Customer Reviews

The Ghost: A Novel

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(42)
3 star:		(22)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

the former PM and his entourage, his political adventures and disasters, and so on and so forth. But the way Harris narrates his story is enticing and thrilling, issuing suspense right and left with a skilled hand: the ambience is right, the dialogue fits, the main characters tally, the spinning is familiar and the cynicism is sharp. I enjoyed the book in a single reading, and I think I'll go back to it with more attention to detail, since it seems to me this is a super parody of Blair and his retinue, and of the publishing world from which the author extracts true images surely derived from real experience. Also, if you missed reading Tino Georgiou's masterpiece--The Fates, go and read it. I'm reading it at a rapid pace because it's so addictive. There is something about his books that bring you in and get you hooked. and I'm loving this one. Highly Recommend!

I own and enjoyed Harris' other works "Fatherland," "Archangel" and "Enigma." While this definitely is a bit of a different historical fiction, (set in present day or not so distant future), I found it to be a good read. Harris is a master of the thriller, and you won't be disappointed. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, I just happen to disagree with the notion that fans of Harris who enjoy reading intelligent writing should skip this book. The ending alone is worth it, as Harris employs an unusual and possibly original technique that leaves the reader satisfied. I usually don't review the books I read (this is my first) but I felt this book was worthy of defense against a one star rating.

This book quickly draws you into its story before you realize why. The first level is probably because the writing is so witty and graceful that you immediately feel entertained.

At another level you feel drawn to the author-protagonist because of his self-deprecating humor and the acceptance of his fate, which is to be a ghost writer rather than a "real" writer. The politics of being a ghost writer, always humbly in the background, while nevertheless creating stunning works for celebrity non-authors gives insight into the mind of actual ghost-writers, whom Harris liberally quotes in each chapter.

Then of course there is a level of political analysis thinly veiled from the real world of a discredited (in Harris' mind) Tony Blair. Harris hits upon a deep sense of regret felt by many of us because of Blair's foolish entanglement with the arrogant American president in the Iraq war. As one who admired Blair's entertaining performances in Parliament (seen at home on C-Span)I can heartily share the sense of tragedy of a great man who, like Chamberlain, falls from grace by commiting a remarkable stupidity of judgment. While the Prime Minister in this story is fictional, the parallels with Blair are inescapable.

Finally, there is the plot itself, which starts off with a suspicious death, weaves its way into the private life of the fallen PM, maintains a sense of urgency and tension until the climax is revealed, in the best tradition of mystery thrillers. The value of this book is that it is much more than a thriller, without eroding the central plot.

A wholly entertaining, engrossing, and instructive book. This one immediately sent me looking for other books by this exceptional writer. None have been disappointing.

I've not read any of Robert Harris' books before this one so I was a relative newcomer to his style of writing. What a trip! I really enjoyed this book on so many levels (it kept me up late many a night while reading before bedtime). How cool it was of Harris to never actually name his "ghost" (who tells the story in first person narrative). It added to the air of mystery. It was also enjoyable to have each of the primary cast members became slowly fleshed out through the course of the book, not the usual two-dimensional characterization of "good/bad". Nothing was transparent or easily guessed at in this novel. Even thhe book's protaganist is written as a normal, ordinary fellow put into abnormal, extraordinary circumstances. That just adds to it even more. This is a very good story and if Harris continues to write choice thrillers like this one, I'll keep buying them and reading them.

Robert Harris' Fatherland: A Novel (Mortalis) was one of the last century's finest novels in my estimation. In 'The Ghost,' Harris again shows that he's a master of conjuring up wonderfully almost-real-life experiences and playing them out in thrilling, suspenseful narratives.

Harris' ex-PM Adam Lang has Blair-like charisma and a similar fall in standing due to his role in a war against terror and a decision regarding extraordinary rendition. Lang's wife, Ruth, is said to be the smarter of the two, not standing for office but influencing career, campaign and policy behind the scenes (hello, Cheri). Spin doctors, lawyers and personal aides flesh out the former PM's retinue.

New to Lang's inner circle is Lang's would be ghostwriter, named, um, well, hold on, it's in here somewhere...

Ah. We _never learn_ this character's name. After 400 pages of fiction, and with his protagonist appearing on almost every page, Harris skillfully dodges revealing the man's name. Every other character either already knows the writer, or - in the case of Adam Lang - refers to 'the ghost' in a indirect way like 'man.' The Ghost mistakenly interprets this as a sign of Lang's comfortableness with him. Others pop his bubble: Lang's just terrible with names and has forgotten yours. [Another novel that used this same technique to good effect: Joanne Harris' Gentlemen and Players: A Novel (P.S.).]

