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3.43 AVERAGE
3.43 AVERAGE
Many people are familiar with the story of Anna and the Siamese Court from the Rogers and Hammerstein musical "The King and I." This book is what that musical was based on. It was fascinating to read about this Englishwoman's experiences in the court of Siam, and particularly her interactions with the women within the Siamese emperor's harem and his hundreds of children. This book would certainly be appropriate for anyone who likes to read about cultural interactions and the humorous things that result from them. Also, it gives an English speaking audience a good insight into the Thailand that existed in the 19th Century.
My problem with this novel is that it fed into the British imperial and post-imperial bias that nations in Asia, Africa, the Pacific and the Americas that did not benefit from European colonial administrations are hopelessly barbaric places that need to be taught how to be civilized. This view was widely held throughout the West in the 19th Century and all the way up to the 1960s, and this book reflects that view, indeed it almost epitomizes it. Here is a civilized woman coping with the barbaric practices of polygamy, male domination, castes and other things that the British colonial administrations worked to eliminate throughout the world. We feel sorry for her because she is forced to live among the barbarians and deal with their barbaric ways. This is condescending, but unfortunately it is the way that most people in the West thought about non-Western, non-Christian nations in the past. Because of that, I would caution people who are not aware of this bias to watch for it when reading "Anna and the King".
Keeping this caveat in mind, I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Thailand or the far east in the 19th century.
My problem with this novel is that it fed into the British imperial and post-imperial bias that nations in Asia, Africa, the Pacific and the Americas that did not benefit from European colonial administrations are hopelessly barbaric places that need to be taught how to be civilized. This view was widely held throughout the West in the 19th Century and all the way up to the 1960s, and this book reflects that view, indeed it almost epitomizes it. Here is a civilized woman coping with the barbaric practices of polygamy, male domination, castes and other things that the British colonial administrations worked to eliminate throughout the world. We feel sorry for her because she is forced to live among the barbarians and deal with their barbaric ways. This is condescending, but unfortunately it is the way that most people in the West thought about non-Western, non-Christian nations in the past. Because of that, I would caution people who are not aware of this bias to watch for it when reading "Anna and the King".
Keeping this caveat in mind, I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Thailand or the far east in the 19th century.
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Written in a different era so keep that in mind while reading, as some verbiage is outdated. Overall it was an interesting read filled with short stories that strung together to build out Anna’s experience.
adventurous
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
I really wanted to like this book, but I just couldn't get into it. The author's style of writing bored me.
Really good book. Amazing to see how one Englishwoman affected a whole country through her teaching. Great descriptions and very interesting story.
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
I read this ~25 years ago and loved it. Sadly, for me, this title didn't withstand the test of time. While pieces were still beautiful, the idea of a white savior bringing culture to a savage population no longer appeals.
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I grew up in a household where my mother loved The King and I, she had the record, and if it aired on the telly, we all had to watch. Mom even went to a performance with Yul Brynner in Washington, D.C., in the 1980s.
Based on this familial love, I read Anna and the King of Siam for a book challenge prompt (Books set in Thailand).
This was a chunkier classic and read slower than more contemporary novels, but it was fascinating.
Anna and the King of Siam examine 19th-century Thailand, especially the cultural practices and beliefs. The story follows the life of Anna Leonowens and her work as a teacher/governess to King Mongkut's broad of children. The novel is written with little wiggle room for acceptance of Thai culture, so one should anticipate that biases are in the story. However, it is essential to note that the book is a classic and will address cultural norms differently.
Overall, it was exciting, but I prefer to read a nonfiction novel about 19th-century Thailand to learn more about the culture and the monarchy.
I recommend Anna and the King of Siam to fans of classic literature.
Based on this familial love, I read Anna and the King of Siam for a book challenge prompt (Books set in Thailand).
This was a chunkier classic and read slower than more contemporary novels, but it was fascinating.
Anna and the King of Siam examine 19th-century Thailand, especially the cultural practices and beliefs. The story follows the life of Anna Leonowens and her work as a teacher/governess to King Mongkut's broad of children. The novel is written with little wiggle room for acceptance of Thai culture, so one should anticipate that biases are in the story. However, it is essential to note that the book is a classic and will address cultural norms differently.
Overall, it was exciting, but I prefer to read a nonfiction novel about 19th-century Thailand to learn more about the culture and the monarchy.
I recommend Anna and the King of Siam to fans of classic literature.
dark
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Brutally hard to read in places, but also a great slice of history. I'm curious to read the diaries this book was based on as well, to compare...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Slavery, Torture
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Kidnapping