What do you think?
Rate this book
The Tale of Khun Chang Khun Phaen
Siam's folk epic of love, war, and tragedy
The Tale of Khun Chang Khun Phaen is one of the most famous works of old Thai literature. The plot is a love story, set against a background of war, and ending in high tragedy. This folk epic was first developed in oral form for popular performance with lashings of romance, adventure, violence, farce, and magic. It was later adopted by the Siamese court and written down, with two kings contributing. This first-ever translation is based on Prince Damrong's standard edition of 1917-18, with over a hundred passages recovered from earlier versions.
The English translation is written in lively prose, completely annotated, with over four hundred original line drawings and an afterword explaining the work's historical background, social context, and poetic style. The main volume presents the entire poem in translation. The companion volume contains alternative chapters and extensions, Prince Damrong's prefaces, and reference lists of Thai terms. The volumes are available separately or as a slipcased set.
According to the leading Thai linguist William Gedney, "If all other information on traditional Thai culture were to be lost, the whole complex could be reconstructed from this marvelous text."
The Tale of Khun Chang Khun Phaen is one of the most famous works of old Thai literature. The plot is a love story, set against a background of war, and ending in high tragedy. This folk epic was first developed in oral form for popular performance with lashings of romance, adventure, violence, farce, and magic. It was later adopted by the Siamese court and written down, with two kings contributing. This first-ever translation is based on Prince Damrong's standard edition of 1917-18, with over a hundred passages recovered from earlier versions.
The English translation is written in lively prose, completely annotated, with over four hundred original line drawings and an afterword explaining the work's historical background, social context, and poetic style. The main volume presents the entire poem in translation. The companion volume contains alternative chapters and extensions, Prince Damrong's prefaces, and reference lists of Thai terms. The volumes are available separately or as a slipcased set.
According to the leading Thai linguist William Gedney, "If all other information on traditional Thai culture were to be lost, the whole complex could be reconstructed from this marvelous text."
960 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2010
4 people are currently reading
239 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 18, 2018
Good bedtime reading. Perhaps my favorite chapter relates the battle at Chiang Mai, but elsewhere, I was infuriated by the treatment of women and Khun Phaen's constant vulnerability to Khun Chang's schemes. The prose was often verbose, but I liked the descriptions of food and nature (particularly amusing when the latter served as a metaphor for sex) as well as the line drawings of Muangsing Janchai.
March 28, 2022
I found this an enjoyable and fascinating read not just for the story, but also for its insights into the milieu of the day and, by default, the evolution of prevailing attitudes and behavior in modern-day Thailand.
The prolific footnotes should not be skipped as they provide a detailed context of rituals, dress codes, behavior, and superstitions.
The battle scenes are stupendous! So fast-moving and brutal. I could envisage the clashes. Next time you see someone dripping in amulets, covered in tattoos, attending the spirit house, getting a new car blessed, or carrying luk thep (child angel dolls) know that it's not just art, style or trendiness that's motivating them.
For a love triangle, the two male protagonists come across as manipulative misogynists. Their mode of seduction, using magic or force, would be rape in modern parlance. But the setting is in days of yore, and the storytellers are men. I do wonder, however, how much attitudes have changed. Their love interest is a pretty prize who's tragically caught between the two through no fault of her own.
Depictions of the King of Ayutthaya are brilliant. If they weren't derived from scenes that have evolved from oral folklore, one could imagine they portray the present-day court.
No spoilers, but the hypocrisy of the rationale for the penalty imposed on the heroine is breathtaking. I wonder if the irony escaped the original authors or is simply reflective of a patriarchal world.
Kudos and thank you to the translators and illustrator for their monumental and brilliantly executed work. I'm glad I was able to read it in prose and not verse, although my Thai literacy would never be up to the original.
The prolific footnotes should not be skipped as they provide a detailed context of rituals, dress codes, behavior, and superstitions.
The battle scenes are stupendous! So fast-moving and brutal. I could envisage the clashes. Next time you see someone dripping in amulets, covered in tattoos, attending the spirit house, getting a new car blessed, or carrying luk thep (child angel dolls) know that it's not just art, style or trendiness that's motivating them.
For a love triangle, the two male protagonists come across as manipulative misogynists. Their mode of seduction, using magic or force, would be rape in modern parlance. But the setting is in days of yore, and the storytellers are men. I do wonder, however, how much attitudes have changed. Their love interest is a pretty prize who's tragically caught between the two through no fault of her own.
Depictions of the King of Ayutthaya are brilliant. If they weren't derived from scenes that have evolved from oral folklore, one could imagine they portray the present-day court.
No spoilers, but the hypocrisy of the rationale for the penalty imposed on the heroine is breathtaking. I wonder if the irony escaped the original authors or is simply reflective of a patriarchal world.
Kudos and thank you to the translators and illustrator for their monumental and brilliantly executed work. I'm glad I was able to read it in prose and not verse, although my Thai literacy would never be up to the original.
May 29, 2024
"If all other information on traditional Thai culture were to be lost, the whole complex could be reconstructed from this marvellous text"
I found this book not only very enjoyable, but also an endless source of insights on Thai culture that helped me better understand today’s Thai society…roles and relationships, hierarchies, emotional responses to life’s struggles…religion, fears, superstitions.. food, drinks, drugs, dressing styles and so much more
I found this book not only very enjoyable, but also an endless source of insights on Thai culture that helped me better understand today’s Thai society…roles and relationships, hierarchies, emotional responses to life’s struggles…religion, fears, superstitions.. food, drinks, drugs, dressing styles and so much more
Want to read
November 15, 2025Two men, Khun Chang and Khun Phaen, are rivals in love, both desirous of the lovely Wanthong. Although Khun Chang is wealthy, he is homely, bald, uncouth, and fat, while Khun Phaen, who was born poor, has become a glorious military hero who also is handsome, knowledgeable about women, and versed in the magic arts.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews