What do you think?
Rate this book
Mother's Beloved: Stories from Laos
Outhine Bounyavong is one of the most prominent contemporary writers in Laos. His stories are animated with Laotian virtues of simplicity, compassion, respect for age, and other village mores; they breathe with a gentleness that is fresh and distinctive. Outhine is interested in his own memories, in how to behave with compassion, and in the chain of life among men and women that reaches into the earth. Rather than writing through an ideological lens, Outhine focuses on the passions and foibles of ordinary people. Their good luck, disappointments, and plain but poignant conversations reveal the subtle textures of Lao culture. The tragedy of war and the threat of environmental degradation are themes woven into his stories. This book presents fourteen of Outhine Bounyavong's short stories in English translation alongside the Lao originals, marking his formal debut for an American audience. It is also the first collection of Lao short stories to be published in the English language. Peter Koret's Introduction explores the history of modern Lao literature and considers Outhine's writing within this broader context. Outhine Bounyavong was born in Laos in 1942. The author of four collections of short stories, he has had a long career as a journalist, editor, and translator. He lives in Vientiane.
176 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
12 people are currently reading
565 people want to read
About the author
Outhine Bounyavong
3 books2 followersOuthine Bounyavong (Lao: ອຸທິນ ບຸນຍາວົງ ʻUthin Bunyāvong) was a Laotian writer, known especially for works of contemporary fiction.
Born in 1942 in Xaignabouli Province, he grew up in the capital, Vientiane, where one of his early teachers was Somchine Nginn, author of the first novel in Lao.
Outhine held a variety of jobs during the 1960s, and began to publish short fictional works in newspapers and magazines. He came to be associated with the group of writers who were the children of Maha Sila Viravong, an important Laotian scholar. Eventually he married one of this group, Duangdeuane Viravong, a prominent author in her own right.
Outhine worked during the Laotian Civil War and, after the Communist victory in 1975, continued to write for the State Publishing House. Many of his stories celebrate traditional aspects of Laotian rural life, and at least one collection has been translated into English as Mother's Beloved (ISBN 9789747551044).
Born in 1942 in Xaignabouli Province, he grew up in the capital, Vientiane, where one of his early teachers was Somchine Nginn, author of the first novel in Lao.
Outhine held a variety of jobs during the 1960s, and began to publish short fictional works in newspapers and magazines. He came to be associated with the group of writers who were the children of Maha Sila Viravong, an important Laotian scholar. Eventually he married one of this group, Duangdeuane Viravong, a prominent author in her own right.
Outhine worked during the Laotian Civil War and, after the Communist victory in 1975, continued to write for the State Publishing House. Many of his stories celebrate traditional aspects of Laotian rural life, and at least one collection has been translated into English as Mother's Beloved (ISBN 9789747551044).
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
Read
March 6, 2012Boy, I feel bad giving this a bad review. It's the first short story collection translated in English to come out of the Lao PDR, and Outhine is considered one of their most important writers. But this mostly sucked. I'm not sure it was lost in translation, either. I think each story was meant to be told in such a painfully obvious way. I recognize that to a large extent this is a cultural difference-- a long spell in Thailand and Laos, and a lot of time watching soap operas in Thailand and Laos taught me a lot about how the Tai peoples perceive narrative at the present moment. There were little moments of loveliness, but this was pretty underwhelming. Sorry Laos. Your mountains are still beautiful and your spicy salads are still delicious.
April 26, 2024
Around the World Reading Challenge: LAOS
===
A set of short stories, almost fable-like with their moralistic tone, that take place in Laos. It was a quick read, and I appreciated that both English and the original language appear in the book. I imagine this would be a great option for those learning the language, as the stories were quite simple. I enjoyed them fine, but I wanted a bit more depth.
===
A set of short stories, almost fable-like with their moralistic tone, that take place in Laos. It was a quick read, and I appreciated that both English and the original language appear in the book. I imagine this would be a great option for those learning the language, as the stories were quite simple. I enjoyed them fine, but I wanted a bit more depth.
July 13, 2024
3,5 ⭐
El libro incluye catorce cuentos cortos, muy bien escritos, en los que se destacan la contemplación de la belleza de la naturaleza, y la gentileza y cortesía de los ciudadanos; se podría decir que son cuentos agradables, edificantes.
En algunos cuentos aparecen las desigualdades sociales, así como las consecuencias de la guerra, en la que el autor, parte de la élite literaria e intelectual, tuvo activa participación en la resistencia a la intervención de EEUU en ocasión de la Guerra de Vietnam, país vecino; luego de la Revolución de 1975, que sustituyó la monarquía por un sistema socialista, ocupó distintos cargos gubernamentales.
Aparece nuevamente la alusión al frangipani, la planta nacional de Laos, y que parece ser muy popular en el Sudeste Asiático, excepto en Malasia (y tal vez Indonesia) en la que la tradición musulmana la reserva para los cementerios, considerándola impropia para otros lugares.
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/2d/ca/...
Una lectura agradable y de buena calidad.
Esta edición presenta la versión de los cuentos tanto en la traducción al inglés, como en su versión original en laosiano.
El libro incluye catorce cuentos cortos, muy bien escritos, en los que se destacan la contemplación de la belleza de la naturaleza, y la gentileza y cortesía de los ciudadanos; se podría decir que son cuentos agradables, edificantes.
En algunos cuentos aparecen las desigualdades sociales, así como las consecuencias de la guerra, en la que el autor, parte de la élite literaria e intelectual, tuvo activa participación en la resistencia a la intervención de EEUU en ocasión de la Guerra de Vietnam, país vecino; luego de la Revolución de 1975, que sustituyó la monarquía por un sistema socialista, ocupó distintos cargos gubernamentales.
Aparece nuevamente la alusión al frangipani, la planta nacional de Laos, y que parece ser muy popular en el Sudeste Asiático, excepto en Malasia (y tal vez Indonesia) en la que la tradición musulmana la reserva para los cementerios, considerándola impropia para otros lugares.
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/2d/ca/...
Una lectura agradable y de buena calidad.
Esta edición presenta la versión de los cuentos tanto en la traducción al inglés, como en su versión original en laosiano.
April 3, 2020
Have you ever read a book by a Laotian author? or a literary work set in Laos? I have!
Mother’s Beloved is a collection of (very) short stories I read as a part of LiteraSEA Book Club January read (s/o to @literasea.bookclub #LiteraSEABookClub, we posted the blurb there). Reading it feels like reading bedtime stories or Aesop’s fables, which somehow holds a great sentimental value to me. Though the stories are not as straightforward as children’s stories, I find that is one of the strengths of the book. I read the stories blindly without any preconception of the sociopolitical settings of the Laotian society or the time when the book was published. Experienced readers are left to fill in the blanks and make their own conclusions—which is where the preface comes in handy.
Some of the stories were published on papers using simple Laotian language, making them accessible. The stories here reflect on the experiences of the ordinary (rural) Laotians. I personally found some shared experiences with what I had growing up in South Kalimantan. The stories are probably filled with more political messages than what I could pick out, largely because it was based on the 1960s-1970s events and I’m short of knowledge on Laos. Another characteristic of the book is that, as pointed out by @mango.reads, the writing feels very distinctively Laotian/Southeast Asian! Communal joy and spaces are amongst the main theme of the stories, whereas readers who are not used to this kind of story or writing might get confused or bored. We had a group discussion on this book at the end of January where we identified the anti-development rhetoric in the stories. Simple yet profound, reading Mother’s Beloved in the 21st century and with climate crisis ever felt more threatening toward our livelihood felt unreal. A question I had in mind all the time was, how much has truly changed?
Mother’s Beloved is a collection of (very) short stories I read as a part of LiteraSEA Book Club January read (s/o to @literasea.bookclub #LiteraSEABookClub, we posted the blurb there). Reading it feels like reading bedtime stories or Aesop’s fables, which somehow holds a great sentimental value to me. Though the stories are not as straightforward as children’s stories, I find that is one of the strengths of the book. I read the stories blindly without any preconception of the sociopolitical settings of the Laotian society or the time when the book was published. Experienced readers are left to fill in the blanks and make their own conclusions—which is where the preface comes in handy.
Some of the stories were published on papers using simple Laotian language, making them accessible. The stories here reflect on the experiences of the ordinary (rural) Laotians. I personally found some shared experiences with what I had growing up in South Kalimantan. The stories are probably filled with more political messages than what I could pick out, largely because it was based on the 1960s-1970s events and I’m short of knowledge on Laos. Another characteristic of the book is that, as pointed out by @mango.reads, the writing feels very distinctively Laotian/Southeast Asian! Communal joy and spaces are amongst the main theme of the stories, whereas readers who are not used to this kind of story or writing might get confused or bored. We had a group discussion on this book at the end of January where we identified the anti-development rhetoric in the stories. Simple yet profound, reading Mother’s Beloved in the 21st century and with climate crisis ever felt more threatening toward our livelihood felt unreal. A question I had in mind all the time was, how much has truly changed?
February 18, 2021
This read is far more interesting than the literature is good.
A collection of subversive short stories design to critic the Laotian government; needing approval of the government prior to publication. The stories are sparse, very simple, short; they appear to say very simple moralistic messages - yet, when you know they're criticing the government they take on hidden meanings.
As I said, this book is far more interesting than it is good. A very quick read if you're curious to try this novel.
A collection of subversive short stories design to critic the Laotian government; needing approval of the government prior to publication. The stories are sparse, very simple, short; they appear to say very simple moralistic messages - yet, when you know they're criticing the government they take on hidden meanings.
As I said, this book is far more interesting than it is good. A very quick read if you're curious to try this novel.
August 26, 2023
I enjoyed this collection of short stories. The stories are short and simple but very poignant, and provide a glimpse into the culture of Laos. I also appreciated the introduction providing a brief history of Laos literature and giving context to this collection.
September 30, 2017
[#93 Laos] This is the first and only Laotian book ever translated into English. Well, it pains me to say this, but it was quite underwhelming. It's composed for short stories, which were neither original nor well-crafted. They are almost childish, and the moral of the story comes down to basic human decency. I know there is a dictator controlling the publishing industry, but still, it was so bleak.
August 13, 2025
I think Mother's Beloved is so interesting! I'm really glad I read it. It's really perfect if you are studying Lao because it's a bilingual book, but I also recommend reading the intro about Lao literature and the author's life at the beginning of the book.
October 14, 2008
Mother’s Beloved is a collection of short stories from Laos; even with an introductory essay and with the Lao printed opposite the English, it’s only 160 pages. BTW, I don’t know a lot about Lao names, but I think that ‘Outhine’ is the surname.
I knew absolutely nothing about Laos except its approximate location (between Thailand and Vietnam). Fortunately this book has an essay about contemporary Lao literature that acted as a quick primer on the country’s modern history, which has been fairly grim: it went from being a Thai colony to a French one, got caught up in the Indochina War and the Vietnam War, when the Americans bombed it extremely heavily, then had about 15 years of communist government. Apparently it has liberalised somewhat since the fall of Russian communism, but there’s still only one legal political party: the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party.
The stories themselves are short and simple, both stylistically (as far as can tell from these translations) and in terms of action. And indeed morality: by which I mean that you could often end each story with ‘and the moral of this story is … [something].’ I don’t think it’s a coincidence that most of them were published when Laos was a communist state; I think some of that simplicity that comes from writing in a country were too much ambiguity might be regarded as politically suspicious. And often the ‘morals’ are as much political as moral: ‘every one of us, no matter how humble, can make our own sacrifice in aid of the war effort’, for example.