This feat is more than a parlor trick by Harris: The Ghost is meant to be an unseen force shaping Lang's work-in-progress memoir. [That's why 'The Ghost' - the novels' original UK release name - is better than the US release's 'Ghost Writer.' That title is akin to redundant phrases like 'ATM Machine' or 'PIN Number'.] Lang's efforts have stalled (cough,cough). The Ghost is here to reboot the effort. Indeed, The Ghost's first review of Lang's draft with his previous collaborator reveals a dreadfully boring, leaden text. While our protagonist is warming to the task, larger forces in The Hague and Washington (and a certain Virginia suburb) are about to turn Lang's life upside down.

The Ghost - heretofore known for his light confections with aging rockers and others of that ilk - shows surprising gumption and nerve as an investigator. It's this steeliness that leads him into a web of intrigue and danger that he could not have foreseen. As the novel's first two lines ominously predestine: "The moment I heard how McAra died, I should have walked away. I know that now."

Harris has given us a really good read of the current geo-political environment. Lang is obviously the current past PM and we all know who the "real" villans are. That being said, his use of Martha's Vinyard in winter is a wonderful stroke that further pulls us in to the mood of the novel.
Loved all the characters except the main one, the "author". He was a tad too casual with his comments and concern to really be believable early on, and then when he begins to discover the seriousness of the situation, sort of bumbles his way through. Hard to swallow. Esp. the later scenes with the recording that "didn't happen". Yeh, like that would slip past these guys. Uh-huh.
Other than that, really excellent read, but then you forget it. You really don't care in the end. And we should.

It seems to me that Robert Harris is best at providing a good sense of time and place--this is true of Fatherland, Imperium, etc. The locales are finely drawn and interesting. The storytelling and plot lines often don't measure up quite as well. 5 stars for the sense of time and place, perhaps 3 or sometimes 4 stars for the basic story. This is also the case for the latest work, Ghost.

The primary setting for Ghost is Martha's Vineyard in the winter. Having lived there year-round in the early 1970's for 5 years I can say that it must certainly seem bleak to someone coming from a large city. Harris picked up a lot of good flavor in the few days he spent there, and in Rose Styron (the widow of Bill) he had a good guide. The twisted scrub oaks, the uncertainty of access in the winter gales, the sense of isolation and beauty are well-described. There is a regular scheduled air service (present but cut back in the winter) so I was surprised to find the narrator landing at the airport in Boston, taking a taxi to the bus station, a bus to the ferry, the ferry, and another taxi ride to the hotel when a 30-minute flight would have done the job. There are scenes of near-violent protests where the dirt road to the PM's compound leaves the main road. This seemed unlikely to me. Outside the UK embassy or in Lafayette Park in Washington, fine. But the locals are not ones to protest (nor would the summer residents)--privacy is valued very highly. Clinton as President, whose home was close to and very similar to where Lang is, was given plenty of privacy--he could eat at restaurants and nibble an ice cream cone at Mad Martha's without causing a big fuss. Also, as should be evident in the book, access especially in winter is not easy for people coming from the mainland, and the January winds are strong, cold, damp, and penetrating--even a half-hour of standing around would leave you thoroughly miserable. So even though Harris has a bit wrong with the setting, I'd still give it 5 stars.

The story, as I've noted, is more like 3 stars. It starts off well, although it's hard to figure out where it's going to wind up. But the further along we get, the more it seems as if we're riding into a box canyon--there's no good way out for Harris. The sinister aspects do not really need to be that sinister: this could have been just as good if the story was just geopolitics. Imagine if the first ghostwriter had just quit or been fired and the narrator was replacing him. That would be more believable--but it wouldn't have been a "thriller" and it wouldn't have been a thriller where the storyline falters toward the end. Things just seem to be a little too hurried toward some kind of resolution. But still--an overall 4 stars.

For a differently-flavored view of the Vineyard in the winter, try Anne Siddons' Up Island.

The story begins (narrated by the author/ghostwriter) just has he is being offered a job to write the memoirs of the former prime minister of Britain. He usually writes fluff memoirs of sports figures or celebrities, so he is immediately drawn to this serious project which will become a part of history. There's just one thing, instead of starting from scratch, he is to continue the writing started by the first ghostwriter - who died presumably by accident. The offer is too good to turn down, world politics, great paycheck, all sounds very exciting until he discovers more about his predecessor's death, and now he too may be in danger of washing up on shore.

Usually delegated to the background in his story writing, this time the ghost finds himself immersed in international politics, war crimes, espionage, and danger. Daily revelations about the actions of the prime minister are coming out and being reported on the news. The writer, who has been instructed to finish the book within a month, is under great pressure from the publisher who is ecstatic with the escalation in current events surrounding the prime minister, which will no doubt boost sales. But the greatest pressure is in trying to stay alive and away from all the people who want him and his book's secrets revealed - or hidden away forever.

