Call number
Genres
Publication
New York: Ballantine, 1976
Pages
256
Description
Conversing in a mausoleum with the dead, an eccentric recluse is tugged back into the world by a pair of ghostly lovers bearing an extraordinary gift-the final chance for his own happiness. When challenged by a faithless wife and aided by a talking raven, the lives of the living and the dead may be renewed by courage and passion, but only if not belatedly. Told with an elegiac wisdom, this & delightful tale of magic and otherworldly love & is a timeless work of fantasy imbued with hope and wonder. After multiple printings since 1960, this newest edition will contain the author's recent revisions and will stand as the definitive version of an ageless classic.
Media reviews
A first novel that is both sepulchral and oddly appealing... a wry dialogue with death that may contain no large lump of wisdom but offers a fair selection of small ones.
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1960
Physical description
256 p.; 7.1 inches
ISBN
034524754X / 9780345247544
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User reviews
LibraryThing member JoClare
A wonderful story, about two lonely people who are dead to the world around them until they find each other, and a couple of sad ghosts who only find love after death. This one is deserving to be read more than once, it's warm and romantic and even funny at times.
Mr. Rebeck, who is still alive by
Michael Morgan is a ghost who is unsure about his own death, and tries to work out the details of whether he committed suicide or was murdered by his wife. He soon meets Laura, another ghost and both struggle to remember the most basic things about their earthly lives, now unnecessary. Laura and Michael eventually fall in love, but even in death, some things like togetherness do not last forever.
Mr. Rebeck, who is still alive by
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the way, has taken up residence in a mausoleum, afraid to enter the world that he left twenty years ago, he never leaves the cemetery and must hide from the grounds crew and the visitors of the cemetery to remain. Mr. Rebeck has the unlikely ability to talk to people who have recently passed, as well as converse with a cynical raven who brings him food daily by stealing from locals. Mr. Rebeck meets Mrs. Klapper, a recent widow who often comes to visit her deceased husband's grave; and strikes up a hopeful love interest with her, all the while trying to hide his unusual choice of residence. Michael Morgan is a ghost who is unsure about his own death, and tries to work out the details of whether he committed suicide or was murdered by his wife. He soon meets Laura, another ghost and both struggle to remember the most basic things about their earthly lives, now unnecessary. Laura and Michael eventually fall in love, but even in death, some things like togetherness do not last forever.
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LibraryThing member SeriousGrace
A Fine and Private Place is haunted yet humorous. It takes place in a cemetery yet has a talking black bird (a sarcastic one at that). The dead have issues with remembering yet have no problem complaining to the living man lurking in their midst. That man would be Mr. Rebeck, the one time druggist
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who now spends his days (and nights) in a New York cemetery. In fact, he hasn't left the grounds in nearly twenty years. A Fine and Private Place delves into what it means to have a soul, even if it gets lost from time to time. It's the story of different relationships struggling to make it despite the differences. Throughout the story there are minor mysteries. Why, for example, is Mr. Rebeck living in the cemetery? Did Michael Malone's wife really murder him? What's with the talking bird? Don't expect a lot of action from A Fine and Private Place. The majority of the story is filled with introspective musings and the plot is centered on character development and how those characters interact with one another. Show Less
LibraryThing member Rhinoa
A beautiful story of haunting love. Michael Morgan wakes up in a coffin at his own funeral. Turns out he is dead and is wife is suspected of poisoning and murdering him. He meets Mr Rebeck who is an alive ghost haunting and living in the cemetary with a raven that keeps him in food. He has taken
Death is not the end for Michael. Ghosts lose their memories over time including human mannerisms like walking on the ground properly, but Michael is determined to keep himself together. He meets Laura, another recent ghost who was hit by a car. She had thought about sucicide when alive but never went through with it. It also seems that Mr Rebeck has another chance at a more usual life when he meets widow Mrs Klapper who may be able to help him come back to the world.
This was such a beautiful book. The language was consuming somehow, really pulling me in. I loved Beagle's ideas of death and what happens after we die. His characters were really interesting and there were some great surprises throughout the story. It's a ghost story but more a look at humanity and what makes a person. Highly recommended
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himself away from life after he went bankrupt and lost his pharmacy business. It is up to Mr Rebeck to teach Michael about death and being a ghost.Death is not the end for Michael. Ghosts lose their memories over time including human mannerisms like walking on the ground properly, but Michael is determined to keep himself together. He meets Laura, another recent ghost who was hit by a car. She had thought about sucicide when alive but never went through with it. It also seems that Mr Rebeck has another chance at a more usual life when he meets widow Mrs Klapper who may be able to help him come back to the world.