Still, the very simplicity of the stories has its own appeal, and one or two of them managed to combine that simplicity with just the right emotional note in a way I found effective. I’ve decided that one way I could make these little reviews more useful would be quote some of the books, so here’s the opening of a story called The Eternal Pair of Birds. It’s actually an unusually elaborate passage, but you can see it has a kind of plainness to the language.
It was late February. At the edge of the rice fields grew a flame tree full of red blooms whose colour, when reflecting the setting sun, was so bright it hurt the eyes. Next to it stood a lone palmyra. It stretched so high as if to challenge the rainstorm, the hurricane, and the sunshine. It had stood there, strong and graceful, for ages. To the people in this rural hamlet, it was like a timepiece. When the sun was high above its crown, it was noon. When the sun’s rays struck parallel across the top of its fronds, it was time to herd the cattle back to the stable and for the housewives to prepare dinner.
Mother’s Beloved is, obviously, my book from Laos for the Read The World challenge. I quite enjoyed it, on balance, and if nothing else, it encouraged me to learn a bit more about the country.
I knew absolutely nothing about Laos except its approximate location (between Thailand and Vietnam). Fortunately this book has an essay about contemporary Lao literature that acted as a quick primer on the country’s modern history, which has been fairly grim: it went from being a Thai colony to a French one, got caught up in the Indochina War and the Vietnam War, when the Americans bombed it extremely heavily, then had about 15 years of communist government. Apparently it has liberalised somewhat since the fall of Russian communism, but there’s still only one legal political party: the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party.
The stories themselves are short and simple, both stylistically (as far as can tell from these translations) and in terms of action. And indeed morality: by which I mean that you could often end each story with ‘and the moral of this story is … [something].’ I don’t think it’s a coincidence that most of them were published when Laos was a communist state; I think some of that simplicity that comes from writing in a country were too much ambiguity might be regarded as politically suspicious. And often the ‘morals’ are as much political as moral: ‘every one of us, no matter how humble, can make our own sacrifice in aid of the war effort’, for example.
Still, the very simplicity of the stories has its own appeal, and one or two of them managed to combine that simplicity with just the right emotional note in a way I found effective. I’ve decided that one way I could make these little reviews more useful would be quote some of the books, so here’s the opening of a story called The Eternal Pair of Birds. It’s actually an unusually elaborate passage, but you can see it has a kind of plainness to the language.
It was late February. At the edge of the rice fields grew a flame tree full of red blooms whose colour, when reflecting the setting sun, was so bright it hurt the eyes. Next to it stood a lone palmyra. It stretched so high as if to challenge the rainstorm, the hurricane, and the sunshine. It had stood there, strong and graceful, for ages. To the people in this rural hamlet, it was like a timepiece. When the sun was high above its crown, it was noon. When the sun’s rays struck parallel across the top of its fronds, it was time to herd the cattle back to the stable and for the housewives to prepare dinner.
Mother’s Beloved is, obviously, my book from Laos for the Read The World challenge. I quite enjoyed it, on balance, and if nothing else, it encouraged me to learn a bit more about the country.
November 6, 2014
Mother’s Beloved: Stories from Laos – Outhine Bounyavong: http://readwithstyle.wordpress.com/20...
Most of the short stories in Mother’s Beloved were written during the communist rule – the simplicity of the situations are typical for a regime, in which too much ambiguity is mostly regarded as politically suspicious. For the experienced reader it felt as reading fables. Bounyavong’s characters are faced with moral dilemmas, the resolution of which clearly demonstrates what the ideal citizen should be – humble, respectful, following traditional Laotian values and condemning any enemy of the state. In theory these are not bad qualities at all – in practice, though, the communist propaganda is ever so visible. I try not to criticise Bounyavong too much – for the only way to be published in Laos at that time was to please the ruling party. A country that has gone through numerous oppressions and influences is struggling to reclaim its literary identity – and the only way to do that is to oppose any former influences. Bounyavong was originally influenced by the French and brought up to admire French literature. When Laos was liberated (or in other words when from one oppression to another) he began admiring the literature of revolutionary communism and its supporters.
Read more: http://readwithstyle.wordpress.com/20...
Most of the short stories in Mother’s Beloved were written during the communist rule – the simplicity of the situations are typical for a regime, in which too much ambiguity is mostly regarded as politically suspicious. For the experienced reader it felt as reading fables. Bounyavong’s characters are faced with moral dilemmas, the resolution of which clearly demonstrates what the ideal citizen should be – humble, respectful, following traditional Laotian values and condemning any enemy of the state. In theory these are not bad qualities at all – in practice, though, the communist propaganda is ever so visible. I try not to criticise Bounyavong too much – for the only way to be published in Laos at that time was to please the ruling party. A country that has gone through numerous oppressions and influences is struggling to reclaim its literary identity – and the only way to do that is to oppose any former influences. Bounyavong was originally influenced by the French and brought up to admire French literature. When Laos was liberated (or in other words when from one oppression to another) he began admiring the literature of revolutionary communism and its supporters.
Read more: http://readwithstyle.wordpress.com/20...
October 11, 2015
I had some difficulty finding a book for Laos. Two other World Tour readers found and read this one, so I decided to join them.
The stories are OK and they do give some insights into Lao life, but I don't think I would recommend this book to a friend as I took some time to read all of them. I read the stories one or two at a time, the book didn't make me want to read more.
The stories are OK and they do give some insights into Lao life, but I don't think I would recommend this book to a friend as I took some time to read all of them. I read the stories one or two at a time, the book didn't make me want to read more.
July 28, 2017
A rather boring collection of moralistic tales from Laos. Quite good to have an insight on Lao life, especially outside of the capital city, but with little to no literary value, I'm afraid.
For a review in Italian, please visit: https://sonnenbarke.wordpress.com/201...
For a review in Italian, please visit: https://sonnenbarke.wordpress.com/201...
June 30, 2024
Bought this book in Laos on my honeymoon. Gives such a beautiful perspective on the people of Laos and their cutlure. Beautiful stories! And so much fun to see both languages printed.
February 13, 2025
I feel that this book, composed of numerous short-stories from the pen of Outhine Bounyavong, a writer and civil servant in the Lao People's Democratic Republic, receives a great deal of criticism here which I find to be undeserved. It is, as it says on the cover, a collection of short stories. Actually, I would classify them almost more as prose poetry.
This is not the format in which you would expect to see complex, convoluted plots with lots of plot twists. You want that? Go read a mystery novel. This is also not the format in which you would expect to see lengthy character studies or explorations of the intricacies of social manners. You want that? Go read a romance novel. Of course, as the old saw goes, you should never judge a book by its cover, but I confess, I fail to see how it is any better that certain readers feel they don't have to look at a book's cover at all before they judge it.
The introduction, which I feel like most of these critics skimmed over or just skipped entirely, talks about the context in which this collection is supposed to be read. As the introduction explains, the ancient tradition of Lao literature mostly consists of poetry and religious (Buddhist) songs. This anthology of prose poems is clearly meant to provide an 'update' to that format. The prose poems themselves have a vignette-like character, and often convey a moral or didactic point, giving them an almost fable-like quality. They vary between first-person and third-person narrative perspectives.
If you're looking for political criticism, though, it's here, it's in spades--and it's actually not at all covert. The first and most obvious of Bounyavong's angles of criticism is conservationist and environmental. He has little patience for 'businessmen' who come in trucks to tear down the forests for new development and shoot the local wildlife, and he has equally little patience for government workers who tear entire trees out of the ground instead of trimming them, or ordinary people who litter. It's worthy of note that he portrays one friend of his, a well-educated young man who ends up devoting his time to picking up rubbish along the banks of the Mekong, at first as a kind of eccentric, before his daughter tells him (out of the mouths of babes!) that the country would be prettier if there were more such eccentrics.
Another point of criticism is of the American government, which dropped unpardonably massive amounts of ordnance on Laos during the Indochina War, and which still takes literal lives and literal limbs from its innocent citizens. However, American peace activists are favourably portrayed. One of these short stories is really little more than a framing device for a letter from a man from the Plain of Jars who lost his legs after stepping too close to a landmine.
Do many of these stories simply involve people being decent to each other and finding beautiful moments therein? Sure they do. But the simplicity itself can be deceptive, hiding a critique of certain social expectations or cultural mores. A young boy is humiliated at a basketball game, when all his attention is focussed on one of the girl players, because he doesn't have enough money to donate to a cause. The young boy's lust is subjected to an implicit critique (just as the male objectification of the garland-winners in the village dance is critiqued), but there's also a note of critique levelled at the subtle social cruelty of such expectations in a culture where gift and generosity are vested with such importance. I feel like such subtleties are easily overlooked.
And the beautiful moments: like when the mother of a woman voices her appreciation for an unknown motorcyclist who offered her daughter a lift when she was in need is overheard by that same motorcyclist; or like when a girl who happens across a silver belt which her friend lost (but which she also desperately wants to keep) is afforded a chance to return it without losing face--are well-told, even when they are delivered without a 'catch' or a cynical twist. I find I actually appreciate such simplicity where it occurs.
My one critique of the book is that it could have done perhaps with another round of professional proofing. I appreciate the bilingual edition, but it often ends up with a lot of blank space on one of the facing pages. Some of the translations also come across as clumsy or awkward.
I found this collection of prose-poems enjoyable in its own right, and I hope that some of Outhine Bounyavong's longer-form prose work ends up being translated. I think that his novels probably afford more opportunity for him to provide the literary 'complexity' that critics of this book seem to want.
This is not the format in which you would expect to see complex, convoluted plots with lots of plot twists. You want that? Go read a mystery novel. This is also not the format in which you would expect to see lengthy character studies or explorations of the intricacies of social manners. You want that? Go read a romance novel. Of course, as the old saw goes, you should never judge a book by its cover, but I confess, I fail to see how it is any better that certain readers feel they don't have to look at a book's cover at all before they judge it.
The introduction, which I feel like most of these critics skimmed over or just skipped entirely, talks about the context in which this collection is supposed to be read. As the introduction explains, the ancient tradition of Lao literature mostly consists of poetry and religious (Buddhist) songs. This anthology of prose poems is clearly meant to provide an 'update' to that format. The prose poems themselves have a vignette-like character, and often convey a moral or didactic point, giving them an almost fable-like quality. They vary between first-person and third-person narrative perspectives.
If you're looking for political criticism, though, it's here, it's in spades--and it's actually not at all covert. The first and most obvious of Bounyavong's angles of criticism is conservationist and environmental. He has little patience for 'businessmen' who come in trucks to tear down the forests for new development and shoot the local wildlife, and he has equally little patience for government workers who tear entire trees out of the ground instead of trimming them, or ordinary people who litter. It's worthy of note that he portrays one friend of his, a well-educated young man who ends up devoting his time to picking up rubbish along the banks of the Mekong, at first as a kind of eccentric, before his daughter tells him (out of the mouths of babes!) that the country would be prettier if there were more such eccentrics.
Another point of criticism is of the American government, which dropped unpardonably massive amounts of ordnance on Laos during the Indochina War, and which still takes literal lives and literal limbs from its innocent citizens. However, American peace activists are favourably portrayed. One of these short stories is really little more than a framing device for a letter from a man from the Plain of Jars who lost his legs after stepping too close to a landmine.
Do many of these stories simply involve people being decent to each other and finding beautiful moments therein? Sure they do. But the simplicity itself can be deceptive, hiding a critique of certain social expectations or cultural mores. A young boy is humiliated at a basketball game, when all his attention is focussed on one of the girl players, because he doesn't have enough money to donate to a cause. The young boy's lust is subjected to an implicit critique (just as the male objectification of the garland-winners in the village dance is critiqued), but there's also a note of critique levelled at the subtle social cruelty of such expectations in a culture where gift and generosity are vested with such importance. I feel like such subtleties are easily overlooked.
And the beautiful moments: like when the mother of a woman voices her appreciation for an unknown motorcyclist who offered her daughter a lift when she was in need is overheard by that same motorcyclist; or like when a girl who happens across a silver belt which her friend lost (but which she also desperately wants to keep) is afforded a chance to return it without losing face--are well-told, even when they are delivered without a 'catch' or a cynical twist. I find I actually appreciate such simplicity where it occurs.
My one critique of the book is that it could have done perhaps with another round of professional proofing. I appreciate the bilingual edition, but it often ends up with a lot of blank space on one of the facing pages. Some of the translations also come across as clumsy or awkward.
I found this collection of prose-poems enjoyable in its own right, and I hope that some of Outhine Bounyavong's longer-form prose work ends up being translated. I think that his novels probably afford more opportunity for him to provide the literary 'complexity' that critics of this book seem to want.
December 20, 2022
Κρτική στα Ελληνικά πιο κάτω...
This was an interesting little book, mostly because it is one of few in English language coming from Laos. It was published 30 years ago thought, while some of the stories were written decades earlier and by an author who managed to survive through different regimes and censorship.
So it was interesting to read a bit "between the lines", but from a literary point of view it was somehow poor while the stories lacked originality on the "plot" front. They were too simplistic and/or felt mostly like poignant, moral paraboles. I guess different cultural background might make a difference here, but this is a bi-lingual edition and there is a 30-35 pages long introduction in this slim book of about 165 pages. I should have finish the stories in a few hours, but it took me two days because I couldn't settle into it!
I'm glad I read it though and some stories were better than others.
Αυτό το βιβλίο ήταν πιο πολύ ενδιαφέρον επειδή είναι από τα λίγα μεταφρασμένα από το Λάος σε κάποια γλώσσα της "Δύσης" παρά σαν βιβλίο από μόνο του. Είναι ήδη σχετικά παλιό καθώς εκδόθηκε γύρω στο '90 βέβαια, ενώ οι ίδιες οι ιστορίες είναι γραμμένες ακόμα και αρκετές δεκαετίες πριν. Ο συγγραφέας κατάφερε να επιβιώσει και να ελιχθεί κάτω από διαφορετικά πολιτικά καθεστώτα και λογοκρισία, οπότε κάποιες φορές είναι ενδιαφέρον να διαβάζεις "ανάμεσα στις γραμμές".
Όμως, από λογοτεχνικής πλευρά είναι μάλλον φτωχό, ενώ από άποψη "πλοκής" κατά βάση οι ιστορίες είναι τετριμμένες. Γραμμένες πάρα πολύ απλοϊκά και/ή έμοιαζαν σαν μικρές διδακτικές παραβολές παρά σαν κάτι που θα εκδιδόταν σε βιβλίο ή εφημερίδα. Υποθέτω ότι στην κρίση μου παίζει ρόλο το πολύ διαφορετικό πολιτισμικό υπόβαθρο εδώ, αλλά αυτή είναι μία δίγλωσση έκδοση, περίπου 165 σελίδων. Δηλαδή οι μισές να διαβαστούν και μάλιστα οι 30-35 σελίδες είναι η εισαγωγή. Θα έπρεπε λοιπόν να έχω τελειώσει το βιβλίο μέσα σε κανα δίωρο, αλλά μου πήρε τελικά δυο μέρες γιατί δεν μπορούσα να συγκεντρωθώ και τόσο,
δεν με τραβούσε όσο θα ήθελα .
Παρ' όλα αυτά κάποιες ιστορίες ήταν καλύτερες από άλλες και χαίρομαι που το διάβασα.
ΥΓ: Ίσως καιρός να αναζητήσουν οι εκδοτικοί οίκοι, τα πανεπιστήμια, οι φορείς στη χώρα μας έναν τρόπο να φέρουν πιο κοντά την λογοτεχνία, τον πολιτισμό, τις παραδόσεις άλλων χωρών λιγότερο γνωστών σε εμάς. Είναι άσχημο όταν αποφασίζω να διαβάσω κάποιο βιβλίο από μία "ασυνήθιστη" χώρα να πρέπει να προστρέξω στα Αγγλικά και να μη μπορώ να βρω ούτε ένα στα Ελληνικά. Και καλά αυτό εδώ, είναι όντως μία κάπως ιδιάζουσα περίπτωση. Βιβλία λογοτεχνικά που εκδόθηκαν από "mainstream" οίκους του εξωτερικού, εδώ γιατί δεν έχουν θέση;
This was an interesting little book, mostly because it is one of few in English language coming from Laos. It was published 30 years ago thought, while some of the stories were written decades earlier and by an author who managed to survive through different regimes and censorship.
So it was interesting to read a bit "between the lines", but from a literary point of view it was somehow poor while the stories lacked originality on the "plot" front. They were too simplistic and/or felt mostly like poignant, moral paraboles. I guess different cultural background might make a difference here, but this is a bi-lingual edition and there is a 30-35 pages long introduction in this slim book of about 165 pages. I should have finish the stories in a few hours, but it took me two days because I couldn't settle into it!
I'm glad I read it though and some stories were better than others.
Αυτό το βιβλίο ήταν πιο πολύ ενδιαφέρον επειδή είναι από τα λίγα μεταφρασμένα από το Λάος σε κάποια γλώσσα της "Δύσης" παρά σαν βιβλίο από μόνο του. Είναι ήδη σχετικά παλιό καθώς εκδόθηκε γύρω στο '90 βέβαια, ενώ οι ίδιες οι ιστορίες είναι γραμμένες ακόμα και αρκετές δεκαετίες πριν. Ο συγγραφέας κατάφερε να επιβιώσει και να ελιχθεί κάτω από διαφορετικά πολιτικά καθεστώτα και λογοκρισία, οπότε κάποιες φορές είναι ενδιαφέρον να διαβάζεις "ανάμεσα στις γραμμές".
Όμως, από λογοτεχνικής πλευρά είναι μάλλον φτωχό, ενώ από άποψη "πλοκής" κατά βάση οι ιστορίες είναι τετριμμένες. Γραμμένες πάρα πολύ απλοϊκά και/ή έμοιαζαν σαν μικρές διδακτικές παραβολές παρά σαν κάτι που θα εκδιδόταν σε βιβλίο ή εφημερίδα. Υποθέτω ότι στην κρίση μου παίζει ρόλο το πολύ διαφορετικό πολιτισμικό υπόβαθρο εδώ, αλλά αυτή είναι μία δίγλωσση έκδοση, περίπου 165 σελίδων. Δηλαδή οι μισές να διαβαστούν και μάλιστα οι 30-35 σελίδες είναι η εισαγωγή. Θα έπρεπε λοιπόν να έχω τελειώσει το βιβλίο μέσα σε κανα δίωρο, αλλά μου πήρε τελικά δυο μέρες γιατί δεν μπορούσα να συγκεντρωθώ και τόσο,
δεν με τραβούσε όσο θα ήθελα .
Παρ' όλα αυτά κάποιες ιστορίες ήταν καλύτερες από άλλες και χαίρομαι που το διάβασα.
ΥΓ: Ίσως καιρός να αναζητήσουν οι εκδοτικοί οίκοι, τα πανεπιστήμια, οι φορείς στη χώρα μας έναν τρόπο να φέρουν πιο κοντά την λογοτεχνία, τον πολιτισμό, τις παραδόσεις άλλων χωρών λιγότερο γνωστών σε εμάς. Είναι άσχημο όταν αποφασίζω να διαβάσω κάποιο βιβλίο από μία "ασυνήθιστη" χώρα να πρέπει να προστρέξω στα Αγγλικά και να μη μπορώ να βρω ούτε ένα στα Ελληνικά. Και καλά αυτό εδώ, είναι όντως μία κάπως ιδιάζουσα περίπτωση. Βιβλία λογοτεχνικά που εκδόθηκαν από "mainstream" οίκους του εξωτερικού, εδώ γιατί δεν έχουν θέση;
October 28, 2019
This book is a bilingual collection, in Lao and English, of fourteen short stories by a contemporary Lao author born in 1942 who started his literary life under the monarchy and continued to write and publish under the present day Communist regime in power since 1975. Although I have been to Laos a number of times in recent years this is the first work of present day Lao literature I read, as it is not easy to find literature by a Lao author in a Western language I can read. Unfortunately, I regret to say, I was not much impressed. Most of the stories are very unnuanced statements about contributing to the common good, or about being a good citizen, or doing the right thing. Curiously, or maybe not, the two stories I liked most were originally published in 1972: I found "Death price" and, even more, "A seat in the grandstand" nice stories, much better than the others. An introductory chapter on contemporary Lao literature with a biographical sketch of Bounyavong by the independent scholar Peter Koret is an helpful complement to the stories. Anyway, if you want to read something (in English) about Laos and its people, the traditional folk stories collected and retold in the book Lao Folktales is an infinitely better and more amusing place to start.
July 26, 2022
This was my read the world selection for Laos.
This book contains 14 of the author’s short stories, in both Lao and English, making this the first collection of Lao short stories to be published in English.
For the most part, these are predominantly moral stories that are told in a simple manner. I think the style itself immediately determines whether you will like the stories or not.
Personally I found the simplicity charming and quite in character to what I have come to understand about writing amongst South East Asian countries and writers. Not intending to generalize here, but it is definitely a recurring theme I have come across on several occasions now and I really appreciate the pared back writing.
I found the stories relatable and easy to get immersed in, which is such an important aspect (for me at least) for short stories to hook you from the onset. I enjoyed the Lao nuance to the stories and while I can’t really say I felt transported, I did appreciate the frequent touches that reminded me we were in Laos, such as the frangipani trees, markets and rural customs.
While this probably won’t set your world on fire, it’s quite a lovely little collection of uncluttered stories with subtle reminders about being a decent human being. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5.
This book contains 14 of the author’s short stories, in both Lao and English, making this the first collection of Lao short stories to be published in English.
For the most part, these are predominantly moral stories that are told in a simple manner. I think the style itself immediately determines whether you will like the stories or not.
Personally I found the simplicity charming and quite in character to what I have come to understand about writing amongst South East Asian countries and writers. Not intending to generalize here, but it is definitely a recurring theme I have come across on several occasions now and I really appreciate the pared back writing.
I found the stories relatable and easy to get immersed in, which is such an important aspect (for me at least) for short stories to hook you from the onset. I enjoyed the Lao nuance to the stories and while I can’t really say I felt transported, I did appreciate the frequent touches that reminded me we were in Laos, such as the frangipani trees, markets and rural customs.
While this probably won’t set your world on fire, it’s quite a lovely little collection of uncluttered stories with subtle reminders about being a decent human being. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5.
July 19, 2023
The introduction was very interesting, summarising the history of literature in Laos as well as the importance of the Outhine Bounyavnng. The stories themselves were good, no high literature, but they were interesting. Some definitely contained moral values, which makes sense considering the author purposely kept the language simple, printed them himself and distributed them manually to the people, e.g. the story about a girl who stole a silver belt and returned it due to a guilty conscience (Wrapped-Ash Delight). Other stories contained social criticism, e.g. a story about trees that were felled by the municipality and replanted by the locals (Frangipani), anti-war sentiments (A Voice from the Plain of Jars), and even female perspectives to the revolution (What a Beauty).
I liked the short stories best that had plot twists, such as a man watching a basketball game who got the ticket for free, and didn’t bring enough to donate to the (pretty!) female players when they came to collect (A Seat in the Grandstand). ‘Dic and Daeng’, the story about two rival family dogs fighting over food scraps, is a metaphor for the behaviour of political groups - my understanding of this metaphor was helped by the introduction.
