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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
Global Read 179 Thailand
This was certainly impressive and extremely atmospheric but I felt a little too unmoored reading it. It kind of felt like a messier cloud atlas. There wasn't a lot to anchor me in time which is hard when it is jumping around so much. There were also way too many characters. Some of the stories, like Nee & Nok's were so much more important that it seemed pointless to have to read about Phineas or a chapter half told from the point of view of an animal.
This was certainly impressive and extremely atmospheric but I felt a little too unmoored reading it. It kind of felt like a messier cloud atlas. There wasn't a lot to anchor me in time which is hard when it is jumping around so much. There were also way too many characters. Some of the stories, like Nee & Nok's were so much more important that it seemed pointless to have to read about Phineas or a chapter half told from the point of view of an animal.
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I must admit I was distracted while reading this book and found myself getting confused I wasn't sure when we were switching from one storyline to another I wish I had been more clear but I did like it enough that I will be rereading this in the future I love the characters and following them through I also love a sense of place becoming a character as well. Maybe save this read for when you have undivided attention to share with it
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
thai historical fiction to sci fi reimagining of bangkok’s future. the book switches between so many different characters in the thai diaspora in thailand and abroad/time periods that at first i was disoriented, before realizing all the characters were connected in some way. MIND BLOWN when i realized that and how history repeats itself. also had interesting commentary on colonialism, tourism and white foreigner male/thai female dynamics
I rarely rate a book higher than it’s good reads average, but I actually liked this one. The author’s vivid descriptions make you feel like you are in the place he is describing. I also loved the way the novel zoomed past the present and into the future just as seamlessly as it engaged with the past. I am giving this four and not five stars because sometimes it felt that the individual stories went on tangents that were too far from the core storyline to be interesting. I also wish that the connections between the different chapters had become clearer earlier in the book, because I almost gave up on it in the beginning when I thought it was just random stories from different time periods.
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
By now I've read enough short story collections to figure out that I don't like this particular format; which is a set of scenes from different characters' POV that are interconnected in some way, and basically no plot.
I like shorts stories with an interesting premise, that have a contained beginning, middle and end. And this book simply wasn't that, which is entirely on me.
I spent most of the book bored, waiting for it to end. I didn't care for any of the characters, which was made worse by the fact they kept coming back. The one savings grace this book has is the writing style, it was quite lovely.
I like shorts stories with an interesting premise, that have a contained beginning, middle and end. And this book simply wasn't that, which is entirely on me.
I spent most of the book bored, waiting for it to end. I didn't care for any of the characters, which was made worse by the fact they kept coming back. The one savings grace this book has is the writing style, it was quite lovely.
Finally finished this! It took me about halfway through the book to start being entertained. It was difficult to follow at some points and boring at other points, but overall I’m glad I read it. I thought the concept of showing Bangkok’s past, present, and future was kind of fascinating.
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes