Anthony Bourdain's Hungry Ghosts by Anthony Bourdain

​    I’m not a foodie, so my knowledge of Bourdain was always limited to “that food guy” and later, tragically, “that food guy who killed himself”. But then man must have had a serious dark side to him, because this book…it’s a doozy. Granted, he didn’t write it, or drew it, but his passion for the scarier aspects of Japanese mythology had inspired it. Add a writer with a penchant for macabre and a collection of talented artists…et voila, a perfectly tasty collection of nightmares hailing from some strange intersection of scary, erotic and…culinary.
     The basic structure of this book is a campfire set up, albeit Japanese flavored, meaning people gather around to tell the scariest stories they can think of, tempting the ghosts and ghouls lurking around, just waiting to pounce on their souls. They do so in front of the mirror amid lit candles. Samurai style. 
        And sure enough, these stories get progressive darker and scarier as the book progresses, visceral terrors that have a distinct Japanese otherness to them. The sort of thing one probably shouldn’t read before bed. 
        There’s also a nice collection of supplemental materials, featuring a look at the mythology that inspired the book (complete with stunning art) and five original Bourdain recipes that for a vegetarian or a vegan read very much like a continuation of the main nightmarish narrative.
       All in all a fun read, oddly appropriate in my twisted mind for Thanksgiving, the day of determinedly defying the sheer concept of being hungry. Beware the ghosts. Recommended for readers with strong stomachs.