Night Guest
McFarlane, FionaRuth Field is not so addled that she can't appreciate that the likelihood of a tiger prowling through her house is virtually nil. But the visit of a tiger is not the only disconcerting event, and the arrival of Frida Young at Ruth's isolated property on the New South Wales coast - supposedly sent from the government 'to help' - just adds to the confusion. Ruth might be able to recall her childhood in Fiji with more accuracy than she does the day of the week, but she is certain there is more going on than meets the eye.
Suspenseful and engrossing, this is a cleverly nuanced portrayal of isolation and dependence, and the challenge of knowing who to trust.
Pages
276
276
Year
2013
2013
Reviews
24-04-2023
We all enjoyed the book, particularly the first half, and thought it was beautifully written. A great debut novel.
24-04-2023
A thought provoking read.
24-04-2023
Small attendance, but great discussion. Haunting tale, realistically and scarily portrayed characters. Perhaps a wake up call about keeping track of our own families' needs and vulnerability.
24-04-2023
This book created a lot of discussion with varying opinions, but being an elderly group, it was quite disturbing to read about the abuse of those with dementia.
24-04-2023
The plot was obvious early on. At times unsettling, but good imagery. A worthwhile discussion.
24-04-2023
Most were disappointed with the book - much disbelief about key elements of the plot.
15-05-2021
Probably the book that has generated the most discussion for a long time. However not many of us were really great fans and a few didn't finish it. We did love the tiger.
02-09-2020
A good book - you need to stick with it until the end. Still thinking about it weeks later.
26-08-2020
The most difficult task was agreeing on a rating! We had a great discussion around the questions, and it was clear that the topics of dementia and the vulnerability of the elderly were seen as important ones. There was praise too for McFarlane's writing - descriptions of the scenery around Ruth's isolated cottage especially. In the end though, the issue was whether we had liked the story - perhaps uncomfortably haunting!
24-01-2020
A great debut novel from this young author! The majority of our group loved it, related to the topic and found it a suspenseful thriller, with varying opinions on who or what the 'tiger' meant to Ruth. Two members found it uncomfortable and distressing that such things happen to elderly vulnerable people.
24-01-2020
Elicited a great deal of discussion. A useful tool to understand a mind that is beginning to unravel.
13-11-2019
Book provided lots of discussion, but some felt it too close to home as had family members suffering from the same symptoms as Ruth.
02-08-2019
'The Night Guest' was generally well rated by our reading group with the following comments made: realistic; dementia is a topical subject for our times; funny at times but also sad; the writing style was appreciated; predators deceiving a vulnerable older population for monetary gain is so topical. The book notes were a helpful addition to the novel.
17-06-2019
Disturbing, thought provoking, and well-written for a "young" woman about dementia.
17-06-2019
We thought this was full of suspense, and the portrayal of Edith's character indicative of a woman with dementia. A great read.
17-06-2019
Very readable. We really wanted to know what happened. Rest home cares and concerns are very relevant today.