The Night Guest
Ratings5
Average rating3.6
Shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award Winner of the inaugural Voss Literary Prize Joint winner of the Barbara Jefferis Award In an isolated house on the New South Wales coast, Ruth, a widow whose sons have flown the nest, lives alone. Until one day a stranger bowls up, announcing that she's Frida, sent to be Ruth's carer. At first, Ruth welcomes Frida's vigorous presence and her willingness to hear Ruth's tales of growing up in Fiji. She even helps reunite Ruth with a childhood sweetheart. But why does Ruth sense a tiger prowling through the house at night? Is she losing her wits? Can she trust the enigmatic Frida? And how far can she trust herself?
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I'm still not sure what parts actually happened, or what was solely in the mind of Ruth, the book's unreliable narrator.
A great read. The writing is excellent, the characters feel developed in the first 50 pages. The atmosphere is unsettling, though at first it's quite hard to pinpoint exactly what seems so off.
This would be a great book if it was from an experienced author; the fact that it's a debut makes it so much more impressive.
A thought provoking and at times disturbing novel. While I found the earlier chapters a bit two paced, some appearing to drag on while others I couldn't put down, the latter chapters I found captivating and well worth waiting for. Overall a good read that I would recommend to others.