This was such a beautiful book. The language was consuming somehow, really pulling me in. I loved Beagle's ideas of death and what happens after we die. His characters were really interesting and there were some great surprises throughout the story. It's a ghost story but more a look at humanity and what makes a person. Highly recommended
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LibraryThing member Magus_Manders
This book is a fantasy, a mystery, a love story, and an affirmation of life all rolled into one. A sweet tale, all told, though it occasionally dragged into the maudlin, and some of the character's were frustratingly, stubbornly teenager-like, for old men. Still, I must say, I am always a sucker
Excelsior!
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for a book featuring a talking raven, so I suppose it would be hard for me not to like it. I'm glad this book was recommended to me (thanks Tanuki), and as I hear that this is Beagle's weakest work, I will be sure to look for some more of his.Excelsior!
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LibraryThing member mpultz
Although A Fine and Private Place is not as well known as Beagle's The Last Unicorn, it also wraps many insights into human nature into a tale of the supernatural. The most advertised plot element is the love between two ghosts who meet in a cemetery after being buried, and while this is certainly
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touching and entertaining, the book is really about the living man Jonathan Rebeck, who has retreated from the world and must the do the thing he fears most in order to help his friends (the two ghosts who have fallen in love). The story would be insightful and effective even if Michael and Laura were not ghosts, but rather social outcasts like Rebeck, for the main thrust of the story is Rebeck's re-entry into the world, for which he must conquer his fears and step outside of himself, a journey that many readers may be able to relate to in some way. A Fine and Private Place is a simple yet profoundly accurate story that shines with the otherworldy charm of Beagle's other novels. Show Less
LibraryThing member Jim53
This is one of those books that many people probably won't like. There isn't a lot of action, and the emphasis is on characters rather than plot. The main character is not especially engaging, although just about everyone else is, especially the talking raven and the reticent guard. We don't know
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exactly why Jonathan lives in the cemetery and is afraid to leave it, but we suspect that his condition, whatever name we might give it, is what enables him to converse with some of the ghosts whose bodies are buried there. The book is only loosely a fantasy. I found it very enjoyable because of the characters. Show Less
LibraryThing member dbsovereign
Beagle is a genius! Cemetaries, death - is this a fantasy?! A new magical realism when it was even extant yet!!
LibraryThing member BakuDreamer
Possibly the most boring book in existence
LibraryThing member MrsLee
Alright, I didn't care for it, but you might. A live man is living in a cemetery and he can see and speak with the ghosts of people who are buried there. The only characters I really cared about in this tale were Mrs. Clapper, a live woman who befriends the man living in the graveyard, the raven,
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who feeds the man, and Campos, the cemetery guard. The rest of them annoyed me. They were constantly spouting out unfounded philosophical statements and pronouncements. It was like sitting in a room full of young men all trying to outdo each other with profound sayings. The mood and action (very little action) in this reminded me of another book which I couldn't abide, "Cider with Rosie" by Laurie Lee. Now, just because I didn't like it, doesn't mean you won't, it simply isn't my type of story. I think the only reason I stuck with this to the end was that I found the author was pleasant to listen to on audio. Show Less
LibraryThing member jen.e.moore
This had all the sweetness and poetry I've come to expect from Peter S. Beagle, with just the right tinge of heartbreak along with it. I liked his ghosts, slowly forgetting who they are until they almost-disappear, and I liked Mrs. Klapper, and I liked the ambiguity of the ending, but something
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about the whole of it together wasn't great for me. Show Less
LibraryThing member raizel
A strange book, but I rather liked it. (To misquote Mr. Beebe in A Room with a View.)
LibraryThing member kaboomcju
This is a beautiful piece. It's filled with ghosts and fantasy; however, it is all about what it means to be human. I literally cried when I read this book.
LibraryThing member Sean191
I enjoyed this book. Like the title, it was just a calming, relaxing story. Sure, it has a few ghosts, untimeley deaths, some other things that would typically seem a little morbid (I won't go into spoilers) but it still manages to be a calm, comfortable read. It's a fine and private
Additional kudos goes to the awesome picture of author Peter S. Beagle on the back fly leaf smoking a cigarette with the errol Flynn mustache.
