What do you think?
Rate this book
A Happy Ghost
"[A] masterfully imagined creation... Unpredictability is the best part of this novel." - Kirkus Reviews
In Los Angeles, California, a receptionist named Andrei has been shattered by the hotel industry and its customers. His reality of darkness and luxury changes after he meets a guest who tells him to "live like a comet."
A Happy Ghost is a novel about adulthood, fear, and a dreary 25-year-old who loathes his boredom and fiercely sets out to take every risk presented to him. Andrei considers: What is the most optimal way to live life? Kristian Ventura writes a daylong odyssey that follows Andrei navigating through Westwood and its people, theater, cafes, university, sidewalks, and gardens.
Fresh. Real. And epic. This is a story that flows with beautiful dialogue and unforgettable characters in the span of a single, extraordinary, possible day.
Excerpt:
"Andrei was in an elusive period in life, much like a snow leopard. He’d spent a couple of years having successfully filtered out all that was terrible and ugly in his life, from old shoes to lifeless people. However, the purification finished and he had not yet found the glint of gold to replace the damned. He had nowhere to place his lifted foot. Instead, his moral foot hovered, awkwardly, a crepuscular flesh, trembling every night, unable to set itself in a correct place. He lived in that hanging imbalance every day, and some would say this period of searching takes a while. But to him, all it did was take. Not a while. The peace of his life just takes. And takes. And takes. While Andrei may not suffer from the heat of stress or common negativity that improperly placed feet do, he lived cold, in a void, without the luxury of finding a worthy arrangement for his leopard paw."
In Los Angeles, California, a receptionist named Andrei has been shattered by the hotel industry and its customers. His reality of darkness and luxury changes after he meets a guest who tells him to "live like a comet."
A Happy Ghost is a novel about adulthood, fear, and a dreary 25-year-old who loathes his boredom and fiercely sets out to take every risk presented to him. Andrei considers: What is the most optimal way to live life? Kristian Ventura writes a daylong odyssey that follows Andrei navigating through Westwood and its people, theater, cafes, university, sidewalks, and gardens.
Fresh. Real. And epic. This is a story that flows with beautiful dialogue and unforgettable characters in the span of a single, extraordinary, possible day.
Excerpt:
"Andrei was in an elusive period in life, much like a snow leopard. He’d spent a couple of years having successfully filtered out all that was terrible and ugly in his life, from old shoes to lifeless people. However, the purification finished and he had not yet found the glint of gold to replace the damned. He had nowhere to place his lifted foot. Instead, his moral foot hovered, awkwardly, a crepuscular flesh, trembling every night, unable to set itself in a correct place. He lived in that hanging imbalance every day, and some would say this period of searching takes a while. But to him, all it did was take. Not a while. The peace of his life just takes. And takes. And takes. While Andrei may not suffer from the heat of stress or common negativity that improperly placed feet do, he lived cold, in a void, without the luxury of finding a worthy arrangement for his leopard paw."
190 pages, Paperback
Published January 5, 2023
About the author
Kristian Ventura
3 books30 followersKristian Ventura (FKA "Karl Kristian Flores") is a writer and actor who lives in Los Angeles, California.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 6, 2023
This was a poetic take on the thoughts of someone going through the everyday life with their menial tasks and feeling like they are stuck. It focuses on a person wanting to change and do something meaningful and also finding meaning in everyday things.
I wouldn't say it was the most engaging in regards to plot but the book took on a more thoughtful approach to how we perceive the world around us and how we want to have some effect on it.
I have read the author's other poetry collections and enjoyed them and you can definitely feel the same style of writing in this first novel of theirs. The book wasn't that long to begin with but I think it could have been a bit smaller (more of a novella length) to keep the reader engaged. It took me a while to get through. I am very much a person that stays connected to a fast paced, plot driven book so that's why it took longer for me. If you like the books that have the existential questions and really make you ponder your life decisions then this might be the one for you.
