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A review by coldprintcoffee
Bangkok Wakes to Rain by Pitchaya Sudbanthad
5.0
From the reviews, many people don't like the structure of the "loose" intertwining of stories. I don't feel that way, so this review may not be for you, either. I'm a huge fan of these types of books and my firm belief is that people have a low tolerance for being confused or kept from certain details - that they feel entitled to the entire picture at once in a novel. We could have a thorough discussion on that, if you'd like. Recently I read "The Overstory" by Richard Powers, and while it took time to read, it gave me the impression of hiking up a mountain, gathering details here and there, having to reread because there was something I missed in the sentence that meant something else, a puzzle piece fitted in later on. Bangkok Wakes to Rain lulls me; it's sitting in a cable car while the wind sways it back and forth, rocks it while you fall asleep. It's meandering in a city that's foreign and doesn't belong to you, and you're stepping around the edges trying to find an opening of it. I felt like I was in these places - damp, vivid, colorful, claustrophobic at points. The idea of a thread, a person's story, weaving across others, across time, I have no problem admitting it's extremely romantic to me and has a quality about it that's almost like being swaddled in a weird nostalgic you weren't alive for.
Another book evoked to mind was "Pachinko" by Min Jin Lee. The ideas of families, and different combinations and types of them, the difficulties and hardships and also the bright memories - Bangkok did this extremely well, depicting a variety of types of relationships and not seeming to make untoward commentary at any of them. Rather, they were seen as they were, each emotion held up to the light in context of the bond. Most of the characters begged to be known further, read about more, and I bonded with them quickly; I think the delicate parts of personality and the human experience were completely relatable. The narrative was so comfortable I'd like to purchase a copy so I can run my hands over it, trying to find the dampness and dew, trying to hear the ringing sound of people's protests, and read it for a second time to uncover more.
Another book evoked to mind was "Pachinko" by Min Jin Lee. The ideas of families, and different combinations and types of them, the difficulties and hardships and also the bright memories - Bangkok did this extremely well, depicting a variety of types of relationships and not seeming to make untoward commentary at any of them. Rather, they were seen as they were, each emotion held up to the light in context of the bond. Most of the characters begged to be known further, read about more, and I bonded with them quickly; I think the delicate parts of personality and the human experience were completely relatable. The narrative was so comfortable I'd like to purchase a copy so I can run my hands over it, trying to find the dampness and dew, trying to hear the ringing sound of people's protests, and read it for a second time to uncover more.