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book?Additional kudos goes to the awesome picture of author Peter S. Beagle on the back fly leaf smoking a cigarette with the errol Flynn mustache.
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LibraryThing member kheperu
hauntingly beautiful. an under-appreciated tale by a master story-teller
LibraryThing member booksinthebelfry
By the same author and also recommended, when you're in the mood for fantasy: The Last Unicorn.
LibraryThing member patrickgarson
A really singular book. Peter S. Beagle wrote something - as a nineteen year-old! - that, whilst not for everybody, is a fine novel and definitely a unique one.
Jonathon Rebeck as been living in a cemetery for nearly twenty years. Hiding out in an abandoned mausoleum, his only friends are a talking
Beagle's fully-realised characters really drive the narrative, which is one based foremost on emotions. The book is built on long stretches of dialogue; people talking about their feelings, or responding to others' - yet it never feels meandering or lackadaisical. Indeed, the existential questions A Fine and Private Place brings up are equally relevant in and outside the book, and at times possess an genuine urgency and pathos.
Jonathon and the other denizens of the cemetery are always believable and interesting. Beagle has a great ear for dialogue and his descriptive prose is excellent, too; sharply observed but never too flowery.
Indeed, these things all combine to produce an environment which is really unique. The cemetery feels like a three-dimensional and complete world, similar to our own, but separate. It lends the novel the feeling of a parable, without a parable's attendant simplicity or easy lessons.
Not everyone will enjoy A Fine and Private Place. There are long stretches of little but dialogue; the feeling of almost impressionist unreality which permeates the book will alienate some readers; others may find the characters too self-obsessed or prolix. But I thought this was a real find. In the foreword, Beagle - now in his seventies - calls this his "state-of-grace novel", and I agree. There is something fleeting and wonderful caught between these pages. If you can find it, don't miss out.
Jonathon Rebeck as been living in a cemetery for nearly twenty years. Hiding out in an abandoned mausoleum, his only friends are a talking
Show More
raven, and the ghosts of the newly dead. It's difficult to add more without unnecessarily spoiling part of this slight novel's charm.Beagle's fully-realised characters really drive the narrative, which is one based foremost on emotions. The book is built on long stretches of dialogue; people talking about their feelings, or responding to others' - yet it never feels meandering or lackadaisical. Indeed, the existential questions A Fine and Private Place brings up are equally relevant in and outside the book, and at times possess an genuine urgency and pathos.
Jonathon and the other denizens of the cemetery are always believable and interesting. Beagle has a great ear for dialogue and his descriptive prose is excellent, too; sharply observed but never too flowery.
Indeed, these things all combine to produce an environment which is really unique. The cemetery feels like a three-dimensional and complete world, similar to our own, but separate. It lends the novel the feeling of a parable, without a parable's attendant simplicity or easy lessons.
Not everyone will enjoy A Fine and Private Place. There are long stretches of little but dialogue; the feeling of almost impressionist unreality which permeates the book will alienate some readers; others may find the characters too self-obsessed or prolix. But I thought this was a real find. In the foreword, Beagle - now in his seventies - calls this his "state-of-grace novel", and I agree. There is something fleeting and wonderful caught between these pages. If you can find it, don't miss out.
Show Less
LibraryThing member SR510
I think it's better than The Last Unicorn, for whatever that's worth, and I suspect I might like this one more when I'm older.
Or perhaps not. Some of the plot contrivances seem awfully convenient, and I don't know that I buy any aspect of the ending. But then I suppose the plot isn't really the
Or perhaps not. Some of the plot contrivances seem awfully convenient, and I don't know that I buy any aspect of the ending. But then I suppose the plot isn't really the
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point... and so I have to punt it back to "maybe I'll like it better when I'm older." It's possible. Show Less
LibraryThing member nebula61
Unique and beautiful fantasy.
