Ghost Story (2011) (edit title/settings)

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit see section history

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Summary edit see section history

Characters edit see section history

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• Mortimer Lindquist: Mortimer Lindquist, speaks with ghosts
• Evil Bob: The evil part of Bob the Skull, removed from original Bob
• Harry Dresden: Tall, lanky fellow usually with at least a day's growth of stubble. He isn't model material but has a rugged sort of appeal. He has made the choice to use his wizardry to help people. He does this in part because of feelings of guilt for having dabbled in the darker side of magic but he does it, even more so, because he is a self-admitted Don Quixote tilting at windmills. In his case, these means dealing with demons, gods, and worse to save the "damsel in distress" from evildoers. He loves D&D, pizza, sarcasm, and his friends. He hates bullies, idiots, and most kinds of formal authority. He's always been his own man and tries hard to keep to his own moral code. In the past 12 novels, he's had some hard knocks to his philosophy and view of life but still manages to be the good guy.
• Karrin Murphy: Former Sergeant of the Chicago Police Department.
• Molly Carpenter: Dresden's Apprentice and daughter of Michael and Charity Carpenter.
• Waldo Butters: Assistant Medical Examiner for Chicago, and a believer in the things that can't be explained by medicine or science.
• Justine: Lover to Harry's 1/2 brother Thomas of the White Court vampires
• Jack Murphy: Karrin's deceased father
• Stuart Winchester: Mort's house guardian
• Corpsetaker: Necromancer who jumped from body-to-body that Harry defeated (killed)
• Nick Christian: Add a description of this character.
• Baron John Marcone: Gentleman Johny Marcone, mobster who controls most of Chicago's criminal activities
• Father Forthill: Priest
• Kemmler: Evil wizard.
• Will: werewolf friend of Harry's
• Joshua: Big Hood thug
• Elaine Mallory: apprentice alongside Dresden, his first crush
• Susan Rodriguez: Harry's love interest, mother of Maggie, deceased.
• Mr. Childs
• Bob the Skull: An air spirit of intellect who resides in a human skull.
• Leanansidhe: Noble in the Winter Court of the Sidhe, also Harry's Godmother
• Queen Mab: Queen of the Winter Sidhe
• Fitz: Runway teenager living on the streets of Chicago, can hear spirits
• Mouse: Harry's dog. He is a temple or Foo dog, a descendant of a divine guardian spirit and a mortal canine.
• Ron Carmichael: Detective with CPD, Murphy's former partner
• Justin DuMorne: Former Warden, Master to Dresden and Elaine, Black Mage, Warlock, deceased
• Father Anthony Forthill: Pastor of St. Mary of the Angels
• Mister: Harry's large gray cat
• He Who Walks Behind: Outsider
• Uriel: Archangel, the mysterious spy of the angels.
• Margaret Angelica Mendoza Dresden: Harry's daughter
• Thomas Raith: White Court Vampire, also Harry's half-brother
• Marci: female Werewolf
• Andi: female Werewolf
• William Borden: Werewolf
• Jared Kincaid: Mercenary, Guardian of the Archive
• Felicia Raith: White Court Vampire, also Thomas's half-sister
• Daniel Carpenter: Molly's younger brother, son of Michael and Charity Carpenter.

Quotes edit see section history

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• “There are no words. It was like The Lord of the Rings and All My Children made a baby with the Macho Man Randy Savage and a Whac-a-Mole machine.”

  Bob the Skull

• “You're dead, son, cheer is contraindicated.”

  Jack

• “That's right --you heard me: dead again already. <...> How screwed up is your life (after-or otherwise ) when you find yourself needing phrases like that?”

  Harry Dresden

• “This is a crossroads. This is where your life takes form. Here. Now. This moment.”

  Harry Dresden

• “Pain isn't a lot of fun, at least not for most folks, but it is utterly unique to life. Pain--physical, emotional, or otherwise--is the shadow cast by everything you want out of life, the alternative to the result you were hoping for, and the inevitable creator of strength. From the pain of our failures we learn to be better, stronger, greater than what we were before. Pain is there to tell us when we've done something badly--it's a teacher, a guide, one that is always there to warn us of oh limitations and challenge us to overcome them.For something nobody likes, pain does us a whole lot of good.”

• “Be.”

  Harry Dresden

• “Death should be a learning experience, after all, or what’s the point?”

  Leanansidhe

• “I'd fallen victim to one of the other classic blunders, along with not getting involved in a land war in Asia and never going in against a Sicilian when death was on the line.”

  Harry ("Princess Bride"!!!!!!!)

• “No. You are not Patrick Swayze. I am not Demi Moore. And this sure as hell isn't pottery class.”

  Karrin Murphy

• “Do you know what a monster is, young shade? Power. Power and choice. Monsters make choices. Monsters shape the world. Monsters force us to become stronger, smarter, better. They sift the weak from the strong and provide a forge for the steeling of souls. Even as we curse monsters, we admire them. Seek to become them, in some ways.”

  Inez

• “I guessed the Corpsetaker had never read Tolkien. Tasteless bitch.”

  Harry Dresden

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• Pain isn’t a lot of fun, at least not for most folks, but it is utterly unique to life. Pain—physical, emotional, and otherwise—is the shadow cast by everything you want out of life, the alternative to the result you were hoping for, and the inevitable creator of strength. From the pain of our failures we learn to be better, stronger, greater than what we were before. Pain is there to tell us when we’ve done something badly—it’s a teacher, a guide, one that is always there to both warn us of our limitations and challenge us to overcome them.

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• Courage is about learning how to function despite the fear, to put aside your instincts to run or give in completely to the anger born from fear. Courage is about using your brain and your heart when every cell of your body is screaming at you to fight or flee—and then following through on what you believe is the right thing to do.

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• I mean, go figure. You prepare your home for an assault and you don’t take zombies into consideration. I’d fallen victim to one of the other classic blunders, along with not getting involved in a land war in Asia and never going in against a Sicilian when death was on the line.

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• It was never too late to learn something. The past is unalterable in any event. The future is the only thing we can change. Learning the lessons of the past is the only way to shape the present and the future.

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• “You’ve got it backward, Harry,” he said. “You are a soul. You have a body.”

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• I’ve always been the kind of person who can appreciate gorgeous scenery without feeling a need to go camping in it.

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• “There are no words. It was like The Lord of the Rings and All My Children made a baby with the Macho Man Randy Savage and a Whac-A-Mole machine.”

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• Mort drove one of those little hybrid cars that, when not running on gasoline, was fueled by idealism.

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• obstreperous.” “You kidding?” I said, settling back in the seat. “I live to be obstreperous.”

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Setting & Locations edit see section history

• Chicago
• In-between

Organizations edit see section history

• White Council: The council of white wizards who follow a strict code of conduct. It is administrated by the "Merlin" and has a ruling council that is their Supreme Court and Law Enforcement etc.
• Paranet: A network of people with special abilities different than normal people. They work together to help each other understand their abilities, and to stay informed as a group when bad things start happening to members of the group.

First Sentence edit see section history

Table of Contents edit see section history

Themes & Symbolism edit see section history

• Death and loss: The story explores how people, including the deceased, deal with death and loss.
• Friendship: In working through dealing with the death of the main character, the book also offers ways in which frienship can survive death.

Series & Lists edit see section history

Preceded by Changes, and followed by Cold Days.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. Jim Butcher (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Classification edit see section history

• Library of Congress: Not Filed
• Dewey: 813.54

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Adult content and situations

Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Science Fiction & Fantasy › Fantasy › Contemporary

Links to Supplemental Material edit see section history

• Jim-Butcher.com: Author's official website

Movie Connections edit see section history

• The Dresden Files (IMDb): TV Mini-Series

More Books Like This edit see section history

Books with Additional Background Information edit see section history