The Book of Dreams and Ghosts

The Book of Dreams and Ghosts is a book by Andrew Lang, first published in 1897. In this curious and engaging work, Lang gathers a wide array of supernatural tales drawn from folklore, personal testimonies, and historical records, weaving them into a thoughtful exploration of the uncanny. Blending the analytical spirit of a folklorist with the storytelling instinct of a novelist, he presents dreams, apparitions, hauntings, and spectral encounters from various cultures and time periods. Rather than endorsing or debunking, Lang invites readers to consider these phenomena in their social and psychological contexts, reflecting a Victorian fascination with spiritualism and the boundaries of human consciousness. The result is a unique compilation that straddles folklore, anthropology, and early psychical research, offering an atmospheric glimpse into humanity's timeless preoccupation with the unknown.