What do you think?
Rate this book
Ati
An Indonesian pirate is abandoned in Bangkok where she and a Thai sculptor, plagued by a mysterious curse, try to uncover the secret of a black box. A magic realism eNovella in the tradition of a Shakespearean romance.
55 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 6, 2011
26 people want to read
About the author
Scott B. Robinson
3 books6 followersScott B Robinson writes and plays chess in Asheville, North Carolina. Learn more at fireandart.net.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 18, 2013
Book Info: Genre: Short-story anthology/Magical Realism
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: those who enjoy magical, lyrical short stories
Trigger Warnings: murder
My Thoughts: First of all, my apologies to the author. I've had this book for almost two years and just hadn't read it yet. I had originally planned to take these books as I received them, but found that just wasn't realistic, as I would find myself just not in the mood for something, which can adversely affect my opinion, so I gave myself permission to just read what appealed to me at the moment. So, sorry it's taken so long!
At any rate, like the previous book I read, this was an anthology of short stories. Each takes place in Bangkok. The language is lovely, lyrical and beautiful to read, although any plot is mostly hidden underneath symbolism and subterfuge. The underlying theme is a set of strange and mystical boxes; they spread through all the stories in the set.
There's not much I can say about the book because with short stories you can't really discuss the plot or story arc or character development. But if you enjoy stories that blend beautiful language with mysterious symbolism, you should like this book. I certainly enjoyed reading it.
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this e-book from the author in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.
Synopsis: Supernatural forces and secret societies descend on modern Bangkok as a series of mysterious black boxes surface into the lives of five remarkable individuals in this magic realism collection of five short stories. As this cross-genre piece modulates through elements of the psychological mystery, horror, the thriller, the detective mystery, adventure and romance, it explores classic Western themes—the Fall, the Temptation, Pandora’s box—in an Eastern setting. The book is ultimately a study of the human obsession with the unknown.
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: those who enjoy magical, lyrical short stories
Trigger Warnings: murder
My Thoughts: First of all, my apologies to the author. I've had this book for almost two years and just hadn't read it yet. I had originally planned to take these books as I received them, but found that just wasn't realistic, as I would find myself just not in the mood for something, which can adversely affect my opinion, so I gave myself permission to just read what appealed to me at the moment. So, sorry it's taken so long!
At any rate, like the previous book I read, this was an anthology of short stories. Each takes place in Bangkok. The language is lovely, lyrical and beautiful to read, although any plot is mostly hidden underneath symbolism and subterfuge. The underlying theme is a set of strange and mystical boxes; they spread through all the stories in the set.
There's not much I can say about the book because with short stories you can't really discuss the plot or story arc or character development. But if you enjoy stories that blend beautiful language with mysterious symbolism, you should like this book. I certainly enjoyed reading it.
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this e-book from the author in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.
Synopsis: Supernatural forces and secret societies descend on modern Bangkok as a series of mysterious black boxes surface into the lives of five remarkable individuals in this magic realism collection of five short stories. As this cross-genre piece modulates through elements of the psychological mystery, horror, the thriller, the detective mystery, adventure and romance, it explores classic Western themes—the Fall, the Temptation, Pandora’s box—in an Eastern setting. The book is ultimately a study of the human obsession with the unknown.
February 6, 2012
Ati by Scott B. Robinson is not a full novel, at a little over 20k words, it is a novella. Short and sweet and a quick read, it still provides a comparable story arc to a much larger full-length novel. There is some conflict, there is mystery, there is romance, and there is heartbreak.
Ati is a modern day pirate from Indonesia and through the course of a cruise ship raid gone wrong and a mysterious box, finds herself stranded in Bangkok. She doesn’t speak a word of Thai, but through the magic of body language and signs, she is able to form a strong bond with a Thai artist named Pravat. They are connected in more ways than they know.
Beautifully written in language that draws you in, this is a story that should not be missed. The price cannot be beat … and now I have an urge to visit Bangkok myself.
