This review, in The Guardian, of Ryu Murakami's novel Audition caught my eye - surely it's what that very disturbing film (of the same name) is based on, but there's no mention of it by the reviewer, Irvine "Trainspotting" Welsh.
The English version of the book has been published by Bloomsbury. I think the cover image gives the story away.
This is not a ghost story, but a creepy and rather violent thriller. Welsh says, "Murakami does not spare us the blood and gore, and dog lovers of a squeamish nature might be advised to skip this novel." Indeed. The scene (in the movie) in which the contents of a certain sack suddenly moves is one of the most scream-worthy I've ever witnessed.
Some spooky novels I like:
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
Ring by Koji Suzuki (over Christmas I bought Dark Water, a collection of ghost stories by Suzuki. The title story was made into American and Japanese films, as was Ring.)
Hardboiled by Banana Yoshimoto
The Woman in Black by Susan Hill
Dracula by Bram Stoker
I also like the ghost stories of M.R. James. Elizabeth Bowen also has some very good, rather unusual ones.
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