Overall, worth a read for anyone interested in Laos!
I liked the short stories best that had plot twists, such as a man watching a basketball game who got the ticket for free, and didn’t bring enough to donate to the (pretty!) female players when they came to collect (A Seat in the Grandstand). ‘Dic and Daeng’, the story about two rival family dogs fighting over food scraps, is a metaphor for the behaviour of political groups - my understanding of this metaphor was helped by the introduction.
Overall, worth a read for anyone interested in Laos!
March 9, 2022
Veel van deze verhalen zijn echte pareltjes, omwille van hun eenvoud en schoonheid, des te meer gezien tegen de achtergrond van het pijnlijke en gewelddadige verleden van dit land.
Naar mijn gevoel hebben mensen die deze bundel een negatieve kritiek geven, echt niet goed begrepen wat een Aziatische cultuur is, wat het betekent gekolonialiseerd te zijn, wat een land is dat door oorlog verscheurd werd...
Je voelt de vrede en de rust als je zittend aan de rand van een rijstveld naar de overvliegende vogels kijkt... en dan de koude ontreddering voor de plastic afvalvervuiling in de rivier en de komst van "zakenlieden" met geweren die er prat op gaan diezelfde vogels uit de lucht te knallen... of de gevolgen van de zware Amerikaanse bombardementen tijdens de Indochinese oorlog in de Vallei der Kruiken waar het leven van de bewoners nog dagelijks in gevaar is door de 80 miljoen achtergebleven niet-ontplofte clusterbommen.
Alles in deze verhalen draait om menselijke gevoelens en ik kan enkel maar wensen dat er meer werk van deze auteur en, wie weet, van andere auteurs uit Laos vertaald mocht zijn.
Naar mijn gevoel hebben mensen die deze bundel een negatieve kritiek geven, echt niet goed begrepen wat een Aziatische cultuur is, wat het betekent gekolonialiseerd te zijn, wat een land is dat door oorlog verscheurd werd...
Je voelt de vrede en de rust als je zittend aan de rand van een rijstveld naar de overvliegende vogels kijkt... en dan de koude ontreddering voor de plastic afvalvervuiling in de rivier en de komst van "zakenlieden" met geweren die er prat op gaan diezelfde vogels uit de lucht te knallen... of de gevolgen van de zware Amerikaanse bombardementen tijdens de Indochinese oorlog in de Vallei der Kruiken waar het leven van de bewoners nog dagelijks in gevaar is door de 80 miljoen achtergebleven niet-ontplofte clusterbommen.
Alles in deze verhalen draait om menselijke gevoelens en ik kan enkel maar wensen dat er meer werk van deze auteur en, wie weet, van andere auteurs uit Laos vertaald mocht zijn.
December 4, 2025
Fortunately, I liked the short story collection much better than I anticipated. For starters, I found the book’s preface giving an overview of Lao literature quite helpful.
The short stories themselves give an insight into Lao culture. One of the stories illustrates differences between living in the countryside and the capital when two cousins get to meet each other.
In other texts the focus is on environmental issues like littering and not respecting Nature. But also kindness, moral issues and social status play a role. There are stories depicting Laos at war: an injured soldier coming home and Lao refugees returning to their province after war. The latter haven’t been warned about the state of their land and the dangers of unexploded ordnances (UXO). Before going to Laos I had no idea that there were so many explosives left in the country due to the Vietnam War and I’m glad the author brings the problem to light in his writing.
Having recently travelled to Laos‘ capital Vientiane it was easier to picture the stories, but I believe it’s a worthwhile read in general. I’d recommend getting some information about the history of the country first for better context.
Interestingly, in Bounyavong‘s book the stories are printed in Lao and English, so you’ll get an impression of the Lao alphabet. Additionally, the stories provide footnotes for terms one isn’t familiar with. Sadly, the name of the translator isn’t mentioned.
The short stories themselves give an insight into Lao culture. One of the stories illustrates differences between living in the countryside and the capital when two cousins get to meet each other.
In other texts the focus is on environmental issues like littering and not respecting Nature. But also kindness, moral issues and social status play a role. There are stories depicting Laos at war: an injured soldier coming home and Lao refugees returning to their province after war. The latter haven’t been warned about the state of their land and the dangers of unexploded ordnances (UXO). Before going to Laos I had no idea that there were so many explosives left in the country due to the Vietnam War and I’m glad the author brings the problem to light in his writing.
Having recently travelled to Laos‘ capital Vientiane it was easier to picture the stories, but I believe it’s a worthwhile read in general. I’d recommend getting some information about the history of the country first for better context.
Interestingly, in Bounyavong‘s book the stories are printed in Lao and English, so you’ll get an impression of the Lao alphabet. Additionally, the stories provide footnotes for terms one isn’t familiar with. Sadly, the name of the translator isn’t mentioned.
May 14, 2021
Laosz. Életképek a XX. századi Délkelet-Ázsiából.
Világolvasásra minden szempontból teljesen alkalmas kiadvány. Nemcsak a szerző életművéből ad válogatást, hanem egy kor és kultúra lenyomatát is őrzi. Megjeleníti az alantas és hétköznapi konfliktusokat (mégpedig allegorikus-politikai értelemmel), a korrupciót, a kiközösítést éppen úgy, mint a jelenlegi laoszi kormány ízlésének megfelelő helyzeteket. Amelyekben a munkás és a paraszt rendszerint jó vagy „megjavítható”, belenyugszik a saját helyzetébe, vagy önzetlenül segít a másikon; a gazdag és/vagy külföldi kapitalista viszont jobb esetben képmutató és arrogáns, rosszabb esetben gyilkos, aki közönnyel öl vagy nyomorít, és még a büntetést is megússza. Nincs okom bánni, hogy most már belülről látom, hogyan gondolkodik egy laoszi. Akkor se, ha a novellák egy része nem nyújt túlzott esztétikai élményt.
Továbbiak a blogon:
https://gyujtogeto-alkoto.blog.hu/202...
Világolvasásra minden szempontból teljesen alkalmas kiadvány. Nemcsak a szerző életművéből ad válogatást, hanem egy kor és kultúra lenyomatát is őrzi. Megjeleníti az alantas és hétköznapi konfliktusokat (mégpedig allegorikus-politikai értelemmel), a korrupciót, a kiközösítést éppen úgy, mint a jelenlegi laoszi kormány ízlésének megfelelő helyzeteket. Amelyekben a munkás és a paraszt rendszerint jó vagy „megjavítható”, belenyugszik a saját helyzetébe, vagy önzetlenül segít a másikon; a gazdag és/vagy külföldi kapitalista viszont jobb esetben képmutató és arrogáns, rosszabb esetben gyilkos, aki közönnyel öl vagy nyomorít, és még a büntetést is megússza. Nincs okom bánni, hogy most már belülről látom, hogyan gondolkodik egy laoszi. Akkor se, ha a novellák egy része nem nyújt túlzott esztétikai élményt.
Továbbiak a blogon:
https://gyujtogeto-alkoto.blog.hu/202...
May 30, 2022
121📗🇱🇦LAOS🇱🇦I found this collection of short stories by #outhinebounyavong at @universityofwellington press when I was researching Asia for this #readingworldtour. He is a well-known writer and public servant and this collection is translated from Laos, in fact, every alternate page has the beautiful Laotian script. I’m not sure if it’s the translator or his own writing style but the writing is sadly rather bland, repetitive and, well, dull😞I’ve got one more book lined up for Laos before I head into Vietnam and Thailand. #🌏📚#readingworldtour2021 #readtheworld #worldliterature #readingworldliterature #reading #readingwomenchallenge #readersofinstagram #readmorebooks #bookstagram #booklover #book #booknerd #bibliophile #travel #travelogue #fiction #nonfiction #nonfictionreads #travelbooks #ayearofreadingaroundtheworld #laos #laotianliterature #translatedliterature
April 1, 2023
I picked this up during my Laos trip in the fall but only just read it, and I’m so glad I did. Outhine writes about both before and after the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) came to power, the only political party in Laos. His stories are written in simple language but have big impact, which are my favorite kind of short story (looking at Hemingway, problematic writer whose short stories I love).
They are notable for featuring everyday people in Laos, rather than influential or upper class people. They do occasionally veer into propaganda territory, but if you read closely, you can often see slight critiques in them as well.
Outhine is the first Lao writer to be translated into English, but I hope there will be more coming. Laos is a beautiful country slowly modernizing and I think folks in the West need more exposure to its wonderful culture and people.
They are notable for featuring everyday people in Laos, rather than influential or upper class people. They do occasionally veer into propaganda territory, but if you read closely, you can often see slight critiques in them as well.
Outhine is the first Lao writer to be translated into English, but I hope there will be more coming. Laos is a beautiful country slowly modernizing and I think folks in the West need more exposure to its wonderful culture and people.
October 31, 2020
This is a book of short stories. One side of the page is writing in the Laos language, and the other translated into English. They are stories of ordinary people doing ordinary things in Laos. You get a peek into the day to day living in Laos.
This was a pretty good book. Some of the short stories end abruptly leaving you wanting for more. I do find that with short stories, though, so maybe it is was should be expected. The are entertaining and hold your interest, and give you some insight into life in Laos. A charming little book I am glad to add to my Read The World collection.
This was a pretty good book. Some of the short stories end abruptly leaving you wanting for more. I do find that with short stories, though, so maybe it is was should be expected. The are entertaining and hold your interest, and give you some insight into life in Laos. A charming little book I am glad to add to my Read The World collection.
May 1, 2025
Desafío "Leyendo a través de Asia": Laos (créditos a Lee (Books With Lee)).
Se trata del primer libro del país traducido al inglés (aunque existen otros que han sido traducidos a otros idiomas, como el ruso o el francés). El libro es interesante, entretenido e informativo.
El primer tercio del libro son pequeños ensayos que dan un marco histórico del país, de una manera muy resumida.
Los relatos en si son historias muy cortas, prácticamente fábulas con moraleja sobre los usos, costumbres y mentalidad del país, que para mí resultó lo más interesante del libro.
Se trata del primer libro del país traducido al inglés (aunque existen otros que han sido traducidos a otros idiomas, como el ruso o el francés). El libro es interesante, entretenido e informativo.
El primer tercio del libro son pequeños ensayos que dan un marco histórico del país, de una manera muy resumida.
Los relatos en si son historias muy cortas, prácticamente fábulas con moraleja sobre los usos, costumbres y mentalidad del país, que para mí resultó lo más interesante del libro.
July 22, 2021
While Bounyavong's work is important in that it opens up the the accessibility of Laotian literature to an English-reading audience, the stories were all over the place. The only one I enjoyed was "Longing," which is a brief but powerful story about the importance of the mother/motherhood in Laotian culture.
August 4, 2021
Global Read 160: Laos
These are less like short stories and more like morality tales/fables. That makes them kind of dull and predictable. They are really heavy handed. The intro to the book about Laotian history and the bio of the author were both interesting. It was also cool to have the stories told side by side in English and Laotian.
These are less like short stories and more like morality tales/fables. That makes them kind of dull and predictable. They are really heavy handed. The intro to the book about Laotian history and the bio of the author were both interesting. It was also cool to have the stories told side by side in English and Laotian.
February 18, 2023
Laos. Simple, moralistic tales from the country. Why you should pick up litter, plant trees, revere your mother… One story dealt with unexploded bombs left from the war that still maim villagers today. Government officials are portrayed as corrupt and simple people as virtuous. This is the only book written in Lao translated into English that I could find.
February 22, 2023
I really enjoyed these short stories and found them very insightful and helpful in understanding cultural values and worldview of Lao nationals. The overview of Laos literature in the introduction was fascinating.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews