Ghost Story is a 1979 horror novel by Peter Straub. Notably, Straub has cited Stephen King's 'Salem's Lot as a partial inspiration for the story.
In a small town in Upstate New York, four elderly men – physician John Jaffrey, retired businessman Lewis Benedikt, and law partners Sears James and Ricky Hawthorne – have formed the Chowder Society, a social club where they regularly meet and tell each other stories. Lately they've taken to telling each other ghost stories following the death of their fifth member, Edward Wanderley, under mysterious circumstances. One day, a mysterious woman named Anna Mostyn takes up a position at Sears and Ricky's law firm, claiming to be a relative of a woman named Eva Galli. This immediately disturbs the surviving members of the Chowder Society, who have been harboring a Dark Secret pertaining to Eva Galli all these years...
A loose film adaptation was released in 1981, directed by John Irvin and starring Fred Astaire, Melvyn Douglas, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., John Houseman, Craig Wasson, Patricia Neal, and Alice Krige.
Ghost Story contains examples of:
- Adaptation-Induced Plot Hole: Gregory and Fenny. In the book, it is revealed that they were originally human but resurrected with new powers and abilities by Florence de Peyser. Since the movie removed Florence de Peyser, it isn't clarified whether Gregory and Fenny are also ghosts or normal humans who happen to be Eva's accomplices.
- Adapted Out: Neither Lewis Benedikt, the fifth member of the Chowder Society, nor Peter Barnes, who aids their struggle against Anna/Alma/Eva, are present in the film. Same goes for Florence de Peyser, who in the novel is Anna/Alma/Eva's Woman Behind the Woman.
- Compressed Adaptation: The film reduces the membership of the Chowder Society from five to four, scales back the role of Gregory and Fenny and eliminates a few characters entirely (one of whom was The Man Behind the Man). The film also presents Anna/Alma/Eva as a straightforward ghost, while the book establishes that she isn't a ghost but instead an ancient shapeshifting creature.
- Dark Secret: As young men, the Chowder Society knocked out Eva Galli during a party and, assuming she was dead, attempted a cover-up by putting the body in a car and disposing of both in a deep pond. In the book, Eva's body vanished before they could dump the car, whereas in the film she turned out to be alive and could be seen trying to escape as the car sank. In both versions, Eva takes up multiple identities to seek revenge on the Society and their relatives.
- Driven to Suicide: Dr. John Jaffrey in the novel.
- Eldritch Abomination: Anna/Alma/Eva in the book. Instead of a ghost, she is established to be of a race of ancient shapeshifters who have existed since before humans first inhabited North America.
- Enfant Terrible: In the novel, Anna/Alma/Eva takes the form of a little girl called Angie, whom Don drives to Florida with the intent of killing her. He can’t bring himself to do it while she’s in child form, but is eventually able to do so when she assumes the form of a wasp.
- Fan Disservice: Alice Krige naked? Nice. Alice Krige suddenly turning into a rotting corpse? Not so nice.
- Ghost Story: What the Chowder Society usually tell to each other, and the stories we hear ultimately factor into the plot.
- In Medias Res: The novel opens with a man and a little girl who turn out to be Don Wanderley and “Angie” driving across country to Florida before shifting to the events in Milburn from the previous winter.
- Revenge: Eva's main motivation in both works is to exact vengeance on the Crowder Society for killing her back in The Roaring '20s, not just going after the individual members but also their offspring.
- Shout-Out: The novel has Don and co. confronting and killing Gregory and Fenny in a movie theater during an (unattended) screening of Night of the Living Dead.
- Snow Means Death: The bulk of the novel’s deaths take place in Milburn during a two-month snowy period, culminating in a blizzard on Christmas Eve/Day.
