Reviews with content warning for Dementia - Gespenster

I really enjoyed immersing myself in Nina's perspective. There's a passage early on where she describes her agent, Vivienne, as being able to utter "throwaway thoughts that would become fundamental truth to whoever heard them." That's how I felt about Nina - and Dolly Alderton - while reading Ghosts. Some of Nina's throwaway thoughts seem to perfectly encapsulate truths about living in our modern era.

Here are a few of Nina's observations that felt like fundamental truths to me:

"Dynamics of power always rearrange themselves when you're not watching them."

"I had never known a feeling as unbearable - as sour, wrenching, and unshakeably sad - as pity for a parent."

"I'd noticed this was a thing that people did when they got into their thirties: they saw every personal decision you made as a direct judgement on their lives. If you voted Labour and they voted Lib Dem, they thought you were voting Labour specifically to let them know that their politics were incorrect."

Another aspect of Ghosts that I enjoyed was the relationship dynamics between Nina and her parents. The way that Nina and Nancy deal with Bill's illness was so nuanced and unflinchingly realistic. Adult-child to parent relationships fall onto such a complicated spectrum of feelings. I don't know about you but I rarely find books that explore these relationships beyond two dimensions. But Ghosts fully fleshed out the family dynamics so well.

Content Warnings

jenicatreads's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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rynicolereads's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The first word that comes to mind when thinking about how to describe Ghosts is "relatable," but I'm guessing that's because I'm in my 30's. Even though my life isn't anything like the main character's, her experiences and relationships felt familiar. In addition to being relatable, it's also funny, charming, and well-written!

Content Warnings