Ghost Cities

Ghost Cities
AuthorSiang Lu
LanguageEnglish
GenreLiterary novel
PublisherUniversity of Queensland Press
Publication date
May 2024
Publication placeAustralia
Media typePrint
Pages304 pp.
Awards2025 Miles Franklin Award, winner
ISBN9780702268496

Ghost Cities is a 2024 novel by the Australian author Siang Lu.[1]

It was the winner of the 2025 Miles Franklin Award.[2]

Synopsis

The novel is told in two narrative streams. The first involves a young man named Xiang Lu who lives in Sydney. He loses his job as a translator at the Chinese Consulate; he had been using Google Translate for his work, and can't speak the language. The second is set some centuries earlier and revolves around a mythical emporer working to ensure his empire and his legacy. The two threads are tied together via an unfinished book, Death of a Pagoda. The book is commissioned and then condemned by the ancient emporer, while Xiang Lu becomes involved with a film adaptation of the book.

Critical reception

Reviewing the novel in Australian Book Review Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen called the author "a playful and imaginative writer who takes obvious pleasure in the possibilities of language – its limitations and permutations." They went on to call the novel "an impressive piece of work that blends genre tropes, storytelling techniques, and observations of the modern world to cement Lu as an assured voice in experimental Australian fiction."[3]

In The Guardian Tara June Winch found the novel to be "both biting satire and love story", concluding that "Lu has a brilliant mind for style, language, pace and ideas, and this is a funny and fascinating book that I can't wait to read again and again."[4]

Awards

See also

References

  1. ^ "Ghost Cities by Siang Lu". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
  2. ^ a b "Siang Lu's book languished in a drawer for years. Now it's won $60,000". ABC News. 24 July 2025. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  3. ^ ""Sliding places : An experimental second novel"". Australian Book Review, May 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
  4. ^ ""Ghost Cities by Siang Lu review – a funny, fascinating critique of modern China"". The Guardian, 31 May 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
  5. ^ "ALS Gold Medal". Association for the Study of Australian Literature. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
  6. ^ ""'Audacious, enthralling': The Age Book of the Year shortlists announced"". The Age. 1 May 2025. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
  7. ^ "Queensland Literary Awards". State Library of Queensland. Retrieved 23 August 2025.

Content Disclaimer

Informasi ini disarikan dari Wikipedia dan disajikan kembali untuk tujuan edukasi. Konten tersedia di bawah lisensi CC BY-SA 3.0. Kami tidak bertanggung jawab atas ketidakakuratan data yang bersumber dari kontribusi publik tersebut.

  1. The information displayed on this website is sourced in part or in whole from Wikipedia and has been adapted for the purpose of restating it. We strive to provide accurate and relevant information, however:
  2. There is no guarantee of absolute accuracy. Wikipedia is an open, collaborative project that can be edited by anyone, so information is subject to change.
  3. It is not intended to constitute professional advice. The content displayed is for informational and educational purposes only. For important decisions (e.g., medical, legal, or financial), please consult a professional.
  4. Content copyright. Wikipedia is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License (CC BY-SA). This means that content may be reused with appropriate attribution and shared under a similar license.
  5. Responsible use. Any risk arising from the use of information from this website is entirely the responsibility of the user.