World Book Club: Paul Tremblay, A Head Full of Ghosts

Josie Long interviews one of the masters of modern horror, Paul Tremblay. He answers your questions on on of his best loved novels 'A Head Full of Ghosts'. The story centres on the Barretts, a typical New England suburban family, torn apart when their eldest daughter, fourteen-year-old Marjorie, begins to display signs of acute mental illness. When doctors are seemingly unable to offer any relief, and financial troubles compound the horror of being unable to help their child, they reluctantly turn to a local Catholic priest for help. But the Priest offers more than prayers, he knows of a production company that is eager to document the their plight, and pay a pretty penny for access. With mounting medical bills, the family agrees to be filmed, and soon find themselves the unwitting stars of a hit reality television show - The Possession. When events in the Barrett household spiral into tragedy, the show and the shocking incidents it captures become the stuff of urban legend. Fifteen years later, a bestselling writer interviews Marjorie's younger sister, Merry. As she recalls those long ago events that took place when she was just eight years old memories blur with the edited version presented to the world, and the terrible truth of what happened to the Barrett’s is finally brought to light. Though at the end, readers will still be asking if the events were purely medical, or if there really was a supernatural evil lurking beneath it all. One of Paul’s most beloved works. Paul answers your questions about the timeless appeal of horror, the power of ambiguity in storytelling, and how demonic possession is perhaps the lesser of all the evils revealed in this story.