• The Ghost Writer

  • By: John Harwood
  • Narrated by: Simon Vance
  • Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins
  • 3.8 out of 5 stars (744 ratings)

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The Ghost Writer  By  cover art

The Ghost Writer

By: John Harwood
Narrated by: Simon Vance
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Publisher's summary

In this tantalizing tale of Victorian ghost stories and family secrets, timid, solitary librarian Gerard Freeman lives for just two things: his elusive pen pal Alice and a story he found hidden in his mother's drawer years ago.

Written by his great-grandmother Viola, it hints at his mother's role in a sinister crime. As he discovers more of Viola's chilling tales, he realizes that they might hold the key to finding Alice and unveiling his family's mystery - or will they bring about his untimely death, as they seem to foretell?

Harwood's astonishing, assured debut shows us just how dangerous family skeletons - and stories - can be.

©2013 John Harwood; 2013 Blackstone Audiobooks

What listeners say about The Ghost Writer

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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A modern master of the Gothic

In 2004, I took "The Ghost Writer" on a long, dreaded flight. By the time the plane landed, I knew I would be reading everything Harwood published for the rest of my life.

Listening to Simon Vance's performance was such a treat. It's like when you listen to a piece of music and love it on an emotional level, then listen again to find the deeper structure and beauty. "The Ghost Writer" is all the more impressive ten years after.

Harwood plays fair and respects his reader. All the clues are there but he expects you to pay attention and think things through. His foreshadowing is subtle and well-timed. There is no dumping of information or meaningless backstory, and every scene contributes to the advancement of the plot. His writing is masterful, and as a poet, some of his imagery is arresting, but his prose never calls attention to itself. Add to that compelling characters and layers of intriguing mysteries waiting to be solved, and you've got a writer worth reading every time.

In a world of overwritten, self-conscious twaddle we are told is "literature," modern masters like Harwood shine all the more brightly. He provides everything I read fiction for and I hope he will continue to write novels for many years to come.

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36 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Ghostly Cornucopia

If you're looking for a good ghost story for the Halloween season, this one is a good bet. Allusions to creepy literary spinsters—Henry James's Miss Jessel and Dickens's Miss Havisham—create the atmosphere for this gothic suspense novel.

The protagonist grows up in Australia with a mother who refuses to speak about the details of her childhood in England. As he grows older, he becomes increasingly curious about his mother's reasons for leaving England and her reluctance to talk about her past. He returns to England and begins to piece together what might have happened, discovering short ghost stories written by his great-grandmother, Viola. These wonderfully spooky tales, filled with supernatural occurrences and séances, are interwoven into the main narrative and offer tantalizing clues about the family's history.

The narrative can get a bit confusing at times, as we jump between Viola's stories and the protagonist's life, something that probably is a bit more of a challenge in the audio format. One must pay close attention to keep the characters straight or be prepared to rewind in order to keep track of the story--I had to rewind several times but actually welcomed the chance to do so because I really didn't want the book to end. The ending makes perfect sense but you really have to think about it. Happy hauntings!

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12 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Spellbinding... left something to be be desired.

There was so much about this novel that I absolutely loved. I spent most of the novel awestruck at the well entangled composition. Like many other reviews, the last chapter left me feeling incomplete. I read and reread it and finally drew my own conclusions. The ending didn't by any means ruin the rest of this spellbinding novel. I would still highly recommend it.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Riveting!

I couldn’t stop listening! I was guessing until the end and still hadn’t figured it out until the reveal. Simon Vance is the best narrator I’ve ever heard. The transition to different characters is seamless and at no time did I think “Oh! This is a man doing a woman’s voice!” I think his accent work is beyond excellent. I would listen to a book just because he narrates it.

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7 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

It's not that hard, people.

Would you consider the audio edition of The Ghost Writer to be better than the print version?

I rarely write reviews but wanted to weak up fr this beautifully written and actually suspenseful book regarding the ending. Anyone who simply pays attention, lets the book happen and doesn't have expectations of their own will understand the ending. Honesty, anyone who just pays attention will. I almost didn't buy this book because of the reviews and amI glad I chose to ignore them.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Ghost Writer?

Inside the house.

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

Yes and he's wonderful as usual.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes!

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Had me guessing until the very end

What did you love best about The Ghost Writer?

A unique twist on the classic genre.

Any additional comments?

This is a great story. Interesting characters and great twist at the end.

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4 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

ARE YOU SERIOUS?

Very confusing but I stuck with it and little by little gained some understanding of what was being told. It was a continuous struggle. Never had a firm hold on the plot....AND THE END!!!! Suffice to say I like to know how things turn out when I invest hours in a book and I don't have a clue how things finally came together.....or didnt....I'll remember to steer clear of this author.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Slow burn, thrilling end

My first John Harwood was The Seance, which was quite a page turner. This book was a much slower burn, but so, so worth it. The full horror of the protagonist's situation dawns slowly but surely. Such a twist at the end. Highly recommend.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

unwrap 5 stand alone ghost stories nesting in one

Loaded with pivotal plot twist, intellectually stimulating. a unique approach, it was concurrently a feeling of authentically classic gothic ghost story genre and fresh unpredictable realizations as pieces of the puzzle fall seamlessly into place. the visuals were poignant. the suspense building intense. the mystery seasoned to perfection with just a dash of deliciously scary, (sleeping with the lights on for a month) in all the right places. A story I will not ever forget I have read. Brilliant narration! Very Spooky!

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Great idea hurt by turgid writing

I respect Harwood for trying to bring us a gothic Victorian. From the start, I enjoyed the obvious allusions to great supernatural and suspense novels by James, Dickens, DuMaurier, etc.. I also respect that he tried to honor the Victorian writing style. Unfortunately, he captured it too perfectly, so the novel plodded painfully along and sometimes irritated me. With that said, the scenes leading up to the end were deliciously creepy and made up for the conventional, predictable, abrupt finale. Sadly, I wanted to love this work and just couldn't because of the writing style. I am not sure I will try his other novels.

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