MORE SHORT & SHIVERY

This collection reads more like a cultural anthropology text than a book of ghost stories. San Souci (Cut from the Same Cloth, 1993, etc.) retells 30 ``scary tales'' from around the world. But, stripped of much of their gruesomeness, these stories fall completely flat. The ethnic details, which are placed rather awkwardly in the narrative, disrupt the flow further so that whatever suspense might have been created is utterly lost. The only time the author writes a story that is even a little frightening is when he sticks to urban myths and avoids ``other cultures'' completely, but even then his narration is too rushed and casual to involve the reader. The prolific San Souci has not managed to create a campfire classic in this book—even the most squeamish will remain unfazed. (Folklore/Fiction. 8-12)