This is one of my favorite books. I reread it incessantly. All of the stories enjoy the benefit of Lurie's finely developed sense of humor, even the ones that end on an eerie note. And Lurie is deeply creative, playing merrily with exactly what qualifies as a ghost. A haunted piece of furniture? Visitations from a woman who's still alive (and may not even realize she's "haunting" her ex-husband's new fiancée)? A fertility goddess manifesting in our world just for a moment (maybe)?

Some of the stories are genuinely eerie; some are absolutely upbeat; a few are ambiguous, so far as "happy" endings are concerned. You don't have to be familiar with Lurie's novels to enjoy this book deeply, but those who have read "The War Between The Tates" or "The Truth About Lorin Jones" or "Real People" may recognize some characters in this collection.

This is one of those books I'd pay extra to be able to read for the first time again. ( )