The Hungry Ghosts [Paperback]

Anne Berry (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 18, 2010

A tale of both broad global events and intimate lives, this dazzling debut spans 60 years from British Hong Kong to Paris, England, and postcolonial Hong Kong

 

Alice Safford is a lost soul. Raised in Hong Kong by a monstrous mother and high-ranking father, she is neglected by her parents and indifferent siblings. Twenty-five years later during the Japanese occupation, Lin Shui, a young Chinese girl, was raped and murdered. Now, as a "Hungry Ghost," she finds the perfect host from whom to feed, returning with Alice to her home on the Peak. Together, entanged in the Saffords' web of dark secrets and desperate lies, they unleash chaos. Against a background of political unrest and familial breakdown, Alice's ghostly entourage swells alarmingly. Craving peace, she flees to England, then France, only to find her mischievous "Hungry Ghosts" have accompanied her. With its dazzling array of characters and numerous twists and turns in fortune, this remarkable tour de force of the imagination is full of instantly memorable characters whose lives intermesh and boil over in a cauldron of domestic mayhem, unleashing unworldly spirits into the troubled air.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A stunning debut . . . an intriguing combination of the supernatural, domestic drama and colonial politics, bringing to mind both the work of both E.M. Forster and Sarah Waters. 'Deft' is often an overused word in reviews, but alas, it is perfect to describe the skill with which Berry writes."  —Globe and Mail

"Berry's prose is as lush, beautiful and tropical as the most humid day in Hong Kong . . . A dazzling and assured debut."  —Bookbag

About the Author

Anne Berry was educated in Hong Kong and is a former journalist for the South China Morning Post. This is her first novel.

Product Details

• Paperback: 406 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins UK (March 18, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0007303386
• ISBN-13: 978-0007303380
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,662,977 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Bad book, but author has some skill, November 12, 2011

By 

Japan Reader (eastern Japan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Hungry Ghosts. Anne Berry (Paperback)

This is a pretty bad book. The multiple point-of-view is confusing, the characters are unbelievable, and not one of them is likable. Also, there's way too much telling and not enough showing. Probably less than 10 percent of the text is conversation, and the rest is just narration. This results in a really flat book; it could have been a lot more active. Oh, and there's some really bad sections where the author has the characters 'tell' you necessary historical background. Very clumsy.

That said, the author isn't completely talentless. Her descriptions of places are often vivid and she has some good use of words. (She has a few really miserable ones, too, where her metaphors are tortured and in some cases laughable.) If she'd had either a good editor or a really good writing workshop, she might have come up with a better book. As it is, this one seems to have been hurried into print while still in first draft or second draft stage.

This book is inspiring to aspiring writers. Why? Because if a book this bad can make it into print, maybe yours can too.

1.0 out of 5 stars What was the point?, June 8, 2011

By 

Sharon in France - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Hungry Ghosts (Paperback)

I'm confused about what was the point of this novel. I read it because I've lived in London, Paris and Hong Kong. It was fun to read about familiar places but that was where the enjoyment ended.

Why did this ghost latch on to this girl? Was there some lesson on life after death or what was it going on?

The writing style was very annoying, written in the first person by multiple characters but all sounding the same. The only one who didn't write was the main character, which was a disappointment. I would have kind of liked to have had her explain some things.

Most of the players are really unsympathetic, especially the mother. She seems to have no logic or soul and the only "explanation" was that her brother was favored as a child. There is also a very thinly explained suicide and it's odd that someone gets pregnant at 16 and then without explanation, never gets pregnant again. Certainly that wasn't the reason? Not medically accurate. Sorry!

5.0 out of 5 stars The Hungry Ghosts My Spirit is Hungry for More!, January 19, 2011

By 

Keith Pendry - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Hungry Ghosts (Paperback)

How can this be a debut novel, so brave and professional in it`s delivery and evocative in it`s imagination, descriptive elegance near to Peake and in it`s own way as thought rendering as The Shack, but I prefer the ghosts, bring on the next lady!