The Hungry Ghosts

[Cambo]

I won this book at a literature quiz my sister was competing in, for correctly answering what the collective name for the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo books was.

It's amazing. But harrowing. Set mainly in Japan in the last days of the British Empire's rule, it follows the life of the daughter of an important politician. When she's just a kid, she attracts, and to some extent becomes possessed by, the ghost of a murdered Japanese girl. The ghosts presence screws with her life, and without giving too much away, the girl soon has a ghostly entourage.

I had a hard time reading this book. Several times I had to put it down for days or weeks at a time, because I simply became too upset. The fantastical elements, though sometimes disturbing, didn't bother me so much. I can handle the idea of ghosts, hauntings, and possession. I can handle Satan-esque characters like Lord Foul. I find it very hard to handle ordinary human cruelty. And that is what The Hungry Ghosts is really all about.

So for anyone who thinks they can handle an apallingly grim, but beautifully surreal, read, this is highly recommended.