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5.0 out of 5 stars
Marvelous monsters wtih a touch of humor, May 19 2006
The Haunting of Hiram
By: Eva Ibbotson
Do you like to read about funny and not too scary ghosts? Well if you do, this would be an awesome book for you to read! This story is about a millionaire named Mr. Hiram C. Hopgood who wants to buy a Scottish castle from its twelve year-old owner, Alex MacBuff. But only on one condition: there has to be no ghosts! Alex dearly wants to keep his beloved castle which has unique ghosts! Unfortunately, he cannot afford to keep his Castle Carra and he is running very low on money, so he accepts Mr. Hopgood's offer. Alex doesn't know what to do, because he cannot bear to part with his ghosts, since they brought him up since he was a kid, and then he eventually tells the ghosts. The plan is for them to Alex's mother's cousin's house, which also has ghosts; but they are the posh, snooty type of ghosts. The place, called 'Dunloon Manner' was extremely grand with statues and fountains in the yard. Dunloon was owned by Sir Ian Trottle, who was so 'stuck up and snooty that he once spent a whole day sitting on the lavatory because he was too proud to shout for 'loo paper'! (Reading that always makes me giggle) The ghosts are very unhappy to have the unique Carra ghosts and they think that they are dirty and that they are far more superior to them. Krok Fullbelly the Viking, Miss Spinks the ghost of a Victorian Governess, Uncle Louse the old vampire who ran his wheelchair over his false teeth, Flossie the poltergeist who throws random temper tantrums and sleeps with an old moldy sheep thigh bone, and last but not least, a black hell-hound called Cyril; all these ghosts were forced to go to Dunloon manner, and live there with snotty, stuck-up ghosts. The rest of the book tells you about how Alex deals with homesickness for the ghosts and how he 'cooks' up a plan to get his castle and his ghosts back to its original setting. While he does this, there are criminals trying to kidnap Helen, Mr. Hopgood's daughter to hold her up for ransom. Alex has help from his ghost friends to stop them and the rest of the book holds you in suspense until you read to the ending where you finally stop holding your breath. This book was a fantastic book and it is my most favourite book, because I like reading fantasy books and Eva Ibbotson is the best author for those types of books. She writes many books involving ghosts, funny spirits, imaginary creatures and crazy characters in books such as The Secret of Platform 13, and Monster Mission. I really enjoy reading these types of books because it makes me feel different emotions, like scared of the bad guys, nervous and anxious about what was going to happen when the ghosts move into Dunloon manner, amused when Flossie the poltergeist does something really funny to a stranger and pleased when things get happy and sad when things are bad. This book is like a rollercoaster of feelings because, when you read it, you may feel mad at the bad guy, sad because the Dunloon ghosts treat the Carra ghosts badly and glad because the ghosts get reunited with Alex. There are many examples that stand out, but one sad example is: 'but the Red lady (there are different ladies who wear different colors) now pointed out at Cyril with a shaking hand and said:' "Out! Out of this house, you filthy animal, and don't you ever set foot in it again! From now on, you will sleep in the cowshed. Even a kennel is too good for you." "Yes, out to the cowshed!" screamed the Green Lady and Hal ( he's called Handsome Hal, but he's really not handsome at all) kicked out at Cyril with his buckled shoe.' This paragraph is small but very effective because you know how badly Cyril is treated, and when I was reading this, I felt really really sorry for Cyril, because the Dunloon ghosts have a lot of prejudice and treat everyone VERY badly! These Dunloon ghosts probably assume that the Carra ghosts have no feelings too. On the amazing adventure to get reunited with Alex, the ghosts meet new friends and foes. Eva Ibbotson's writing always makes me grin, because there is just the right touch of suspense, fear and at the same time, humor! I love reading Eva's books, because she has such a great imagination, which is probably why I love her books because I like reading about imaginary creatures, monsters and such. Every book that I have read by Eva Ibbotson, I have always laughed out loud at least 2 times! I personally think that her books are very good to read, and I have already read this book 2 times!!!! This is why I recommend this book for you to read.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Ghoulish fun, Jul 7 2004
Eva Ibbotson writes stories about funny and not too scary ghosts. A recurring theme is displaced or homeless ghosts.
The Haunting of Granite Falls, 2004 is the story of a millionaire who purchases an ancient Scottish castle from 12-year-old orphan Alex MacBuff, and moves it to Texas. Every castle has ghosts; this one has five of them and they are the only family Alex has every had.Her writing always makes me grin. There is just the right touch of ghoulish humor. It occurs to me that her "Granite Falls" could be modeled on Marble Falls, Texas where Granite Mountain is a huge dome of pink and red granite. This granite was used for the construction of the Texas Capitol. A fun connection for Texas readers.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome Read!!!!, Jun 7 2004
By A Customer
This book was one of Eva Ibboton's top books!!! The story has a boy, a girl, and of course ghosts. The ghosts are a Viking, a governess with Water Madness, an old man in a wheel chair who was once a vampire, a little girl who is a polterguist, and a hellhound dogg that is the size of four dachsands end to end. The boy, Alex, has lived in the Scottish mansion, Carra, with his ghost "parents" his whole life. When money starts to run low, he decides to sell it. A man from America wants to buy it but on one condition, it has to be ghost free. This shocks the ghost and starts the whole adventure. It is as exciting as Harry Potter but much less scary in my opinion. When I was younger, I started reading Eva's books and couldn't stop reading it. I had to put down the second Harry Potter by chapter eight because it was too scary. This is the newest book so far by Eva and I have read all her other books. I am her #1 fan!!!!!!! I have even researched her and made sure I didn't miss a book. Other books by her are Dial-a-Ghost, Which Witch, The Secret of Platform 13, Island of the Aunts, and Not Just a Witch. Enjoy!!!
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