THE GHOST IN LOVE: A NOVEL

written by Jonathan Carroll

published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux

ISBN-10: 0374161860

ISBN-13: 978-0374161866

 

review by Adam Armstrong

11.19.2008

 


I've never seen myself as a fantasy writer - ever.”
–Jonathan Carroll

Ben Gould fell on the ice and hit his head. This was supposed to kill him. His ghosts, Ling, thinks so; and if you can’t agree with a ghost ask his dog, Pilot. Ben begins to see and feel strange things causing distance between himself and his girlfriend, German Landis. Soon people are hunting down Ben, German, and Pilot. While running from these people, and pink clouds of disease, Ben finds doorways into different parts of his life as well as into the lives of others. The question lingers: Who is behind all of this? Even the Angel of Death doesn’t know.

Continuing on some of the ideas built up in White Apples and Glass Soup, Carroll is showing us different parts of ourselves through his beautifully written shattered mirror. Ghost in Love does exactly what a good book should do: it resonates in your mind long after finishing it causing some introspection. Each page is loaded with wonderful writing, characters, and ideas and makes turning every page like waking up on Christmas morning circa age six. I just don’t think I can say enough good things about it.

Pick up a copy and then go back after reading it and buy a copy for everyone this book makes you think about while reading it: 5 out of 5