The Ghost Writer

A Novel

By: Robert Harris

Narrated by: Roger Rees

Length: 8 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

Adam Lang has been Britain’s longest serving—and most controversial—prime minister of the last half century. And now that he’s left office, he’s accepted one of history’s largest cash advances to compose a tell-all (or at least, tell-some) memoir of his life and years of power.

As pressure mounts for Lang to complete this magnum opus, he hires a professional ghostwriter to finish the book. As he sets to work, the ghostwriter discovers many more secrets than Lang intends to reveal, secrets with the power to alter world politics - secrets with the power to kill.

Tense, gripping, and savvy, The Ghost Writer puts forth all the author’s long-term know-how about high stakes politics, journalism, and governmental deception. Set in America, on Martha’s Vineyard, The Ghost Writer is Harris’s finest foray into political fiction since Fatherland.

©2007 Robert Harris (P)2007 Simon and Schuster Inc.

Critic reviews

• Thriller Award, Best Novel, 2008

Great Listen

I really enjoyed this book, much more than I expected to. I found myself getting inside the main character's head and trying to follow the same path. But things were never quite what I expected them to be. And the ending is great. It's not an action novel, but it is a thriller and the fun part is that you don't know how much of a thriller until the very end.

Be Patient; It's Worth it

I bought the audio intrigued by its award. As I got into the book I kept wondering why it won the award. But there was sufficient plot and curiosity to keep me going, and the reader is excellent. Although the tension the plot created never got me nervous, there was enough to merit finishing the book. The last sentence left me shocked, surprised and a bit frightened. How Mr. Harris took a simplistic, nearly formula conspiracy story and made it sufficiently interesting without lots of gore to propel the reader to the last bitter sentence is beyond me, But that is what makes the book an award winner.

Interesting story, but predictable ending

Harris is a good writer. I've listened to a few of his historical novels and they are quite good. This is an interesting book, but the ending was predictable in some ways. I guessed at it long before it ended, probably the result of having listened to so many conspiracy and suspense thrillers. The author does write great description, but the story could have done with more suspense in the plot. I would like to have seen more in the plot involving Lang's antagonist. The paranoic angle of the story's narrator could have been played up more, too. Also, there is a statement by the story narrator at the beginning that contradicts the ending. If you listen to the story, you'll probably figure it out. The reader has a good voice and is worth listening to. As for plausibility, well, it is a conspiracy fiction novel after all. Try not to get wrapped up in tying it to the real world and you may enjoy it more.

It sneaks up on you

Don't worry if you don't know anything about British politics, because you don't need to know the real-life allusions in order to follow the story or enjoy this book. This story is told in retrospect by a ghostwriter (known as "a ghost") who was hired to work on the memoirs of a well-known politician, and gets drawn in to a conspiracy of silence that has him running for his life. That alone doesn't really sell the book -- it's not that unusual -- but the writing and the pay-off at the end make it much more than it seems on the surface. It is much more subtle than most of this genre would be, and it sneaks up and finishes with more power than would have been expected at the half-way mark. It's not that the earlier parts of the book are bad, just that they're kind of ordinary.....but stick with it - it gets better as it draws to a close.

Roger Rees did an terrific job, and his narration seems perfectly suited to the protagonist.

Surprise ending

What did you love best about The Ghost Writer?

It was a gripping thriller. Started a little slow but once it got going it really ripped along.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes - I need to catch up on my sleep now.

Have you listened to any of Roger Rees’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The very end when he writes about what has become of him. Moving and sad (without giving it away).

Excellent!

A riveting story i could not let down, told with maestria, made a great journey!

Too close to the truth?

I have read all of Robert Harris' novels and enjoyed them all. This one is different. And better.

Politics, power, the "war on terror," moles, murder, torture, deceit, creepy Americans, Brits, misdirection, paranoia, plausibility. It has all the elements of a great spy novel.

The events of the past seven years lend this story credibility. Can anyone seriously believe anymore that power, absolute power, does not corrupt absolutely? Or that the marriage of absolute power and unshakable conviction inevitably spawns evil?

Great read, great reader!

Subtle, clever and thoughtful

The reviews and the award made me get this book. Clearly derived from real-world people, the plot is more subtle than I had expected (I was expecting a real ghost and not a ghost writer but found there is a very subtle ghost running through the narrative). The beginning of the book is interesting with bursts of wit, but it is not clear what is going on. As the book gathers momentum what is happening becomes quite clear. The end is a surprise.

Summary: a highly enjoyable read with a stellar end.

Good mystery

Good mystery novel, well narrated - a fun book

How did I miss this one?

I just stumbled across this book and I'm glad I did. The Ghost (or the American title, Ghost Writer) was the Thriller Award Winner, Best Novel of 2008. I appreciate that Audible lists award winners on their page. As I was listening to this book, I couldn't help but think, "why haven't I discovered Robert Harris earlier?" The book is suspenseful, well written and the narration is excellent. For anyone who enjoys a political thriller, where the suspense begins from page one, then you must give this book a listen. The movie was also just released on DVD, and to my excitement, Robert Harris co-wrote the screenplay.