A rather curious mix of tales by John Gardner, in three sections. The first section, "The Midnight Reader", is an odd grabbag of short stories set in Southern Illinois of different eras, with an occasional ghostly presence. Book Two, "Tales of Queen Louisa", is a semi-entertaining trio of linked stories set in medieval times, and is probably the class act of the book. The final book, "The King's Indian", is a strange novella centered around a young man conscripted to serve on a whaling ship that may or may not be a ghostly ship. Not Gardner at his best. ( )