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emergencily's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A collection of short stories set in Thailand written by a Thai American author.
Not a happy book but an interesting one that contemplates different themes and issues, such as the impact of tourism, racism, refugees and war, class privilege, political corruption, sexual violence, etc. The collection is strongly grounded in its setting - you can feel the author's affection and nostalgia. It tells its stories with love and compassion for its flawed and human characters. A blessed exception to so much literature about Thailand available in English that is objectifying and exotifying. Every jab at the imports of Western imperialism and its heralds, the tourists, was very gratifying and humorous.
The last story about cock fighting and a generational revenge story was a longer one but definitely my favourite one. Also loved the titular story, about a son taking his mother on a vacation to the southern Thai islands before her sight goes and before he has to leave her for college.
Not a happy book but an interesting one that contemplates different themes and issues, such as the impact of tourism, racism, refugees and war, class privilege, political corruption, sexual violence, etc. The collection is strongly grounded in its setting - you can feel the author's affection and nostalgia. It tells its stories with love and compassion for its flawed and human characters. A blessed exception to so much literature about Thailand available in English that is objectifying and exotifying. Every jab at the imports of Western imperialism and its heralds, the tourists, was very gratifying and humorous.
The last story about cock fighting and a generational revenge story was a longer one but definitely my favourite one. Also loved the titular story, about a son taking his mother on a vacation to the southern Thai islands before her sight goes and before he has to leave her for college.
"You give them history, temples, pagodas, traditional dance, floating markets, seafood curry, tapioca desserts, silk-weaving cooperatives, but all they really want is to ride some hulking gray beast like a bunch of wildmen and to pant over girls and to lie there half-dead getting skin cancer on the beach during the time in between."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Racial slurs, Rape, Ableism, and Racism
lynneliu's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Grief, Animal death, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Chronic illness, Classism, Blood, Bullying, and Xenophobia
Minor: Dementia, Rape, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, and Infertility
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