I wouldn't say it was the most engaging in regards to plot but the book took on a more thoughtful approach to how we perceive the world around us and how we want to have some effect on it.
I have read the author's other poetry collections and enjoyed them and you can definitely feel the same style of writing in this first novel of theirs. The book wasn't that long to begin with but I think it could have been a bit smaller (more of a novella length) to keep the reader engaged. It took me a while to get through. I am very much a person that stays connected to a fast paced, plot driven book so that's why it took longer for me. If you like the books that have the existential questions and really make you ponder your life decisions then this might be the one for you.
February 1, 2023
Kristian's work in "A Happy Ghost" is all-encompassing bliss.
The story follows Andrei, with spirit as youthful as it is wise, as he scours the universe (via his quiet abode in Los Angles) for what it truly means to exist. His search for authenticity is more than just daring or bold; through Andrei, Kristian touches on a kind of honesty so strong that it leaves readers defenseless. His poetic revelations of life's deepest values are grounded in & made real by his alarmingly well-articulated rationality. This juxtaposition creates for a shock to the system as we encounter reality as Andrei beholds, who leaves us in unshakable awe at the conclusions arrived at in the face of such truth. Kristian shares in humanity's desperation for meaning and a path, and uses Andrei's experience to invite & unite. It's enough to make you see the beauty of it all again & feel responsible to grab that beauty at every turn. At certain points, Kristian articulates experience in ways thought to be beyond words.
The story follows Andrei, with spirit as youthful as it is wise, as he scours the universe (via his quiet abode in Los Angles) for what it truly means to exist. His search for authenticity is more than just daring or bold; through Andrei, Kristian touches on a kind of honesty so strong that it leaves readers defenseless. His poetic revelations of life's deepest values are grounded in & made real by his alarmingly well-articulated rationality. This juxtaposition creates for a shock to the system as we encounter reality as Andrei beholds, who leaves us in unshakable awe at the conclusions arrived at in the face of such truth. Kristian shares in humanity's desperation for meaning and a path, and uses Andrei's experience to invite & unite. It's enough to make you see the beauty of it all again & feel responsible to grab that beauty at every turn. At certain points, Kristian articulates experience in ways thought to be beyond words.
March 15, 2023
2.5 stars
It was a little bit of a struggle to for me to get through this book which is why i gave it 2.5 stars. When I met Andre, a hotel receptionist, I knew he was bored with his life and maybe a little lost. I couldn't keep track of all the people Andre met during his daylong journey and it just started confusing me. But by the end Andre was a happy ghost.
Thank you to the author , Karl Kristian Flores, for a free Kindle copy in a Goodreads Giveaway.
It was a little bit of a struggle to for me to get through this book which is why i gave it 2.5 stars. When I met Andre, a hotel receptionist, I knew he was bored with his life and maybe a little lost. I couldn't keep track of all the people Andre met during his daylong journey and it just started confusing me. But by the end Andre was a happy ghost.
Thank you to the author , Karl Kristian Flores, for a free Kindle copy in a Goodreads Giveaway.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 27, 2023
A Happy Ghost navigates you through a journey to take on the unexplainable and intangible beauty that resides on this rotating earth. It dares to poke at why the heart, body, and soul should move with it. It is clear to see why this author reaches his hand out, asking you to explore with him. If you’d like to tickle your soul for some time, I urge you to take his hand and grab this book. And if you’re hesitant, I’ll put my hand out there too, as encouragement.
December 30, 2023
Highly recommend
I absolutely enjoyed read A Happy Ghost by Karl Kristina flores. I thought this novel was smart, beautiful with a bit of wit. It was an easy fast paced read.
I definitely recommend reading this book.
I absolutely enjoyed read A Happy Ghost by Karl Kristina flores. I thought this novel was smart, beautiful with a bit of wit. It was an easy fast paced read.
I definitely recommend reading this book.
April 27, 2023
I really enjoyed this book the cemetery is my favorite chapter!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews