Hungry Ghosts

by Susan Johnson

In late twentieth-century Hong Kong, the relationship between two friends, both expatriate artists--Rachel Gallagher, shy, inhibited, and painfully self-conscious, and Anne-Louise Buchan, fearless and uninhibited--is undermined by Martin Bannister, a stunningly handsome man with a talent for reinvention, who comes between them. Original. 15,000 first printing.

Genres: Fiction, Novels

432 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Susan Johnson was shortlisted for the 1991 Victorian Premier's Literary Award for her novel Flying Lessons, shortlisted for the 1994 National Book Council's Banjo Award for the novel A Big Life and shortlisted for the National Biography Award 2000 for her memoir A Better Woman. Her other books include Hungry Ghosts, Messages from Chaos, Women Love Sex (editor and contributor) and Life in Seven Mistakes. The Broken Book was shortlisted for the 2005 Nita B Kibble Award; the Best Fiction Book section of the Queensland Premier's Literary Award; the Westfield/Waverley Library Literary Award, and the Australian Literary Society Gold Medal Award for an Outstanding Australian Literary Work. Her last novel, My Hundred Lovers, was published in 2012 to critical acclaim.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. This author is entered with 2 spaces.

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to read this book because it took place in Hong Kong, but I got into it way before the Hong Kong part of the story took place. It seems like the central part of the story happens quickly at the end and that the author builds her characters for the first 350 pages. But it totally works. I would have liked to read more of the meat of the story, especially the attraction between Rachel and Martin. That seemed a bit rushed.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hong Kong, the setting of Hungry Ghosts is so vividly described it feels like an unnamed character in the novel. The main characters are best friends who fall for the same guy. Rachel and Anne-Louise are artists who have been best friends for years. Martin, the guy at the center of the love triangle hardly seems worth all the trouble he causes. He is wealthy, handsome and completely depraved. As Rachel's fortunes rise, Anne-Louise's fall with disastrous results. The novel is beautifully written. However, the reader never gets more than surface knowledge of the characters. The chapters are short and the focus of each alternates between the main characters. The end result is a beautiful, sparkling mirage that fades away upon closer inspection.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked the writing at the beginning of this book but I really struggled with the themes and the characterisation. Anne-Louise was too much of a dark version of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl (with more manic pixie and less dream). Rachel is constantly passive, as every woman in the novel apparently should be unless they want to be punished. Martin’s story, while supposed to be shocking, is shallow (of course the blame is laid on his mother, is that surprising?). The final fifty pages were extremely rushed and didn’t feel complete.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of those books with unattractive characters that still worked for me. All massively screwed up by their pre-adult lives.

[Angie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read the first 50 pages- didn't like it- then because I have to know what happens, I read the last 25 or so pages. In all fairness, I obviously didn't give my time to reading the "meat" of this novel, but even by not doing that, I still understood what went on. It's definitely not a "feel-good" or inspirational novel. Not one I'd recommend.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book when I was a pre-teen, drawn to the late-90's beauty of the cover and thinking it was about actual ghosts. It is not. It is pretty decent, and kinda picked up where VC Andrews left off in my too-young-for-these-themes, twisted sexual education.

[caroline]

I picked this up in Bangkok--and then I left it out in the rain all night in Barbados. Oops.

[Christine]

Better than I thought it would be.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book! slow to start but great ending.