The Monsoon Bride

by Michelle Aung Thin

Rangoon 1930. Winsome, raised in a convent and newly married to a man she barely knows, is full of anticipation as she travels towards the great metropolis. She does not know that Rangoon, this city cradled in the arms of rivers, is about to be torn apart in the struggle between its ancient owners and new masters. That it will seduce her, possess her senses and change utterly her notion of what kind of woman she can be.

When she meets Jonathan - when the monsoon comes - she begins to find out.

'Evokes a viscerally beautiful world and a heady journey into the consequences of love. A wonderful read.' Alice Pung

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction, Book Club

246 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Michelle Aung Thin is a novelist, essayist and senior lecturer at RMIT University and the author of several novels.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a while to get into this book. The style is self-consciously literary to the point of pretension and the languid feel that deliberately evokes the oppressive heat and stultifying societal pressures of the setting also slows the plot to a crawl. But once the relationship between the lovers began, the novel came to life for me. The writer perceptively captures the complexity of the adulterous relationship and, most importantly situates it in an even more complex social and political context. The unexpected intrusion of the political into the plot at the climax elevates the story from a generic tale of tragic passion into something more interesting and resonant.

The characters are thinly drawn, but effectively so, like simple sketches that capture the essence of these people without the need for realistic detail. I found their motivations frustratingly unclear and unconvincing at the start, but as the novel progressed, this disconnection between thought and action became more believable, a realistic depiction of the way we are all driven by irrational forces and trapped in pattern of behaviour. The title, with its evocation of people trapped into marriage by desire and the elemental forces of nature perfectly encapsulates the themes and plot.

It has the feel of a beautifully shot movie more than a novel – I can see this being made into a great film about steamy passions against a backdrop of political unrest, along the lines of the Year of Living Dangerously.

[Chelsea Dulieu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, this is the first novel for a really long time that I can say I flat-out did not enjoy.

I'm disappointed because I've actually had this book on my shelf for AGES and finally just got around to reading it. Normally if I get a bit iffy on a story I can find one character, a setting, just one scene in the tale to salvage it but in this instance I have to be honest in saying there was nothing in it for me. I hate saying that, I really do.

Why? It was a mixture of things for me. There was certainly no connection that I found with any of the characters. In fact, I found every single one to be un-likeable. I was also not a huge fan of the writing style - there were pieces of information just completely left out that I assume were meant to be more implied than anything. Don't get me wrong, not everything has to be spelled out bit by bit and there's a lot to be said about a bit of mystery but for me, it just didn't work. Information was missing and that's exactly what it felt like.

Most of all, the worst thing was that I just never found the want to pick it up and keep reading it. If you don't have that, what do you have?

Our main character is Winsome. We meet her on a train headed to Rangoon with her new husband Desmond, a stranger. At first we follow them as they find their way in their unfamiliar new home. Desmond has been sent here for work and is desperate to portray the right appearance even if it is all a facade.

I would go so far as to say that our real main character is Rangoon itself. The way we are given such in-depth descriptions and they way it has such an effect on its inhabitants that it is almost like a living being.

We are also introduced to Dr Jonathan Grace, one of Desmond's colleagues. Grace is a bit hard to work out and almost comes in to the story as the good guy we are hoping for but is also doomed to the unredeeming qualities of his peers.

I wouldn't say too much more for fear of being a 'spoiler alert' so just be prepared for a cluster of characters who display bad behaviour on the regular with only the most shallow - if any - hint of remorse. Not to much of an ending to speak of either. Now that is not to say it won't be loved by some, all I can say it was not one for the top shelf for me.

[Mallee Stanley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Winsome is an innocent girl brought up in a Catholic orphanage during British rule in Burma. She begins a new life in Rangoon married to Desmond. He is an opinionated, domineering husband who insists on having his own way and Winsome bends to his will. But when Desmond invites his colleague from the hospital, Johnathan, for tea, Winsome discovers a different person evolves beneath her skin.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book...such beautiful imagery and moods.

[Kat Ashworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite a unique book in the style it’s written and the story lines it entwines. Strong imagery.

[Angela Long (Carter) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Set in Rangoon, Burma in the lead up to the 1930 riots. The book promises all the mystery and steaminess that is Burma and there are moments when you feel exactly what the author was intending. Like the novel's setting, the language also promised so much, being both poetic and lush. Unfortuntely for so much promise the novel simply didn't deliver. The story jumped around in places and yet was drawn out in others. The plot line seemed to change in the middle of the book and the Rangoon riots, although being alluded to, were never fully explored. It was a book that you were never really compelled to pick up and continue.

[Alison Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great debut! Michelle Aung Thin is a very talented writer and clearly perfected her craft before publishing this first novel. Every paragraph was relevant, every sentence thoughtful. Great descriptive style and captivating prose. There are twists and turns and the story is not predictable, which keeps the reader interested. It takes time to get to know the characters, but this makes them intriguing. I thought the ending was completely realistic and appropriate. It was exactly as it should be. It left the story lingering in your mind. A great read.

[Wonderkell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did enjoy this book, it was well written in terms of the story, but I did find it very difficult in the end to like any of the characters. Life is not straight forward, yes, but the way these characters treat each other is very cruel. And there is no real ending either. It was very up in the air & I'm left feeling disappointed.

[Ann Tonks · Rating 3 out of 5]

The most richly written character in this book is Rangoon. It's buildings, its water flows, its smells, its culture are brilliantly recreated. On the other hand, the "bride" herself is much less clear in terms of motivation and character. However, each step along the journey which might be predictable turns out not to be and one was engaged to the end.

[Christel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book just because it is not straight forward. The female character is quite convincing, even if she is not doing 'the right thing'. It is not an easy reading, but I kept thinking about it some time after finishing.

[Roztheoz · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK but got a bit frustrated with its pace and then I felt that the ending just wasn't enough.

[Lesley Knight · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring!

[Ranjana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written with sensuous prose and not a bad story. The Rangoon colonial 1930’s setting is very much a key ingredient to the exoticness of this book.