LibraryThing member wirkman
This is a near-perfect ghost story. But it isn't horror, because it's from the ghosts' point of view. A sunny, almost Bradburyesque comedy, it's more mature, though, than Bradbury. Beagle, who wrote it before he was 20, had a more mature imagination! The perfect cure for similar ideas, such as by
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Richard Matheson. This is almost a great book. Show Less
LibraryThing member Lucky-Loki
While Beagle's dialogue and prose are both excellent, and the plot fairly interesting, the subject matter is just not my thing at all, being much too depressing and morbid to be an enjoyable read for me. So my rating is at about the halfway point between how good I suspect this book would be to
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someone whose tastes are more open to it, and how much I personally got out of it. Show Less
LibraryThing member raschneid
I don't exactly understand how a book can be nihilistic and heartwarming at once, but this one manages it.
It is really really good, like a children's book for adults, if that makes sense . The content is not at all for children, but it feels genreless and wise the way a children's book is. Also it
The human insight in this one is scary. "How do you know that about me?" I would demand of Beagle, only to realize that probably it was something he knew about himself.
It is really really good, like a children's book for adults, if that makes sense . The content is not at all for children, but it feels genreless and wise the way a children's book is. Also it
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is illustrated. Illustrated!The human insight in this one is scary. "How do you know that about me?" I would demand of Beagle, only to realize that probably it was something he knew about himself.
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LibraryThing member DinadansFriend
I'm not a fan of Emily Dickenson, but it's a good title. Mr. Beagle has sent us an excellent look at the way the dead stay with us, even when inconvenient. I've always known that a raven in the neighbourhood means well, but doesn't communicate so well with the hasty. Had a good time with this when
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a friend of mine died. Show Less
LibraryThing member ctmsmiwa
Miranda
Mr. Bronson
A Fine and Private Place
A Fine and Private Place, by Peter S. Beagle, explores the world of ghosts and death in a quiet, contemplative way. Mr. Rebeck, a failure in the real world, lives in a cemetery. He is not dead, he has just retreated from everything he once was in the quiet
For a book that explores such big topics as Love and Life and Death, this finely-crafted novel is amazingly detailed and developed, and there are many little stories and dramas alongside the big pictures. The characters are very three-dimensional, and every image Beagle puts into your mind is rich and colorful. For example, the author paints the city surrounding the cemetery with such attention to detail, the colors, the sounds, the smells, that you feel you could reach out and feel the pink brick of the buildings described. There is also a fine sense of humor in this book. Not brash, just a quiet bit of funniness mixed into the dialogue and description. And the novel wouldn’t be the same without it.
Read it!! Although kids might not be able to enjoy its subtle humor and deep exploration of the world, it is appropriate for any age, and it is a truly wonderful book. I strongly recommend it to everyone!
Mr. Bronson
A Fine and Private Place
A Fine and Private Place, by Peter S. Beagle, explores the world of ghosts and death in a quiet, contemplative way. Mr. Rebeck, a failure in the real world, lives in a cemetery. He is not dead, he has just retreated from everything he once was in the quiet
Show More
amongst the graves. However, it seems that the dead are not quiet. In this novel, there is no heaven or hell; ghosts simply reside in the graveyard, slowly forgetting what life is, fading away to nothing. The ghosts talk to Mr. Rebeck , and when Michael arrives, he talks a lot and very loudly. Michael is furious at being dead, as he was poisoned by his wife Sandra, and he fights forgetting with all his might. Laura, however, treats death as a blessing. Laura was grateful for the truck that hit her, for her life was so boring that she wants to forget. Michael and Laura drive each other crazy with their opposing ideas, and, of course, they fall in love. Mr. Rebeck, too, finds love in the cemetery, with a woman who visits her dead husband often.For a book that explores such big topics as Love and Life and Death, this finely-crafted novel is amazingly detailed and developed, and there are many little stories and dramas alongside the big pictures. The characters are very three-dimensional, and every image Beagle puts into your mind is rich and colorful. For example, the author paints the city surrounding the cemetery with such attention to detail, the colors, the sounds, the smells, that you feel you could reach out and feel the pink brick of the buildings described. There is also a fine sense of humor in this book. Not brash, just a quiet bit of funniness mixed into the dialogue and description. And the novel wouldn’t be the same without it.
Read it!! Although kids might not be able to enjoy its subtle humor and deep exploration of the world, it is appropriate for any age, and it is a truly wonderful book. I strongly recommend it to everyone!
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LibraryThing member kslade
Interesting fantasy from point of view of a dead girl in a cemetery.
LibraryThing member dorie.craig
An interesting premise but not carried out well. Needed more plot, less philosophizing.