Our stay in Thailand began with a week in Bangkok, then a week on the island of Koh Samui, and now a month in the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai. The only real book collection I’ve encountered at any of the places we’ve stayed was at the house on Koh Samui, but the owner of that house is German, and so were all of her books. This led me to the nearly infinite collection of library books available to me on my Kindle, and I actually read two books, both taking place, mostly, in Bangkok.
The first one, Bangkok 8, I did not care for. It’s a crime novel centering on a police detective on a revenge mission. His partner and best friend was killed during the course of a murder investigation and he is determined to find and have his revenge on whomever is responsible. Along the way you learn all about the seedy underbelly of Bangkok. You also learn some interesting tidbits about the culture, the neighborhoods, the insane traffic, how ordinary Thai people live, and the food. I’m not that into crime novels, or seedy underbellies, but if those are your favorite things you might enjoy Bangkok 8 by John Burdett. This one would probably pair well with some illicit drug – I didn’t try.
The second novel I read was Bangkok Waits for Rain by Pitchaya Sudbanthad. This novel is a collection of short stories set during various periods of history from the 1800s all the way to a speculative near future, whose characters are all loosely connected by a particular house in Bangkok. There are bits related to the early Western influence on medicine and education as well as more recent history of political upheaval and student protests that brought to mind stories of Tiananmen Square in China. There are also details of lifestyle changes that came about as Bangkok became more globally connected, and then as the landscape of the city changes all together. I enjoyed the way the seemingly disconnected stories wove together. Bangkok Waits for Rain would pair well with a pot of chrysanthemum tea or your favorite tropical fruit.
