Litercurious Book Review

Title	Norman 2: The True Story of a Possessed Doll’s Revenge
Author	Steven Lancaster
Publisher	Llewellyn Publications (September 8, 2020)
Format	Kindle, Paperback
Pages	264
Language	English
ASIN#	B0841637W9

AUTHOR

Stephen Lancaster is a self-proclaimed phenomenologist and has been involved in the field of paranormal research since 1997. In 2010 he became an author; chronicling his experiences investigating the paranormal.

WHO IS THE TARGET AUDIENCE?

The target audience for this publication is all those who have an interest in the paranormal and horror stories.

SYNOPSIS

Norman 2 is the sequel to Norman: The Doll That Needed to Be Locked Away. The earlier publication introduced Norman, a doll that the author and his wife discovered in a store. An ominous comment from the store owner piqued Lancaster’s interest, and he bought the doll and took it home. All too quickly, Stephen Lancaster claims, Norman began performing for his new audience. Almost immediately, sinister occurrences began to take place that forced him to utilize cameras to capture footage of the paranormal happenings. The author claims to have extensive footage relating to the possessed doll. The Lancaster’s lives become a nightmare that escalated exponentially over time. Eventually provoking the author to place the doll in a vacant room in an attempt to assuage the temper of Norman the doll. 

It is now two years later and Norman 2 continues the haunting tale. As the saying goes, sensational claims require sensational proof and that seems to be where the wheels come of this project. I am only too aware that paranormal investigators claim that their methods are based in science but that just isn’t so. The scientific method requires a number of things: for example, the experiment is repeatable producing the same result. In addition, it must be possible for your peers to replicate the same experiment and attempt to prove your theory wrong. In the paranormal world it is impossible to find irrefutable proof derived from the scientific method.

In Norman 2 Lancaster attempts to prove with visual evidence the voracity of his claims. I remain skeptical as I felt the events described fell short of proof of paranormal occurrences.

Lancaster recounts various disturbing situations including a seemingly spontaneous fire claimed to have been created by Norman in its room. There are instances of exaggerations or sensational claims that reduce, rather than increase the probity of the claims. The telling of the story reminded me of the over elaboration of a bad liar. I came to the uncomfortable conclusion that I was being lied to.

CONCLUSION

Throughout the book there were examples of repetition, misspellings and an amateurish writing style. This devalued the trope almost as much as the outlandish claims themselves. The work could have been far more concise and measured. I found myself being less subjective in part due to the lack of skilled writing, language, grammar, and vocabulary. 

If the family are so afraid of the doll it seems odd that they should wish to continue to house it in their home. Is the doll inhabited by a restless spirit, a demon, or the soul of a dead child? That question I leave for you to decide.

I am aware the force of my review may indicate I do not enjoy the entertainment value of paranormal entertainment shows and literature. I am intrigued with the subject and have been since I read The Amityville Horror as a child. I consumed the book in less than 24 hours, not stopping to sleep until I finished it. 

Incidentally, I do enjoy reading publications on the paranormal, especially when they are well written, balanced, and subjective. I enjoy paranormal literature that present the claims and evidence that leave it for me to decide if the claims carry any weight or not.

This is simply my opinion and you have your own and that is why I recommend you read the first book and then decide if you would like reading Norman 2. 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Steven Lancaster, NetGalley and Llewellyn Publications for affording me the opportunity to review Norman 2: The True Story of a Possessed Doll’s Revenge.

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