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The Night Guest

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The Night Guest

By: Fiona McFarlane
Narrated by: Federay Holmes
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About this listen

In an isolated house on the New South Wales coast, Ruth - a widow whose sons work abroad - lives alone. Until one day a stranger bowls up, announcing that she's been sent by the authorities to be Ruth's carer.

At first, Ruth is happy to have the company. Frida is efficient and helpful, and willing to listen to Ruth's stories about her childhood in Fiji and the man she fell for there. But why does Ruth hear a tiger prowling through the house at night? How far can Ruth trust this enigmatic woman? And how far can she trust herself?

This hypnotic tale soars above its own suspense to tell us, with exceptional grace and beauty, about ageing, love, dependence, fear and power, and about the mysterious workings of the mind. Here is a dazzling new writer, reminding us how powerfully fiction can speak to our innermost secrets.

©2014 Fiona McFarlane (P)2014 Hodder & Stoughton Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Fiction
All stars
Most relevant  
felt shorted by the ending after looking in on this story knowing something was amiss, felt like I wasn't given a conclusion. things are definitely left unresolved

good but unsatisfying end

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Disturbingly beautiful and sad. Love, lost, trust, mistrust, kindness, fear and friendship. Life, illness, fragility, dementia, age, death.

Tiger thoughts

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Would you try another book written by Fiona McFarlane or narrated by Federay Holmes?

Unlikely

What was most disappointing about Fiona McFarlane’s story?

I found it to be unnecessarily descriptive, the storyline is very long winded and caught up with trying to making itself suspenseful but in the end it just meant that the conclusion is rushed and confusing.

Would you be willing to try another one of Federay Holmes’s performances?

I did not find the Australian accent very comfortable to listen to and found the voice distinctions not always accurate as she switched from character to character

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Night Guest?

I realise there was a need to create a feeling of confusion to indicate the dementia being experienced by the main character but found this to be carried out far too long so I would decrease the "scenes and length of the scenes"

Any additional comments?

Overall I was very disappointed with this book.

Irritating and predictable

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.