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The Night Guest
The Night Guest: A Novel | Fiona McFarlane
32 posts | 28 read | 36 to read
A mesmerizing first novel about trust, dependence, and fear, from a major new writerRuth is widowed, her sons are grown, and she lives in an isolated beach house outside of town. Her routines are few and small. One day a stranger arrives at her door, looking as if she has been blown in from the sea. This womanFridaclaims to be a care worker sent by the government. Ruth lets her in. Now that Frida is in her house, is Ruth right to fear the tiger she hears on the prowl at night, far from its jungle habitat? Why do memories of childhood in Fiji press upon her with increasing urgency? How far can she trust this mysterious woman, Frida, who seems to carry with her own troubled past? And how far can Ruth trust herself? The Night Guest, Fiona McFarlane's hypnotic first novel, is no simple tale of a crime committed and a mystery solved. This is a tale that soars above its own suspense to tell us, with exceptional grace and beauty, about ageing, love, trust, dependence, and fear; about processes of colonization; and about things (and people) in places they shouldn't be. Here is a new writer who comes to us fully formed, working wonders with language, renewing our faith in the power of fiction to describe the mysterious workings of our minds.A Kirkus Reviews Best Fiction Book of 2013
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Lesliereadsalot
The Night Guest: A Novel | Fiona McFarlane
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Panpan

The main characters in this book are an elderly widow, a strange woman who takes over her life, and a tiger. Seriously? A tiger? I get what happened at the end, but there‘s a lot of confusion up to that point.

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GidgetsTreasures75
The Night Guest: A Novel | Fiona McFarlane
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Pickpick

8-28-22: My 85th finished book of 2022! Ruth, a widow, lives alone by the beach outside of Sydney, away from her two sons and their families. When one day, Ruth meets Frida, a carer sent to her by the government to help her with her home and herself. At the same time, Richard, a dear friend from her past, comes for a visit. Disheartening but realistic in many ways, it‘s a story of aging and it‘s difficulties. ⭐️⭐️⭐️📖#️⃣8️⃣5️⃣

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Rachiiebookdragon
The Night Guest: A Novel | Fiona McFarlane
Pickpick

A intriguing book 🤔 3.75/5 Read for the August #Buzzwordathon - Time of Day

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NatalieR
The Night Guest: A Novel | Fiona McFarlane
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Pickpick

Last book of 2020! 🥳 This was a strangely unique book set in Australia. Ruth, an elderly, widowed woman, has a carer show up at her house to help out with daily chores. Their relationship evolves and things get VERY weird. Ruth also has a weekend visit from a man from her past. Interesting and suspenseful. #Goodreads #MountTBR #MtEverest #100 🤩

Tamra I really enjoyed this one! 3y
NatalieR @Tamra Yay! It was so unusual and hard to put down. 3y
NatalieR @Lizpixie I hope you enjoy it! 😊 3y
Tamra @NatalieR definitely! 3y
88 likes3 stack adds5 comments
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CarolynM
The Night Guest: A Novel | Fiona McFarlane
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Panpan

Oh dear, I really didn't like this and usually the NSW Premier does better than the Miles. Oh well. I thought it was pretty obvious what was going on from early in the book, and although I could see what the author was doing in following the MC's mental deterioration, it was all a bit samey so I got rather bored. I wish there had been some sort of twist, but no. Thanks #LMPBC #GroupX it's been interesting to read some different books. #ozfiction

RadicalReader @CarolynM beautiful mug 5y
Lel2403 I have a mug very similar....William Morris design.....☕️ 5y
thegreensofa I was looking/hoping for a twist too 🧠👀 5y
73 likes1 stack add3 comments
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BecH
The Night Guest: A Novel | Fiona McFarlane
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About to start this bad boy. #lmpbc #groupx

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Sarz
The Night Guest: A Novel | Fiona McFarlane
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Pickpick

4.5 ⭐
I loved this! Such a beautifully heartbreaking story. The writing was amazing - I really experienced all of Ruth's feelings: her love, her loss, her confusion.

Great #lmpbc pick, @LapReader

Hope you are all having as much fun as I am!
@CarolynM @thegreensofa

Tamra I loved it too. 😁 5y
21 likes1 comment
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LapReader
The Night Guest: A Novel | Fiona McFarlane
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Pickpick

Having a Moët on my balcony looking out towards the ocean to celebrate my first niece‘s 5th b‘day. It‘s something I did the day she was born & have kept up since. I wish I could be with her but unfortunately she lives 6 hrs away. Her name is Lila which means dark beauty & she certainly is colouring wise but clothes wise she loves colour & has an eclectic fashion sense. She loves a dress up & to dance. The book is for #LMPBC Group Xcellent Oz.

30 likes2 comments
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TheBookKeepers
The Night Guest: A Novel | Fiona McFarlane
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Uhm can we talk about how gorgeous this cover is!!! Never heard of this book before but couldn‘t pass it up at the library book store! Soooo pretty 😍

Aimeesue That is gorgeous! Hope it‘s good! 5y
Casie I have heard great things about this book! 5y
TheBookKeepers Oh good to know!!!! @Casie 5y
allureofbeauty I got it at the dollar tree just for the cover lol 5y
118 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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bookandbedandtea
The Night Guest: A Novel | Fiona McFarlane
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📚 The Night Guest
🖋 Katherine Neville
📺 NCIS
🍊 Nectarine
#manicmonday @JoScho

JoScho Thanks for playing 💜 5y
14 likes1 comment
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holarosarita
The Night Guest: A Novel | Fiona McFarlane
Pickpick

Oh how I love an unreliable narrator (lol, j/k),but it really works here. The frustration and fear it invokes, of growing older, of being trapped, of not even knowing it‘s happening.

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holarosarita
The Night Guest: A Novel | Fiona McFarlane

SPOILERS: The old lady also wants the tiger to eat her.

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holarosarita
The Night Guest: A Novel | Fiona McFarlane
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Moving on to #abookwithafemaleprotagonistovertheageof60 #readharder2018 I hope the old lady gets eaten by the tiger.

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LapReader
The Night Guest: A Novel | Fiona McFarlane
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Pickpick

I have plenty of time on my hands at the moment so I have spent this rainy day book shopping for the 6 swaps I am involved in at the moment. I like the sound of this one so much I might have to download it from my library.

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ReadingEnvy
The Night Guest: A Novel | Fiona McFarlane
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Ha! And yet the jacaranda pursues me,....

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ReadingEnvy
The Night Guest: A Novel | Fiona McFarlane
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I have the afternoon off after working Sunday so this is the book I gravitated toward. So be it!

2BR02B This was a cover buy for me a few months ago. I'll be interested to see your review. 6y
kyraleseberg I picked this up at Dollar Tree last week! Interested to hear what you think! 6y
bookandbedandtea I bought this a couple mouths ago but keep reading others ahead of it. I'm glad you reminded me of it. 6y
70 likes3 comments
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WanderingBookaneer
The Night Guest: A Novel | Fiona McFarlane
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Celebrating #AustraliaDay by reading this book by an Australian author. 🇦🇺

daena Loved this book! 6y
KathyWheeler I started this book and was loving it. Then I put it down and somehow lost it, so I never finished. I need to find it so I can finish it. 6y
102 likes4 stack adds2 comments
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ReadingEnvy
The Night Guest: A Novel | Fiona McFarlane
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Books I brought home from the library this week. Three are Australian authors for this month's theme in my Newest Literary Fiction group (in Goodreads) and White Tears is on the shortlist of the Tournament of Books. Maybe it's finally time to read it?

vivastory White Tears was one of my favorites of last year 6y
Aleksandra I have The Dry as well! What are you thinking of reading first? 6y
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ReadingEnvy @Aleksandra I might read one chapter of the McFarlane to see it I even want to read it (plus it's the shortest) but I think it's likely that I will read The Dry first. 6y
Aleksandra @ReadingEnvy let us know how you like it! I‘m thinking of starting it soon! 6y
TK421 The Dry was so good! Enjoy! 6y
Irenadawn I just ordered The Dry and can‘t wait ! I love this haul ! I have White Tiger that I have been putting off for a bit . I found it on sale and need a special time for it‘s special contents ! 6y
ReadingEnvy @TK421 I think I'll start it today. 6y
ReadingEnvy @Irenadawn white tiger or white tears? 6y
89 likes9 comments
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Tamra
The Night Guest: A Novel | Fiona McFarlane
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Pickpick

This was no Tony the Tiger! Debut novel and I‘ll read whatever Fiona publishes next. MCs felt real (even if unreliable) and the last third was a compulsive read.

batsy Tony the Tiger 😁 You've convinced me! Gonna have to get this now. 6y
Tamra @batsy it‘s not 5 🌟, but it was enjoyable and carried me to the end. It‘s not a horror or crime novel in the traditional sense, but it‘s psychological decline and the vulnerability that you worry about for your loved ones and yourself. Although now I‘m wondering about just how much the MC knew. 😉 Tricky. Let me know what you think! 6y
Tamra I just found she has a book of short stories and I immediately ordered! I‘m guessing her writing style is very well suited for short story format. 6y
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batsy Psychological decline and grey areas are things that really interest me in novels, and the synopsis does sound intriguing! I'll report back for sure once I read it 👍 (though with me, that tends to take awhile 😆) 6y
batsy Yes, it's brilliant. 6y
Tamra @batsy right in that wheelhouse! 🙂 6y
batsy Yesss! ☺️ 6y
Reviewsbylola That cover! 🐯 6y
61 likes2 stack adds9 comments
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Tamra
The Night Guest: A Novel | Fiona McFarlane
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I am supposed to be working, but I keep getting distracted by this awesome cover and Litsy of course, because I don‘t really want to work. 🙄
#4 chapters in and I love the writing!

batsy I'm tempted to get this one! I'll look out for your review 😀 6y
Tamra @batsy 👍🏾 6y
TricksyTails I'd be distracted too! What a beautiful cover! 6y
61 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Tamra
The Night Guest: A Novel | Fiona McFarlane
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Book buy today! 🤗 Had a nice chat with two women about YA.

batsy The Westing Game! ❤️ I've been wondering about The Guest. The premise sounds good and the cover is pretty... 7y
Tamra @batsy I've had my eye on Westing for awhile, waiting for my kids to get old enough, but after a conversation with a teacher in the bookstore, I'm not waiting. 😆 7y
17 likes2 comments
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MimiLovesToRead
The Night Guest: A Novel | Fiona McFarlane
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I will admit, i bought this book because i loved the cover. It's been on my Kindle for a couple of years now and i'm finally reading it.

Book_Gnome That is an amazing cover! 😍😍 7y
6 likes1 comment
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TheBookAddict
The Night Guest: A Novel | Fiona McFarlane
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BookishMarginalia Gorgeous cats! 💜💜💜 7y
61 likes2 comments
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BeckaroniAndCheese
The Night Guest: A Novel | Fiona McFarlane
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Mehso-so

I can't decide how I feel about this one. A little depressing and disjointed for my mood tonight.

EvieBee Hmm. I've been meaning to read this one but it can probably wait. 7y
26 likes1 comment
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BeckaroniAndCheese
The Night Guest: A Novel | Fiona McFarlane
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#JudgedByItsCover #marchintoreading This is on loan and highly recommended by a friend. I think the cover is pretty fantastic. @RealLifeReading

Cinfhen Very cool cover 💕 7y
britt_brooke Love the cover! 7y
30 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Tanner
The Night Guest: A Novel | Fiona McFarlane
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Day 6 #DreamingOfAWarmerClimate #JanuaryReads This book was a strange but interesting read, and I enjoyed picturing the surroundings, wishing I was there in the warmth with my own tiger Mikey-Cat.

Texreader Creepy cover!! 7y
Tanner @TexReader It's a bit of a creepy read too, with an unreliable narrator. 7y
21 likes1 stack add2 comments
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librarian365
The Night Guest: A Novel | Fiona McFarlane
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I know McFarlane is building up to something but I have no idea what. This is completely hypnotic...seems like the kind of book that lingers with the reader. If you've read it I would love to know what you thought.

#debutfiction #creepycover #cantstopreading #libraryfind

10 likes1 stack add
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Aliking1986
The Night Guest: A Novel | Fiona McFarlane
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Pickpick

Slow and subtle, this is a dark, haunting story that gets its hooks in deep without you noticing. Wonderful storytelling with complicated characters who provoke a wide range of reactions. In a cunning twist, you may find yourself descending into madness along with dear old Ruth!

3 likes1 stack add
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mrldg
The Night Guest: A Novel | Fiona McFarlane
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This was unsettling, the closest I want to come to a horror novel.

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Wwkwd
The Night Guest: A Novel | Fiona McFarlane
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Pickpick

This one will stick with me for awhile.

2 likes1 stack add