AUDIOBOOK RELEASE: Ghost Town
A compelling family drama that feels like an indie film
GHOST TOWN, by Kevin Chen, translated by Darryl Sterk, was marvelous to work on. It’s got a dreamy quality to it, and a palpable sense of place. It feels like an indie film as much as a novel: with the literary approximate of jumpcuts, mise-en-scene, and sound design, the story feels like it flows into the past and back again. The pace has a steadier momentum than a slow-burn, and its mystery component feels more intriguing than suspenseful. It’s an elegant blend of genres.
GHOST TOWN is most interested in its characters; it builds intimate snippets from their points of view to weave the story of a family, and the secrets and traumas each member carries. All the threads eventually come together, too — the novel by the end feels complete and satisfying. It’s upmarket fiction, for sure: feels like proper English class literature but is still engaging and contemporary.
The English translation is supurb; I can only imagine the original Taiwanese.
Much thanks to the team at Tantor for this title!
🖤🤎❤🧡💛💚💙💜 { progress rainbow heart emojis }
Cheers!
Nicky