Available for FREE at Smashwords.com!
Ati is a modern day pirate from Indonesia and through the course of a cruise ship raid gone wrong and a mysterious box, finds herself stranded in Bangkok. She doesn’t speak a word of Thai, but through the magic of body language and signs, she is able to form a strong bond with a Thai artist named Pravat. They are connected in more ways than they know.
Beautifully written in language that draws you in, this is a story that should not be missed. The price cannot be beat … and now I have an urge to visit Bangkok myself.
Available for FREE at Smashwords.com!
July 16, 2011
Like Balzac on ya-ba...
The stories' is an admittedly lyric narrative style. In a way, I, the author, hoped to mirror classical Thai art, which to my mind is a predominantly two-dimensional, highly-stylized, highly-ornate art. It also strikes me as an art-form that can moreover transport one to something like a different state of mind and to different worlds.
The reader will see how various types of art play central roles in most the tales included. My idea was to examine art in general from a literary style paying homage to both Eastern and Western traditions.
I do not think the work will appeal to a great number of readers, but I do believe it will at least intrigue a certain few...
The stories' is an admittedly lyric narrative style. In a way, I, the author, hoped to mirror classical Thai art, which to my mind is a predominantly two-dimensional, highly-stylized, highly-ornate art. It also strikes me as an art-form that can moreover transport one to something like a different state of mind and to different worlds.
The reader will see how various types of art play central roles in most the tales included. My idea was to examine art in general from a literary style paying homage to both Eastern and Western traditions.
I do not think the work will appeal to a great number of readers, but I do believe it will at least intrigue a certain few...
November 27, 2011
This was a good book I am not sure I fully understood all of it but I did enjoy reading Ati. The plot was well written with fully developed characters. I will admit it was a little weird but it could just me me. Still it was a good interesting book that was well written.
September 25, 2011
A Good Book Alert Review (http://goodbookalert.blogspot.com)
Divine City: Bangkok Fantasies
Author: Scott B. Robinson
Genre: Literary Magic Realism
Rating: 4.5 Stars
While it's dense lyrical style and heavy Thai symbolism may not be fully accessible to all readers, Divine City: Bangkok Fantasies is a fascinating thematic exploration of human nature, obsession, and the city of Bangkok itself.
Summary:
In Bangkok, five individuals each separately encounter mysterious black boxes and people destined to change their lives.
Review:
Temptation. Obsession. Love. Friendship. The desires and feelings that drive humans are universal, but the individual interface for everyone is different. Divine City: Bangkok ultimately is about exploration of these sorts of themes, both on the individual level, and, on a greater level how they are reflected in certain aspects of Thai culture and the city of Bangkok. Indeed, enough attention is paid to setting and the different parts of Bangkok that the city itself almost becomes a sixth character.
This is expressed by five short stories focused on different characters. The stories are connected through the presence of a mysterious black box that carries more symbolic than true plot importance. That's something important to note. Ultimately this collection is a thematic and psychological exploration rather than a true, complete part of act. Many of the tales do not provide complete conclusions to the tales they raise. While I personally found the psychology and thematic elements to be far more interesting than some pat explanation for the events unfolding, I also could easily see how it might frustrate some readers.
The stories vary on the type of characters and situation they present and range from intense emotional studies on loss to stories of mystery and obsession. There are subtle magical realist elements weaved throughout that provide a touch of mystery and fascination without overwhelming the characters or themes.
The author employs a very dense lyrical style. Scenes are described in exquisite detail. Normally, I dislike dense description and find it distracting. In this case of this collection, however, the lyrical style in combination with the description and the story flow worked well to establish atmosphere that enhanced both the character development and thematic introspection. The density of detail, though, necessitates a bit more attention than your average story.
The author employs a frame narrative device involving a storyteller that I found to be one of his few missteps. Although there are a few interesting asides offered by the narrator for the most part his presence is inconsistent enough that his occasional entrance into the narrative ends up being more distracting than anything.