This is a real page-turner, hard to put down, the story goes very quickly. Even after all the drama plays out (or you think that is all) and the book is published, an even bigger surprise awaits you at the end. I definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a good read.

In addition to the mystery/thriller story, there was also an underlying story that I found interesting, the profession of ghostwriting.

Robert Harris, the author, quotes from a ghostwriting handbook, Ghostwriting (Writing Handbooks) by Andrew Crofts. At the beginning of each chapter there is a quote from this handbook which I found added a lot to the story, helping me to understand what the ghostwriter was trying to achieve and the process used in writing someone else's story.

Ghostwriters (or ghosts) must extensively interview their clients and try to glean as much information as possible, searching lost memories and feelings, trying at the same time to understand the reasons for the client's actions, so when the story is written it sounds genuine.

The ghost is not given any glory for his work, is not listed as an author of the book, and is not invited to the book launch parties. It is a thankless job, but hopefully the ghost is paid enough to make it all worth it (in this story he is paid $250,000).

The reason I went in search of this book is that we saw an advertisement for the movie The Ghost Writer advertised online a few months ago. It looked like it would be pretty good, and we kept waiting for it to come out at the local theatre, but it never did. It is now scheduled to come out on DVD on August 3rd.

Now that I know how the story is supposed to go, I am looking forward to seeing the movie (and see how different it will be). In case the movie is bad, at least it has some redeeming qualities - Pierce Brosnan and Ewan McGregor... will keep you posted.

The Ghost Writer tells the first person story of a professional ghost writer who is engaged to complete a manuscript begun by a man whose body had recently been found washed ashore. Hesitant at first, the protagonist accepts the appointment after he is told that he is to receive $250,000 for one month's work. True to the adage that "If its too good to be true, it is", our writer soon finds himself having nightmares of floating in the sea beside the body of his predecessor.

The Ghost Writer was penned by accomplished author Robert Harris, and originally published as The Ghost. When reading this tome it is good to remember that the person speaking makes his living ghostwriting the autobiographies of celebrities. The book avoid the use of stale formulas, but the identity of the book's villain is very shopworn. The first half or so of this work can be tedious at times, and the main character's ready acceptance into his client-politician's inner circle challenges one's ability to suspend disbelief. Nevertheless, this book tells a refreshingly novel tale, and provides several real surprises. The ending is quite unanticipated, and leaves the reader questioning the reality of the geopolitical world around him. Anyone who enjoys a good Alfred Hitchcock mystery will enjoy this book. I highly recommend it.

It may not be a fair assessment, but I often think of Robert Harris as the "other Harris": somehow Thomas Harris, creator of Hannibal Lector, always seems to get more of the spotlight. It's unfortunate, because Robert Harris may be the better writer of the two. Certainly, Robert has not allowed himself to be pigeonholed into a single genre (unlike Thomas, who after his first novel (Black Sunday), has been limited to Lector books): Robert Harris has written alternate history (Fatherland), WWII novel (Enigma) and Roman historical novels (Pompeii, Imperium) among his books. The Ghost is also a different kind of thriller, and one of Harris's best yet.

The unnamed narrator of The Ghost is a fortyish man who's carved out a reasonably successful life as a ghost writer assisting celebrities write their memoirs. As the book opens, he is given his biggest assignment yet: writing the autobiography of former British Prime Minister Adam Lang. Lang--who bears a slight resemblance to Tony Blair--has retired to Martha's Vineyard, where he is dogged by his complicity with the American war on terror.

The narrator was not the first writer of the memoir; his predecessor died of an apparent suicide (though most readers will suspect something else is afoot). Whisked to Martha's Vineyard and subjected to a very tight timeline, the new ghost writer tries to understand the man who he is supposed to depict. The ex-P.M. is a bit of an enigma, however, forcing the ghost writer to do his own research, which will unearth disturbing facts. Meanwhile, Lang is facing a real threat to his livelihood: a possible indictment for war crimes related to kidnapping and torture.

Most of the time, I don't like the idea of a nameless narrator, but in The Ghost, it works. After all, the character is supposed to be a ghost, haunting the background but outside of events. It doesn't really work out that way, leading to some threatening situations and a number of plot twists, even a big one on the final page. The Ghost is a fast-paced and fun thriller that fans of suspense novels will enjoy. The lack of any Oscar-winning adaptations of his books may continue to keep Robert Harris as "the other Harris" but among those with that surname, he is the best.