Reviews

Aavekaupunki on todella kaunis sukuromaani! Lopussa olin todella syvällä perheen dynamiikassa ja sen historiassa, kuulin Taiwanin sateen ropinan ja yllätyin myös vähän.

Kirjaan uppoutumista hidasti se, että sisaruksilla on todella samanlaiset nimet ja luvuissa ei viitata tarkkaan siihen, kenen näkökulmasta on kyse (vaikka siihen kyllä oppii). Kirjan lukeminen oli hidasta, koska siinä oli niin paljon yksityiskohtia. Rakastin sitä. On myös mielenkiintoista, että tämä oli jo toinen kirja aika lyhyen ajan sisään, jonka lopussa on luku, jossa selitetään kirjailijan syyt kirjoittaa nimenomaan tämä kirja.

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candacesiegle_greedyreader's review against another edition

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3.0

Kudos to Darryl Sterk for what seems like a bold rendering of Kevin Chen’s quirky writing style, giving this novel the kind of verve I imagine it has in Chinese. Europa Editions also deserves praise for publishing one of the few translated novels I’ve seen from Taiwan.

Keith Chen returns to his home village in rural Taiwan after serving a sentence in Berlin for killing his German lover. He arrives on Ghost Festival, when the Gate of Hell opens and ghosts roam the earth and in this town, it’s more than a folk tradition. He never thought he’d return to Yongjing, where he spent a miserable childhood being bullied because he’s gay. Ghost Festival is taken very seriously by his family, which has lots of ghosts to manage, and his sisters are struggling with them as well as with myriad other problems. Through a number of points of view, we learn about Yongjing and how Keith ended up in Berlin in a relationship that ends with death.

Reading this book is like peeling away an onion, with abuse at its core. “Ghost Town” unravels very slowly, and it takes patience to stick with it. Kevin Chen is an exciting writer, and I look forward to what he comes up with next.

jessi_lou95's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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msaari's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

Maaliskuun lukulistalle mahtui sattumalta kaksikin Rauno Sainion suomentamaa taiwanilaista kirjaa, Chi Ta-wein Kalvot ja tämä Kevin Chenin Aavekaupunki. Molemmat kirjat ovat taiwanilaisia ja niitä yhdistää myös queer-tematiikka. Siinä missä Kalvot on selkeämmin scifiä, Aavekaupunki aaveineen kallistuu kenties hieman maagisen realismin puolelle. Saksassa asuva Chen aloitti taiteellisen uransa näyttelijänä, ennen kuin siirtyi kirjoittamisen puolelle. Aavekaupunki on ensimmäinen suomennos ja Chenin läpimurtoteos.

Jossain määrin omaelämäkerrallinen teos kertoo Ch’en T’ien-hungista ja tämän laajasta perheestä. T’ien-hung on seitsemännestä lapsesta nuorin, mutta odotukset ovat korkealla: kuudesta vanhemmasta sisaruksesta viisi vanhinta ovat tyttöjä, joilla ei ole mitään arvoa. Valtaosa odotuksista on lastattu isoveljen niskaan, mutta pikkuvelikin saa osansa.

T’ien-hungin homoseksuaalisuus on kuitenkin liikaa perinteisessä perheyhteisössä ja Yungchingin pikkukylässä, joten hänet ajetaan pois kotoa. T’ien-hung päätyy muuttamaan Saksaan, missä hän löytää itselleen miesystävän, T:n. Valitettavasti T’ien-hung päätyy tappamaan T:n. Kirjan alussa vankeustuomio on istuttu ja T’ien-hung on palannut kotiin Yungchingiin, aavekaupunkiin. Miksi?

Tästä lähtötilanteesta alkaa mutkikas ja monikerroksinen sukutarina, jossa käydään läpi T’ien-hungin perheen vanhempien ja lasten vaiheita. Kertojaksi pääsee moni perheen jäsenistä; lukija saa olla tarkkana, jotta pysyy kärryillä perheen siskoparvesta. Perheen historia on värikäs ja monipuolinen ja siinä sivussa Chen kertoo yleisemmin Taiwanistakin. Yungching on melkoinen tuppukylä ja kun Taiwanissa alkaa 1970-luvulla nousukausi, sinnekin kohoaa nykyaikaisia ”taivastaloja”. Valitettavasti Yungching ei aivan pysy muun Taiwanin mukana kehityksessä ja kun T’ien-hung palaa kotiin, Yungching tuntuu lähinnä taantuneen.

Aavekaupunkiin on lastattu paljon ainesta. Se kertoo monen ihmisen toisiinsa kytkeytyvät elämäntarinat, siinä on kokonaisen maan kehityskulkuja, runsaasti paikallisia uskomuksia ja aavetarinoita, elämää homona perinteisen normien puristuksessa, perheväkivaltaa, salaisuuksia – melkoinen soppa, eikä kirjalla ole mittaa edes 400 sivua. Sainion suomennos on totutun hyvää työtä, Yungchingin värikäs elämä välittyy suomennoksen sivuilta hyvin.

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In March, I stumbled upon two Taiwanese books translated by Rauno Sainio: Chi Ta-wei's "The Membranes" and Kevin Chen's "Ghost Town". Both books share Taiwanese origins and explore queer themes, with "The Membranes" leaning more towards sci-fi while "Ghost Town" perhaps leans towards magical realism. Kevin Chen, now based in Germany, initially pursued an artistic career in acting before transitioning to writing, with "Ghost Town" marking his debut in Finnish translation and his breakthrough work.

"Ghost Town" is somewhat autobiographical, focusing on Ch’en T’ien-hung and his extensive family. T’ien-hung, the youngest of seven siblings, faces high expectations, particularly as the only boy among six older sisters. However, his homosexuality clashes with traditional family values, leading to his expulsion from home and eventual relocation to Germany, where he finds love but tragically ends up killing his partner. The narrative unfolds as T’ien-hung returns to his hometown, Yungching, which now feels like a ghost town to him.

The novel weaves a complex family saga, delving into the lives of T’ien-hung's parents and siblings. With multiple narrators from within the family, the reader must stay attentive to keep track of the intricate relationships. Amidst the family drama, Chen also paints a vivid picture of Taiwan, from the rural Yungching struggling to keep up with modernization to broader societal changes. "Ghost Town" is a rich tapestry exploring interconnected life stories, societal shifts, local beliefs, LGBTQ+ experiences, domestic violence, and secrets within less than 400 pages. Sainio's translation effectively captures the vibrancy of Yungching's life.

hannalliem's review

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dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

xihuanshu's review

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

sakisreads's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I saw this everywhere in Taiwan and decided to buy a copy there, not realising the extent of it’s power! 😳
The content warnings will be down below and are very necessary for this book, I had to skim some parts because they are quite graphic 😫

Generational trauma fucks people up eh 😂 In all seriousness though, every single sibling went through their fair share of traumas and I ended up wanting to give them all my attention and love. I especially wanted to help Keith…

WHAT A PLOT TWIST WITH T AS WELL. Disgusting! 😢

Although I started to lose interest halfway through the book, as the POV’s felt quite disjointed, I would continue persevering to the end so you can come to understand why the Chen family were the way they were.
4 out of 5 stars for me, thank you ✨

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