Though various traditional Western themes are dealt with in Divine City: Bangkok Fantasies and one of the stories does focus on a Westerner, the entire collection is heavily steeped in both Theravada Buddhist and general Thai symbolism and culture. As much as I loved those elements, I can easily see that a reader less familiar with such elements may have trouble fully appreciating many details of these stories and potentially confused. So, there is a bit of a accessibility issue.
Overall, I found this collection to be a fascinating exploration of human nature, Thai culture, and the city of Bangkok.
4.5 Stars
Divine City: Bangkok Fantasies
Author: Scott B. Robinson
Genre: Literary Magic Realism
Rating: 4.5 Stars
While it's dense lyrical style and heavy Thai symbolism may not be fully accessible to all readers, Divine City: Bangkok Fantasies is a fascinating thematic exploration of human nature, obsession, and the city of Bangkok itself.
Summary:
In Bangkok, five individuals each separately encounter mysterious black boxes and people destined to change their lives.
Review:
Temptation. Obsession. Love. Friendship. The desires and feelings that drive humans are universal, but the individual interface for everyone is different. Divine City: Bangkok ultimately is about exploration of these sorts of themes, both on the individual level, and, on a greater level how they are reflected in certain aspects of Thai culture and the city of Bangkok. Indeed, enough attention is paid to setting and the different parts of Bangkok that the city itself almost becomes a sixth character.
This is expressed by five short stories focused on different characters. The stories are connected through the presence of a mysterious black box that carries more symbolic than true plot importance. That's something important to note. Ultimately this collection is a thematic and psychological exploration rather than a true, complete part of act. Many of the tales do not provide complete conclusions to the tales they raise. While I personally found the psychology and thematic elements to be far more interesting than some pat explanation for the events unfolding, I also could easily see how it might frustrate some readers.
The stories vary on the type of characters and situation they present and range from intense emotional studies on loss to stories of mystery and obsession. There are subtle magical realist elements weaved throughout that provide a touch of mystery and fascination without overwhelming the characters or themes.
The author employs a very dense lyrical style. Scenes are described in exquisite detail. Normally, I dislike dense description and find it distracting. In this case of this collection, however, the lyrical style in combination with the description and the story flow worked well to establish atmosphere that enhanced both the character development and thematic introspection. The density of detail, though, necessitates a bit more attention than your average story.
The author employs a frame narrative device involving a storyteller that I found to be one of his few missteps. Although there are a few interesting asides offered by the narrator for the most part his presence is inconsistent enough that his occasional entrance into the narrative ends up being more distracting than anything.
Though various traditional Western themes are dealt with in Divine City: Bangkok Fantasies and one of the stories does focus on a Westerner, the entire collection is heavily steeped in both Theravada Buddhist and general Thai symbolism and culture. As much as I loved those elements, I can easily see that a reader less familiar with such elements may have trouble fully appreciating many details of these stories and potentially confused. So, there is a bit of a accessibility issue.
Overall, I found this collection to be a fascinating exploration of human nature, Thai culture, and the city of Bangkok.
4.5 Stars
August 12, 2011
I can safely say I've never read anything like Divine City: Bangkok Fantasies before. Written in formal style and in short story format, it's a collection of five interconnected stories set in (you probably guessed) Bangkok.
Each story is unique and reflects different facets of Thai culture mixed with Western stories. My personal favorite was "Band of the Hand," as the detective story aspects reminded me of John Burdett's Sonchai Jitpleecheep novels, also set in Thailand with strong magical realism elements.
The stories are incredibly detailed and there's a lot to digest in each one, so close attention to detail is important. This collection may not be for everyone, as the plot isn't afraid to meander and to take its time coming together in each story. The connections between the stories, likewise, aren't always immediately visible, and I had to go back and reread sections a couple of times before I was satisfied and ready to move on.
