvslibraries
I have read Kate Mosse's other two novels and loved them - they may be long and a bit confusing in places - need to concentrate on the both stories within them but I love all the historical links have studied history. I found this story a bit disappointing as there wasn't as much depth to the story
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LibraryThing member fuzzy_pickle
I had a hard time believing that Freddie had been inconsolable with grief for 10 years after the loss of his brother. As for the story, it was predictable. I could see the end coming -- I'm not sure how Freddie didn't.
LibraryThing member tangledthread
Winter Ghosts is written in the modern gothic style, narrated in the first person by Freddie Watson. The setting is the French Pyrenees mountains in December of 1928 where Freddie has gone to complete his recovery of a mental breakdown induced by the WWI death of his older brother, George, in
Freddie is describing his adventure into these mountains to a Toulouse bookshop owner in 1933 and has come to seek his help in translating an ancient document. The adventure entails and auto accident in a mountain snow squall which lands Freddie in a village called Nulle on the Feast of St. Stephen. He attends the community feast where he meets Fabrissa, who mysteriously knows about Freddie's loss and has experienced loss of her own.
There are times in the story when details of Freddie's self pity drags the story to near standstill. In contrast, Fabrissa's story is enigmatic and it is not until the author's note at the end of the book that the reader learns what Fabrissa's story is all about. In the end, Freddie is transformed by his experience in Nulle and he finds the ability to embrace life rather than dwell among those who have died.
If the author's goal was inform the reader about the plight of the Cathars during the Inquisition, then I would say she missed her mark. But she has whetted my interest in reading more about the plight of these people through the author's notes.
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1916.Freddie is describing his adventure into these mountains to a Toulouse bookshop owner in 1933 and has come to seek his help in translating an ancient document. The adventure entails and auto accident in a mountain snow squall which lands Freddie in a village called Nulle on the Feast of St. Stephen. He attends the community feast where he meets Fabrissa, who mysteriously knows about Freddie's loss and has experienced loss of her own.
There are times in the story when details of Freddie's self pity drags the story to near standstill. In contrast, Fabrissa's story is enigmatic and it is not until the author's note at the end of the book that the reader learns what Fabrissa's story is all about. In the end, Freddie is transformed by his experience in Nulle and he finds the ability to embrace life rather than dwell among those who have died.
If the author's goal was inform the reader about the plight of the Cathars during the Inquisition, then I would say she missed her mark. But she has whetted my interest in reading more about the plight of these people through the author's notes.
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LibraryThing member katlb82
‘’The dead leave their shadows, an echo of the space within which once they lived. They haunt us, never fading or growing older as we do. The loss we grieve is not just their futures, but our own’’
I brought The Winter Ghosts as one of my first ever e-books nearly two years ago, so I’ve
The Winter Ghosts is a slow story, but it is the type of story that should be. The descriptions of regional France and the thoughts and feelings of the main character, Frederick, are beautifully told, with great detail and atmosphere.
It’s not a scary ghost story, it’s a melancholy ghost story, with some sad moments and a sense of history and mystery thrown in for good measure. The illustrations throughout the book are perfectly matched to the tone, and add an extra dimension.
I really enjoyed this book – it’s not action packed, but reads quickly and engrossingly, with beautiful writing.
I brought The Winter Ghosts as one of my first ever e-books nearly two years ago, so I’ve
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no idea why I even choose it – I think because it sounded like a sad and intense story, set in France, which has always held a fascination for me. The Winter Ghosts is a slow story, but it is the type of story that should be. The descriptions of regional France and the thoughts and feelings of the main character, Frederick, are beautifully told, with great detail and atmosphere.
It’s not a scary ghost story, it’s a melancholy ghost story, with some sad moments and a sense of history and mystery thrown in for good measure. The illustrations throughout the book are perfectly matched to the tone, and add an extra dimension.
I really enjoyed this book – it’s not action packed, but reads quickly and engrossingly, with beautiful writing.
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LibraryThing member moosenoose
The Winter Ghosts is the extended version of Mosse’s previous book The Cave and is a traditional ghost story set in the Ariѐge region of France, shortly after the end of the first World War. Being a short and traditional story, the plot line is easy to follow with no great surprises or bumps in
I would say however, that the very short section at the end of this edition of the book, featuring Freddie’s brother George, didn’t seem to live up to the rest of the tale and the dates quoted were incorrect. Although the author has tried to explain this, it doesn’t seem to gel with the story. Maybe if it had been written with regards to Freddie’s father, it would have seemed more real.
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the night to scare the reader. It is more about love, loss and acceptance, although I felt that the main character, Freddie, was slightly naïve in not being able to determine the difference between the living and the dead so easily, which did spoil the book a little. Overall though this is an easy read and an enjoyable little book. It doesn’t live up to Mosse’s previous books Labyrinth and Sepulchre, which are two favourites of mine, but then I don’t believe it is meant to. Although set in the same area of the world, this is a completely different tale and a good book to read on a wet, winters weekend in front of the fire. I would say however, that the very short section at the end of this edition of the book, featuring Freddie’s brother George, didn’t seem to live up to the rest of the tale and the dates quoted were incorrect. Although the author has tried to explain this, it doesn’t seem to gel with the story. Maybe if it had been written with regards to Freddie’s father, it would have seemed more real.
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LibraryThing member thejohnsmith
A good Ghost story of the 'not scary' type. Predictable plot and not as engaging as Labyrinth but well written and an enjoyable read.
LibraryThing member jewelknits
FIRST SENTENCE: He walked like a man recently returned to the world.
We open in 1933, with Frederick Watson, a well-dressed and deliberate gentleman, walking into the shop of Monsieur Sourat, a bookseller and medieval scholar, in Toulouse. Freddie needs a translation of an ancient letter written in
Freddie has previously spent time in a sanatorium, after a breakdown when he was 21 over the death of his brother, George, who died in the war six years before. Ten years after George's death, still steeped in grief and melancholy, his health has never been fully restored, and he takes a small road trip. He ends in the foothills of the Pyrenees, where he has a car accident. He seems to have heard a voice both before and after the accident:
"I am the last"
"The others have slipped away into darkness"
As he walks, he finds himself in Nulle, a village that seems to have some sadness hanging over it. At the inn where he takes a room, Madame Galy tells him of a festival that evening and gives him a map to find it so he can attend if he feels up to it. When he eventually makes it to the festival, after getting turned around quite a bit, he meets a beautiful girl named Fabrissa, who captures his heart and appears to read his thoughts.
This novel has a classic writing style, written in brooding and somewhat gothic tones. As you read, you just know something is going to happen and the creeping suspense keeps you turning page after page.
What we find is a surprising ages-old tale of sadness, and a book that you'll want to put on your keeper shelf.
QUOTES
Delusion and hope and longing, all tumbling one after the other like a falling line of dominoes. It was, after all a path well worn. A decade of mourning leaves its footprints on the heart.
"...They wanted the son who played ruby and cricket and went to war, not a sickly indoors boy, a boy who cared more for music and books than riding or hunting or skating on the river in winter when the River Lavant froze over."
"....Life is not, as we are taught, a matter of seeking answers, but rather learning which are the questions we should ask."
Writing: 5 out of 5 stars
Plot: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Characters: 4 out of 5 stars
Reading Immersion: 4.5 out 5 stars
BOOK RATING: 4.5 out of 5 stars
We open in 1933, with Frederick Watson, a well-dressed and deliberate gentleman, walking into the shop of Monsieur Sourat, a bookseller and medieval scholar, in Toulouse. Freddie needs a translation of an ancient letter written in
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Occitan, an old language of the region. And the story behind the letter unfolds ...Freddie has previously spent time in a sanatorium, after a breakdown when he was 21 over the death of his brother, George, who died in the war six years before. Ten years after George's death, still steeped in grief and melancholy, his health has never been fully restored, and he takes a small road trip. He ends in the foothills of the Pyrenees, where he has a car accident. He seems to have heard a voice both before and after the accident:
"I am the last"
"The others have slipped away into darkness"
As he walks, he finds himself in Nulle, a village that seems to have some sadness hanging over it. At the inn where he takes a room, Madame Galy tells him of a festival that evening and gives him a map to find it so he can attend if he feels up to it. When he eventually makes it to the festival, after getting turned around quite a bit, he meets a beautiful girl named Fabrissa, who captures his heart and appears to read his thoughts.
This novel has a classic writing style, written in brooding and somewhat gothic tones. As you read, you just know something is going to happen and the creeping suspense keeps you turning page after page.
What we find is a surprising ages-old tale of sadness, and a book that you'll want to put on your keeper shelf.
QUOTES
Delusion and hope and longing, all tumbling one after the other like a falling line of dominoes. It was, after all a path well worn. A decade of mourning leaves its footprints on the heart.
"...They wanted the son who played ruby and cricket and went to war, not a sickly indoors boy, a boy who cared more for music and books than riding or hunting or skating on the river in winter when the River Lavant froze over."
"....Life is not, as we are taught, a matter of seeking answers, but rather learning which are the questions we should ask."
Writing: 5 out of 5 stars
Plot: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Characters: 4 out of 5 stars
Reading Immersion: 4.5 out 5 stars
BOOK RATING: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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LibraryThing member Ren-Mac
I love K. Mosse books. Her style of present and past stories that run concurrently appeals to me. Esp KM's books about the SW of France, Cathars, Albigensians, etc. A quick read, haunting in it's history, set in post WWI SW France. Good read.
Awards
Dublin Literary Award (Longlist — 2011)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2009 (UK)
2011-02-03 (USA)
ISBN
1409112276 / 9781409112273
Other editions
Winter Ghosts by Kate Mosse (Hardcover)