This isn't a book that I would have picked up on my own, I don't think, but I'm glad I got the chance to experience it. I don't read enough short stories so it was nice to be back in the saddle.
Each story is unique and reflects different facets of Thai culture mixed with Western stories. My personal favorite was "Band of the Hand," as the detective story aspects reminded me of John Burdett's Sonchai Jitpleecheep novels, also set in Thailand with strong magical realism elements.
The stories are incredibly detailed and there's a lot to digest in each one, so close attention to detail is important. This collection may not be for everyone, as the plot isn't afraid to meander and to take its time coming together in each story. The connections between the stories, likewise, aren't always immediately visible, and I had to go back and reread sections a couple of times before I was satisfied and ready to move on.
This isn't a book that I would have picked up on my own, I don't think, but I'm glad I got the chance to experience it. I don't read enough short stories so it was nice to be back in the saddle.
January 28, 2013
This review is for the Kindle edition ebook.
A romantic adventure that left me wondering what happened.
The story of a young woman, who is a pirate in a man’s world. A story of romance and adventure in far-away places.
While I found the story quite good, there were too many errors in grammar and punctuation in this book. The mistakes were enough to cause me to completely the train of thought. One example of this was the use of the word “we’re” when the context clearly called for “were”. As I read, I notice the spelling mistakes and grammar mistakes. There are enough in this book to distract me.
If the goal of Ati is to entertain, it does fulfill that mission nicely. It is short enough to read in an evening, and yet interesting enough to entertain the reader. I am drawn to interesting, well written stories. I find this author’s writing interesting, and would like to read more by him.
A romantic adventure that left me wondering what happened.
The story of a young woman, who is a pirate in a man’s world. A story of romance and adventure in far-away places.
While I found the story quite good, there were too many errors in grammar and punctuation in this book. The mistakes were enough to cause me to completely the train of thought. One example of this was the use of the word “we’re” when the context clearly called for “were”. As I read, I notice the spelling mistakes and grammar mistakes. There are enough in this book to distract me.
If the goal of Ati is to entertain, it does fulfill that mission nicely. It is short enough to read in an evening, and yet interesting enough to entertain the reader. I am drawn to interesting, well written stories. I find this author’s writing interesting, and would like to read more by him.
August 7, 2011
The first four stories were difficult for me to read. I couldn't find a reason to care about the characters or what was going on. I found myself frequently confused and felt bogged down by over-description.
The fifth and final story "Ati" is an entirely different ... story. (If you'll forgive me.) Apart from spending a little too much time (IMO) describing the city from Ati's perspective, the over-description is gone, as is the confusion. The resolution is satisfying, if depressing. Rating this story individually, I would give it four stars out of five.
See the in-depth review at: http://www.siftreviews.com/2011/08/di...
Review by: Sarah of Sift Book Reviews
Sift Book Reviews received a free copy for review from the author. This has, in no way, affected the reviewer's opinion.
The fifth and final story "Ati" is an entirely different ... story. (If you'll forgive me.) Apart from spending a little too much time (IMO) describing the city from Ati's perspective, the over-description is gone, as is the confusion. The resolution is satisfying, if depressing. Rating this story individually, I would give it four stars out of five.
See the in-depth review at: http://www.siftreviews.com/2011/08/di...
Review by: Sarah of Sift Book Reviews
Sift Book Reviews received a free copy for review from the author. This has, in no way, affected the reviewer's opinion.
June 19, 2013
This was part of a longer anthology by this author called
Divine City: Bangkok Fantasies
, and sort of tied together the meaning of the boxes in the earlier stories. By itself, it would be a rather lovely but tragic love story. See my review of the complete anthology here.
Read
August 15, 2011I read this book for Sift Book Reviews. Since I don't want to double up on ratings or reviews, you can see my review at http://www.siftreviews.com/2011/08/di...
May 6, 2012
Perhaps the favorite of my stories I've written to date.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews