Four Reigns

Four Reigns #1-2

by Kukrit Pramoj, คึกฤทธิ์ ปราโมช, Tulachandra (Translator)

Four Reigns (Si Phaendin), M.R. Kukrit's longest and best-known novel, is the rich and entertaining story of the life of Phloi and her family, both inside and outside palace walls. The story unfolds during the reign of King Chulalongkorn (King Rama V) in the closing years of the 1800s, ending in the mid 1940s with the death of his grandson, King Ananda Mahidol (King Rama VIII). Over a span of four reigns, we see the lives of minor courtiers under the absolute monarchy and watch the huge social and political changes that Thailand experienced as it opened itself up to international contact. We follow the characters against the historical backdrops of the 1932 revolution, the new constitutional monarchy, the growing Japanese presence in Thailand, the outbreak of World War II, and the Allied bombing raids on Bangkok. Through the lives and relationships of Phloi and her husband and children, we experience modern Thai history in an intimate and personal way, garnering new insights into the sensibilities of an era.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Asia, Classics, Asian Literature, Travel, Literary Fiction

600 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1953

About the author

Associated Names:
* คึกฤทธิ์ ปราโมช

Reviews

[Subvert · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I have been living here in Bangkok for over half a year now, I noticed I hadn’t read any Thai literature at all. I came across this book on a friend’s bookshelf and figured I might as well read it. I already had my preconceptions on the book before I started reading. It’s a classic in Thailand that has been turned in several theatre-plays, movies and tv-series. As the monarchy is constantly in the background throughout the book (Four Reigns referring to the reigns of four different Kings), which is a very sensitive topic here and impossible to criticize, I already knew that the book basically had to be royalist propaganda. But this in itself could make for an interesting read, seeing how the Thai history is written down in novel form in the way the Thai establishment wants you to understand it. Especially when it includes the death of King Ananda Mahidol (Rama VIII), who died as an 18-year old in an “accident” with a gun-shot in his head. This death has never been clarified, although this didn’t stop three servants from being executed on charges of conspiracy to kill the King. This incident becomes even more interesting when you take into account that the author, Kukrit Pramoj, was an important politician himself at the time. His brother Seni Pramoj, who basically became the first Thai Prime-Minister after WW2 just a few years earlier, played a prominent role in the aftermath of the King’s death, as he accused then current Prime-Minister Pridi Banomyong (a socialist) for being responsible for the King’s assassination, which is by all accounts extremely implausible. The Pramoj brothers, royal descendents of Rama II and part of the then newly founded Democrat Party, cooperated a year later in a military coup to oust the government, which saw Seni Pramoj rewarded with a high position in the cabinet of the new government (that ironically was ousted by yet another military coup 112 days later).

With this background the book gets another dimension. It is not just a novel for entertainment, but it also promotes an ideology that corresponds with the political viewpoints (and interests) of the author, who was Prime-Minister himself for year in the turbulent Thai mid 70s. It’s the ideology of royalists and reactionary conservatives, that talk of freedom and democracy, but will gladly support a coup against an elected government when it threatens the established establishment (be it the socialist threats of the past or today’s Shinawatra family), yet carefully balancing between leftist populist sentiment from the people and the visible and less visible hands that interfere in Thai democracy to this day*. The short Prime-Minister terms of both the Pramoj brothers in the 70s are most illustrative of this, particularly Seni Pramoj’s last term as Prime-Minister in 1976, in which he was ousted (again) a day after the Thammasat Massacre. Since Thailand became ‘democratic’ in 1932 it has seen 17 different constitutions and over 20 mostly bloodless coup d’états, with more than once the military doing a self-coup against its own government.

This book explains how Thai people are meant to see the world. If Ayn Rand´s “Atlas Shrugged” defines an ideology that explains modern America with all its ruthless profiteering, then “Four Reigns” should be seen as the book that defines mainstream Thai ideology or “Thainess” as they call it. The basic tenets of this “Thainess” can be summarized as loyalty to the Nation, Religion, and the Monarchy. In 1981, Kukrit Pramoj writes in the preface of this English version of the original Thai book from 1953 that he hopes that those friends of Thailand who do not read Thai, will now “gain a little more understanding towards us”, implying that farang can never truly understand “Thainess”, which is also the common argument from many Thais when you are critically discussing the elephants in the room of Thai politics. And indeed, the book puts out a defense of the Thai ideology that you regularly run into when you live here. While it explains many specific details that were new to me, in general terms it confirmed more what I had already suspected. Rather that changing my outlook towards Thai society, it strengthened some of the more negative thoughts I already had.

The characters can be seen as caricatures, outlining the values that Kukrit Pramoj wants to either promote or put in a negative light. That is not to say that all the characters are flat and one-dimensional, at least not more so than other novels normally are, but the characters do tend to be the perfect stereotypes of their times and the values they hold. Some of the characters are extremely sympathetic, like the main-character Phloi for example. The story follows her life, as she is put into the Grand Palace as a 10 year old girl and later lives with together her high-society husband. The book basically explains Thai history in that period through Phloi’s eyes, mostly based on her relationships with the people around her.

Phloi portrays the ‘ideal’ Thai woman; she is perfect, beautiful and completely flawless throughout the book. At times the book almost reads as a guide on how to be a proper Thai woman, which of course comes down to fully sacrificing yourself to your husband at all costs: being there for him at all times; being a good cook; taking care of the kids all by your own; never holding your own opinion against him, keep it for yourself when you disagree with what he says; don’t dare to be insulted when he fathered a child without ever telling you; and to suggest him, when he feels depressed, to have more than one wife (or extra-marital affairs and massage parlor visits as it would be in modern Thailand); did your potential partner cheat on you? Fully forgive him in the sweetest of words (all these examples are from the book). Although things have thankfully changed quite a bit in Thailand, you can still recognize much of it. Some feminist emancipation is still drastically needed in this country.

Just as Phloi is written down as the ideal Thai woman of her times, she is also portrayed by Pramoj as extremely likeable. This trick of making all the characters that support Pramoj’s ideology pleasant and those opposing not-so-perfect is used throughout the book. All the royalists in the book are virtuous, while the bureaucrats that take control after the absolute monarchy is dissolved are all clumsy, self-interested and greedy. The characters of royal blood however, from the Kings (that are always at a distance) to a minor princess like Sadet, who adopts the young Phloi in the Grand Palace, are described as absolutely perfect and virtuous, devoid of any negative characteristics. They are all handsome, well-behaved, treating everyone with affection and being perfect dutiful servants towards their subjects. From time to time, one can overhear conversations of the King or Queen talking to commoners, knowing about all their personal issues. The Queen knowing the name of this peasant she had met many years ago, the King talking with this old farmer without teeth as if they were friends, “nothing too big or small for his wisdom and compassion”. It’s the classic propaganda that we in the West often ridicule, think of Kim Yung-il’s fieldtrips and the corresponding photo-ops. Thailand is however filled with similar photos and videos of King making fieldtrips to all corners of the country, inspecting the thousands of royal development projects, for which public accountability and assessment of success are of course completely out of question.

It's the basic outline of the Thai ideology in which all the politicians are seen as greedy and bad, while the royals are ‘above politics’ and keep the country on track. The King is the source of all that is good; he’s selfless, never smiling or enjoying earthly pleasure, but dedicating his life to improving the Thai nation. The (current) King is portrayed as a brilliant scientist telling politicians what to do, as one who is (literally, I kid you not) capable of providing rain for the crops, and as a bringer of justice by the annual royal pardons. Politicians however can do no good and are the source of all misery. In history classes Thai children will learn of all the good things done by the royals, but young Thais are unlikely to know much of statesmen as Pridi Banomyong or Puey Ungpakorn.

Of course we also get the revisionist history of the Thai monarchs as true democrats. The role of Rama VII in the three years after the revolution is mostly ignored. In reality he stifled the democratization process by co-opting the military side of the Promoters (in opposition to Pridi and others), and attempting to create a limited monarchy rather than giving up his executive and legislative powers as in Europe’s constitutional monarchies **. In Thai ideology however, the king is ‘above politics’ and would never intervene for its own interests, so the focus instead is on how the new bureaucrats in power (including Phloi’s son An***) immediately start constricting freedom of speech (which did happen, but as if there was such thing under absolute monarchy?). Rama VII is portrayed as being as democratic “as any of them [in the government], if not more” (496). When Rama VII finally decides to abdicate in 1935 after 3 years of uneasy cooperation with the government, Ot (the most agreeable son) tells her mother “Democracy hasn’t been with us for very long, and now we’ve lost one of its staunchest champions”.

Besides the revisionist fairy-tale of Thai monarchs as true democrats, another major element in the ideology of “Thainess” is spirituality and religion. While nowhere becoming super-natural or turning into downright fantasy, throughout the book the Thai’s superstition is quietly supported. The rituals and amulets always seem to help, at least nowhere future events contradict expectations raised by their practice and usage. Many of the future events, especially the dying of characters close to Phloi, are in some way predicted by signs or feelings. The end of the four reigns in particular is always preceded by major signs, especially the death of King Chulalongkorn. The appearance of the Halley’s Comet in 1910 worries Phloi as it must be a bad sign, she is then calmed by her husband some days later, telling her that it had nothing to do with them at all, as the comet must have signaled the death King Edward VII who must have accumulated much, much, much merit, so that even they in Thailand could see it (sure enough it is always good to prop up foreign monarchies a bit, in support of your own****). But of course, less than one page later it is announced that Rama V unexpectedly died, even though he died all the way in October, five months after the death of King Edward VII and the appearance of the comet. Unsurprisingly, during Rama V´s cremation the sky darkened, thunder struck and rain came pouring down (280-284). This cliché however could really have happened considering it took place in Thailand’s rain season.

[continued in comment]

* See this brilliant article on this expression, cleverly avoiding lèse majesté charges: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2011/...

** http://khikwai.com/blog/wp-content/up...

*** Phloi has four children in the book, all of them caricatures to explain the changes in Thai history in that time. On is the royalist soldier, banished to prison for a decade after participating in the Borawat rebellion. Praphai is the beautiful daughter who exemplifies the changes for women in the modernizing Thailand with her taste for modern fashion and hi-so parties. An and Ot are however among the first upper-class Thais to go abroad for an overseas education. An is the overly ambitious son, is a participant in the 1932 coup and becomes a powerful bureaucrat, who then slowly becomes disillusioned by the new government and regrets his past actions. Ot is the easy-going and most sympathetic son, who is less ambitious than An, but much wiser and constantly in support of the royalty. It’s worth pointing out that An went to study in France like most of the coup plotters including Pridi, while Ot went to study in England like the Pramoj brothers did. I doubt that this is purely coincidental.

**** It might be because I am more perceptive to it here, but it seems I see about the same amount of pictures of the Dutch monarchy as I do back in the Netherlands. The celebrity magazines in Thailand are all about news on European monarchies. The official pictures of the Thai monarchy often include visiting foreign monarchs. And during the British royal wedding madness last year I (and any other Caucasian in Thailand at that time) was hailed several times by Thais sharing their excitement with me, as if care.

[Cherisa B · Rating 3 out of 5]

A terrific historical fiction read with a sympathetic and lovely female protagonist. We track her life from childhood in the 1890s through 1946, experiencing Thailand and its modernization, learning about its monarchy, life in the “Inner Palace” where women - minor wives and concubines of the kings, and their female children and wards- lived, the nation’s transition to a constitutional monarchy, the impact of the world wars, and myriad changes in society.

Much of the story feels overly rosy, our protagonist Phloi is privileged, beautiful, beloved and upper class, and she is very devoted to king (all 4 under whose reign she lived) and country, so the Thailand we see is very skewed to the positive. It’s this that makes it the “national novel”, which was serialized in newspapers when it was written, rendering it patriotic. It shouldn’t be used as history being superficial and blinkered, but it’s full of life, love and turbulence of change, and it’s easy to love. It did engage me and provided a nice introduction to learn a little something about Thailand and its people.

[Sincerae Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore this novel. The main character Phloi (Ploy) is now among one of my best loved characters.

Four Reigns is set in Thailand starting in the late 19th century and ending in 1946. It is the story of the life of a Thai woman of the upper classes named Phloi who lives through the reigns of four Thai kings. The novel starts when Phloi is about eight years old and is taken by her mother to live as an attendant of one of the Thai princesses. Before her marriage, Phloi's mother had also been a court attendant to the same princess. Phloi's life at the inner court is cheery and fairly easy with her lifelong friend Choi. The two girls meet in the inner court and are opposites. Phloi is reserved, humble, sweet-natured, and quiet. Choi is good-natured, something of a comic, outspoken, and rambunctious.

The novel covers Phloi's childhood, her teenage years and first love, her marriage, motherhood, widowhood, and death. There is much joy and also sorrow for Phloi in her relationship with family and friends. She lives to see so much change in her land which is sometimes very difficult for her to accept. Phloi is also very much of a traditionalist, and she is both patriotic and sentimental towards the royal order.

Four Reigns is a modern classic in Thailand. It was first published as a serial in a Thai newspaper. The author, Kukrit Pramoj, was a multi-talented gentleman. He was a politician, scholar, professor, and both he and his brother Seni were prime ministers of Thailand.

Since I teach English online to people in Thailand, I wanted to read some literary works from their country. I am so happy that I found this treasure. I was very very moved by this book.

[Biaza44 · Rating 5 out of 5]

เป็นนิยายที่วนลูปอ่านเกิน 5 รอบ 🤣🤣 แบบถ้าเกิดอยากอ่านนิยายแนวในรั้วในวัง เรื่องนี้จะเป็นเรื่องที่หยิบมาอ่านวนลูป ส่วนตัวชอบการเดินเรื่อง เราได้อ่านเนื้อเรื่องนางเอกตั้งแต่เด็กยันแก่ คือเหมือนเราเติบโตไปกับตัวละคร ชอบที่นางเอกก็เจอกับวิกฤตในชีวิต ไม่ได้มีความสุขไปซะทุกอย่าง เป็นนิยายชีวิตสาวชาววังที่สนุกจริงๆ

[ดินสอ สีไม้ · Rating 5 out of 5]

ตลอดเวลาที่อ่าน มีความอิ่มเอมใจผุดพรายมาเป็นระยะ
ทั้งด้วยเรื่องในชีวิตของพลอย และเรื่องที่เกี่ยวกับพระเจ้าแผ่นดิน
ชั่วชีวิตของพลอยที่มีความผูกพัน รักและเทิดทูนต่อพระมหากษัตริย์ทุกพระองค์
อ่านแล้วก็ได้อิ่มเอิบ ปลาบปลื้ม ตื้นตัน

ผู้เขียนได้ใส่ชีวิตลงไว้ในตัวละคร
และเราก็รักตัวละคร (เกือบ) ทุกตัวในเรื่องสี่แผ่นดิน
รักตั้งแต่พลอย ช้อย แม่แช่ม คุณสาย เสด็จ คุณเปรม อ้น อั้น อ๊อด พ่อเพิ่ม คุณเชย
เรื่อยไปจนกระทั่งคุณอุ่น แม้จะรักยากอยู่สักหน่อย แต่ที่แน่ๆ นั้นสงสารเธออย่างเต็มเปี่ยม

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Patriotic Thai novel, from the era when long fiction was published in weekly newspaper installments. The novel examines the nation's modernization as seen by Phloi, a young girl who goes over the decades from attendant to a princess of the blood to matron. Phloi sees the country go from the insular, pre-automobile reign of Rama V (the successor to the king who has been whose reign was rendered so poorly by Rodgers and Hammerstein) to that of Rama VIII, who was born in Heidelberg and spent World War II studying in Switzerland while his country was invaded by the Japanese and was bombed by the Allies. The is not a novel of character; Phloi's essential goodness is never challenged, and her husband, brother, children and friends remain essentially static in personality, although it must be said that it is an uncommonly vibrant crew. Or perhaps it is better said that the main character of this novel is the nation itself, as it moves from a country driven by the rituals of court life (as well as the unseen peasants who produce all that rice to be consumed, all those betel nuts to be presented on elegant trays) to one influenced by foreign fashions in business, custom and dress. And politics--along the way a coup, which according to the conventions of long fiction is supported by one of Phloi's sons and opposed by another--brings fledgeling democracy to the nation. The kingship itself begins as the mystical power of the nation and ends (in the novel; the Chakri dynasty endures) and ends in the still-unclear violent death of Rama VIII. Still, the characters are engaging, the period detail deeply imagined, and the historic setting novel. It is always interesting to see an energetic and talented writer offer his vision of a nation to its people.

[Whitaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read, kind of like a mash up of Downtown Abbey with The Crown but set in Thailand. It has the same veneration of royals and nobility that you see in those dramas -- even if Maggie Smith doesn't quite have to go crawling on her hands and knees when greeting the king. It's even set more or less during the same period of time.

I found that aspect fascinating -- the transition from a traditional Thai society to the modern era. Even the nostalgia for the days of aristocracy is entirely reminiscent of Western works written in the same period. It reminded me of Stefan Zweig, Lampedusa and Waugh in its disgust with crass business brutality and its mourning of the loss of the more genteel mores of aristocratic virtue.

And I particularly appreciated its Buddhistic refrain, especially towards the end, of the impermanence of things. I remember vividly the crass confidence and hope of the 80s when yuppies the world over thought that the American century would bring a never-ending supply of wealth and American greatness and China's economy was a mere 2% of the world's GDP. Impermanence indeed.

Note: The translation appears to be much shorter than the original Thai. I have to wonder what was left out.

[Andrew]

If Thailand has a quintessential novel, this is kind of it, complete with the big, Dickensian scope over the course of pivotal points in the nation's history. And it's popular and much adapted, with the most recent version being a horrific-looking big Andrew Lloyd Webber-type stage show featuring whatever Thai soap opera actors weren't doing much later -- the TV spots showed lots of people weeping and prostrating themselves before radiant golden light.

Regrettably, the widely available translation is a condensed version of the classic version, and my Thai reading skills aren't quite at the level that I can read a 500 page novel in the original. My goal was to read this, then use that as a template so I could read the whole thing in Thai later on.

Equally regrettably, this sucked. Firstly, the translation sucked. Large numbers of easily translatable Thai words were left untranslated and Romanized (I guess to retain local flavor), but as a result each character sounded rather like a Bangkok expat retard showing off the 10 Thai words they know. And the story itself is mostly just clunky, moralizing garbage, even if the beginning showed some signs of a potentially interesting book. Pass.

[Emma Deplores Goodreads Censorship · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made me think hard about my quest to read a book set in every country in the world. I'd decided not to limit myself to books written by a native of the country. Many of the books I choose are, but it's rare that I read one like this: not only by someone from the country, but written in that country's language for people in that country and only later translated to English. Judging by this book's obscurity in the English-speaking world (apparently it's a major classic in Thailand, but you'd never know it from the number of reviews on English-language websites), that's no surprise. But a likely reason for its obscurity is English-speaking readers' skepticism about foreign books in translation. We're not sure they'll be accessible, let alone any fun. (After my wonderful local library refused to buy this one because it's--and I quote--"more academic and would be better suited to a university library," I was skeptical myself.)

Now you know where I'm coming from, I'll say: in many ways this book was a pleasant surprise. I did, in fact, enjoy reading it, and found it surprisingly accessible. But, also, I can understand its obscurity in the English-speaking world.

Four Reigns follows the life of a woman named Phloi (pronounced "Ploy") during the reigns of four kings of Thailand--from age 10, when she and her mother go to live in the women's palace, until her death 54 years later. Readers see the enormous changes that happened in Thailand (and the outside world) between 1892 and 1946. The pace is leisurely, and much of the book focuses on Phloi's everyday life, but it kept my interest and in fact I read through it quickly. Despite producing more than its share of typos, the translation is very readable and does a good job of concisely explaining the essentials to foreign readers without turning the novel into a textbook. There is a lot of cultural and historical detail, presented in an engaging way.

One of the things that most stands out about this book a couple months after finishing it is just how nostalgic it is. To a certain extent, and especially since the author was himself a politician and even prime minister of Thailand, one has to wonder about its accuracy. For instance, Rama V (the book's first king) is apparently universally loved, and when he dies, the whole country feels bereaved. It's impossible for me to judge what's plausible in Thailand 100 years ago, so I'll just point out that the setting feels idealized at times, but that it's valuable to read books written for a completely different cultural sensibility than my own.

Probably because of that nostalgia, the characters feel less real at the beginning of the book than they do by the end. It's difficult to get a sense of who the young Phloi is; she can feel like a placeholder for a Thai man's vision of an ideal Thai woman. She's the sort of young woman who unquestioningly agrees to marry the man her father chooses for her, and obligingly falls in love with him; the sort of woman who joyfully adopts her husband's illegitimate son. (Her young life is still interesting enough to read about, but she doesn't have much complexity at that point.) But by the time she reaches middle age--when the culture changes and she's left hopelessly behind the times, struggling to accept her children's choices with good grace and to keep her family together--she emerges as a vivid and believable character. Across the board, the characters seem to become more complex and lifelike as they age, such that the book truly benefits from covering so much time.

The one weird thing about the book's span is that the timeline is a bit confused, with the number of years passing during each reign not quite matching the number of years that seem to pass in the lives of Phloi and her family and friends. The most obvious example: her son Ot is born at the beginning of Rama VI's 15-year reign; at the end of it he's returning home after graduating from college in England. (Wait a minute....) Meanwhile, Phloi seems to be about 22 by the end of the first reign, when mathematically she should be 28.

Overall, this is a good book.... for those who are interested in Thailand specifically, or in world fiction generally. While slow-paced, it's compelling and immersive, providing an excellent window into a culture.

[Siwabhorn Anothaisintawee · Rating 4 out of 5]

เห็นนานมีเอาสี่แผ่นดินมารีปริ้นท์ใหม่ รูปเล่มและปกสวยงามจนน่าครอบครอง เราในฐานะที่มีปกเก่าดองไว้อยู่ เลยเอานางลงจากกองมาอ่านซะหน่อย

พลอยเกิดในรัชสมัยของพระบาทสมเด็จพระจุลจอมเกล้าเจ้าอยู่หัว หรือ ร.๕ ตอนที่พลอยยังเด็กแม่ได้ฝากพลอยให้เข้าไปเรียนรู้และใช้ชีวิตอยู่ในวัง จนเมื่อย่างเข้าวัยรุ่น คุณเปรม ซึ่งแอบหมายปองพลอยมานานก็ส่งผู้ใหญ่ไปทาบทามสู่ขอ

พลอยอยู่กินกับคุณเปรมจนมีบุตร-ธิดาทั้งหมดสี่คน ทั้งครอบครัวได้ผ่านเรื่องราวเรื่องราวใหญ่โตในบ้านเมืองร่วมกัน ไม่ว่าจะเป็นสงครามโลกครั้งที่หนึ่ง การเปลี่ยนการปกครองเป็นระบอบประชาธิปไตย การขึ้นครองราชย์ของยุวกษัตริย์ ร.๘ ไปจนถึงสงครามโลกครั้งที่สอง

ตลอดทั้งสี่แผ่นดินในชีวิตของพลอย เธอเผชิญทั้งเรื่องดีและร้ายที่ผ่านเข้ามาในชีวิตด้วยความสงบ เยือกเย็น เธอวางตัวดี และเป็นแบบอย่างให้คนรอบข้างเสมอ

สนุก เรื่อยๆ เพลินๆ เหมือนอ่านเมื่อคุณตาคุณยายยังเด็กเวอร์ชั่นยาว มีเรื่องราวแปลกๆ ที่เกิดขึ้นในสมัยก่อนที่เราไม่เคยรู้เต็มไปหมด หรือรู้แล้วแต่อดแปลกใจไม่ได้อยู่

ดำเนินเรื่องตามเส้นเวลาไปเรื่อยๆ ชีวิตแม่พลอยเจอเรื่องหนักๆ มาเยอะ แต่นางไม่กระโตกกระตาก สุขุมนุ่มลึก ครองสติดี เรียบร้อยสมมงชาววัง

หลายๆ ครั้งที่อ่านแล้วก็รู้สึกว่านางเป็นคนดีเกิ๊นนน แต่โชคดีที่ทำบุญขึ้น สงเคราะห์ใครก็เป็นไปได้ด้วยดี ไม่มีกลับมาแว้งกัดให้เจ็บใจในภายหลัง

Goodreads ให้ 4.2 เราให้ 4.4

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four Reigns by Kukrit Pramoj
The story revolves around Phloi, born in 1882, whose family have long-standing connections with the royal family as minor courtiers. Her father is a Chao Khun, (formal title Chao Phraya), an aristocrat of senior rank, according to the Thai feudal system of nobility. They live in the spacious family compound, a traditional setup in which generations and branches of family live in close proximity.

Yet, within this lofty set of circumstances, Phloi’s mother (Mae Chaem) is a “minor wife” and so she lives not in the main building, but in an outlying residence. Phloi’s visits to the grand residence of Chao Khun with its hallowed spaces are pervaded with trepidation on account a fierce half-sister; there is considerable tension in the atmosphere until it bursts with her mother’s abrupt departure, taking her daughter with her. This seems to set a tone of humility for her life, of not taking things for granted, albeit a life that is never wont for material comfort.

Then from relatively simple domestic beginnings, which we are given only a few tantalising glimpses of her home (“best-tasting mango tree”), her play (“Let’s cook rice and curry in the shade”) and the Chao Phraya river, we see Phloi as a 10 year old girl enter the Inner Court of the Grand Palace to be trained as a lady-in-waiting to Sadet, a princess and distant relative. (The Inner Court was the exclusive residence of the king and his queens and royal consorts; it was in effect a small town run by women because apart from the young sons of the king, men were not allowed there except for specific reasons, such as medical treatment.)

As the story unfolds with a broad spectrum of emotion: on the one hand, a lot of humour, sometimes caustic, but usually simple and fun, the author using the characters to poke fun at contrived customs, whilst on the other hand there are many passages with poignant descriptions of loss. The author also gives voice to trusted servants and their strong opinions, so much of the chat is colloquial, earthy, and direct, easy to follow. The presentation is generally conventional with descriptions, narrative, and dialogue, supplemented by occasional thought bubbles (in italics), allowing the reader access to Phloi’s internal thoughts. Although a novel, there are various techniques used, drawn naturally from the many literary disciplines with which the author is conversant, all helping to make this book so engaging.

In her lifetime, Phloi saw economic and social changes, coups, political turmoil, abdication, and tragedy. King Chulalongkorn's trip to Europe, the first foreign trip by a Thai monarch, fills the royal court and the entire country with excitement; so, does his return. Phoi with thousands of Thais eagerly line Ratchadamnoen Avenue to welcome the king on his return. At the personal level, Phloi gets married and raises a family. The reader gains an insight into Thai customs, culture and relationships in Thai family life. To his credit, M R Kukrit Pramoj who is of royal lineage gives vivid descriptions of proceedings in the royal court etiquette as well as the lifestyle of the common folk.
In the reign of King Prajadhipok, a turn of events changed the course of Thai history; the 1932 coup ended 150 years of the absolute monarchy. The country is thrown into further turmoil two years later when a royal rebellion against the government erupts. Suffer the trauma of Phloi when her stepson, a soldier on the defeated royalist side, is thrown in jail. She agonizes further on hearing of King Prajadhipok's abdication in 1935. In the last of the Four Reigns, King Ananda Mahidol, still a minor, is appointed king in 1935. The early 1940s was also a period of fear and uncertainty for Phloi, a grandmother by now, and her family living through World War II.
On 9 June 1946, the young King Ananda was found shot. His tragic death also brings a dramatic end to an absorbing and moving tale.
The reader could almost feel the excitement of the Thais on seeing the king even from a distance, the joy when a royal birth is announced and the deep grief and sorrow with the dying of each king. One of the classics in Thai literature, this book was translated into English by Ms Tulachandra in 1981.
Though M R Kukrit was very proficient in English, as he was educated in Queen's College, Oxford, he chose to use a translator who could express the essence and spirit of the drama in English.
Four Reigns in English was meant to recapture life in the days gone by in Thailand and to give the non-Thai an insight into the Thai mind. In this M R Kurit Pramoj and the Ms Tulachandra have succeeded admirably.

[top. · Rating 3 out of 5]

สำหรับเล่มสอง

ชอบความสัมพันธ์ในครอบครัว พอมีลูกแล้วเรื่องน่าสนใจกว่าเดิมเยอะเลย การที่คนกลุ่มหนึ่งซึ่งเติบโตจากผลของระบอบ ประสงค์จะทำลายระบอบ เพราะขัดแย้งกับอุดมการณ์สมัยใหม่ ต้องห่างเหินกับครอบครัว พี่น้อง เพื่อนฝูง และหลังจากฟันฝ่าจนถึงจุดน่าพอใจแล้ว ก็ยังมานั่งคิดลังเลกับผลที่ไม่เป็นไปตามที่เคยหวังอีก

เสียดายที่พอมาเล่มสองการเล่าเรื่องก็รวบตึง ผ่านไปบทนึงก็บอกคนนั้นตายแล้ว คนนี้ตายแล้ว แหม่ พอบ่นว่าเล่มหนึ่งเรื่อยเปื่อยเล่มสองนี่ฉิวเชียว เลยขาดอรรถรสไปเล็กน้อย (คาดว่าไปเก็บภาพความเปลี่ยนแปลงทางสังคมในขณะนั้นแบบกว้างๆ แทน)

ส่วนตัวชอบตัวละครลูกทุกตัวเลย โดยเฉพาะอั้นกับอ้อด อั้นก็แบบหนึ่ง อ้อดก็แบบหนึ่ง พอมาอยู่ในเรื่องเดียวกันแล้วก็ทำให้ภาพรวมลงตัว

อย่างไรก็ตาม ยังคงคิดว่าถ้าอ่านตอนไร้เดียงสาคงชอบกว่านี้เป็นเท่าตัวเลยล่ะ เสียดายเล็กน้อย

[Mollie Pan · Rating 5 out of 5]

ได้มีโอกาสทั้งอ่านหนังสือและดูละคร ก็ชอบทั้งสอง version
ผู้แต่งบรรยายบรรยากาศซะจนเราเห็นภาพ เหมือนตัวเองเข้าหลุดเข้าไปอยู่ในสมัยรัชกาลที่ 5 ไม่รู้จะอินอะไรกันนักหนา 55 หนังสือมีครบทุกรสชาติทั้ง สุข ทุกข์ เศร้า เพราะเราจะรับรู้ความรู้สึกทั้งหมดได้ผ่านแม่พลอย นอกจากนี้เราจะได้รู้ความเปลี่ยนแปลงตามยุคสมัยต่าง ๆ และได้ความรู้เกร็ดประวัติศาสต์มากมายของประเทศไทยอีกด้วย
เล่มนี้จะเป็นช่วงแม่พลอยยังเด็กจนถึงสาว ๆ น่าจะจบประมาณรัชกาลที่ 6 หรือเปล่าจำไม่ได้ต้องขออภัย อย่าลืมไปตามอ่านเล่ม 2 ด้วยนะ สนุกน่าติดตามเหมือนกัน

[top. · Rating 3 out of 5]

รู้สึกว่าเรื่องมันดำเนินเรื่อยเปื่อยไปหน่อย ตอนแรกคาดว่าจะได้เห็นภาพของขนบธรรมเนียมของสถานที่ในนั้นมากกว่านี้ อ่านๆ ไปก็แบบ เออ ยาวแท้เนาะ 55

เล่มหนึ่งส่วนตัวว่าเฉยๆ ครับ ปูเนื้อเรื่องและเน้นสร้างความผูกพันธ์กับตัวละครซะมาก อาจจะชอบถ้าได้อ่านตอนอายุน้อยกว่านี้

[Araya Pichitkul · Rating 5 out of 5]

ดีงาม ซาบซึ้ง ด้วยอัจฉริยะภาพของผู้ประพันธ์ หลงรักในความดีของแม่พลอย ตลกในความคิดแผลงๆของช้อย สะท้อนภาพการเปลี่ยนแปลงของสี่ยุคได้ดีจัง

[Libby Green · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve never read a book that meanders on quite like this one. I enjoyed it for the most part, but I wish Phloi was more of a character and less of an observer.

[Gabriela Mengarda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice reading if you are planning to travel to Thailand and want to understand better Thai culture.

[Erika Sampson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great as a primary source, but pretty boring.

[Desca Ang · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review is taken from my bookstagram account @descanto2

Four Reigns, referring to the reigns of four different kings from Chulalongkorn the Rama V to Ananda Mahidol the Rama VIII, has turned in several theatre-plays, movies and tv-series. The theme circles around the Thai monarchy which is a very sensitive topic and impossible to criticise in Thailand.

As I read the book, I realised that it (somehow) carries the royalist propaganda as it is dense with the portrayal os political turmoil and history esp with the mysterious death of King Ananda Mahidol in an ‘accident’ with a gun-shot in his head. This death has never been clarified until now even three servants were executed on charges of conspiracy for killing the King. This incident becomes more interesting as Pramoj, the author is a politician himself at the time. His brother Seni Pramoj, the first Thai Prime-Minister after WW2 played a prominent role in the aftermath of the King’s death, as he accused then current Prime-Minister Pridi Banomyong (a socialist) for being responsible for the King’s assassination, which is by all accounts extremely implausible.

“Four Reigns” to me should be seen as the book that defines mainstream Thai ideology: how they have to remain loyal to the nation, religion and to the monarchy. The main character: Phloei for example, she can be the symbol of what Pramoj wants to promote in the Thainess: a domesticated lady, a submissive wife, a caring mother, and all-good-virtue-you-can-find-in-a-woman. She is flawless! Another point is: All the royalists in the book are virtuous, while the bureaucrats that take control after the absolute monarchy is dissolved are all clumsy, self-interested and greedy.

The King is the centre of all good things in the universe. It's the basic outline of the Thai ideology in which all the politicians are seen as greedy and bad, while the royals are ‘above politics’ and keep the country on track. Politicians however can do no good and are the source of all misery. You will never read much of politicians as Pridi Banomyong or Puey Ungpakorn.

Returning to the book , it’s a slow pace one but if you are into a bit of history, give this book a go. It may come out as an interesting read.

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this beautiful novel, Kukrit Pramoj paints through rich imagery and symbolism traditional upper-class Thai culture. As a farang I was struck by the spirituality, family values, and patriatism of the time. This book was a historic window into the changing worldview throughout the Rama dynasty.

"We don’t know what the future will bring but we do know that our good action here and now can only give rise to what is good in days to come, although we may not be aware of when or how."

"But you know, those I have loved have not really died, not while I’m still alive. I have them with me in my thoughts, in my heart, and since I’m not dead yet they live on. They’re part of me as long as I breathe and remember . . ."

"Family unity she counted as one of the treasures of life. She had built her home for it on the foundation of love and kindness and tolerance.”

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best English language translations of a Thai novel, this engaging story (which was originally a serial published in a Bangkok newspaper) tells the story of Mae Phloi, a woman who lives through the reigns of four Thai kings - Kings Rama V through VIII. The story traces her life from the daughter of the minor wife of a mid-ranking nobleman through her childhood working in the inner court of the Grand Palace, to her eventual marriage and raising of a family. At every step, Mae Phloi's experiences are captured in such detail that the reader shares her emotions, joy when happy events happen and sorrow when life's inevitable losses occur. A must-read for anyone who wants to see 20th century Thai history though a "real life" perspective.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a VERY long book. At over 600 pages, you've got to have a lot of time on your hands just to get through it. But, it's a pleasant read in spite of its length. Phloi, the main character, goes to live in the Thai royal palace as a young girl and then lives through five kings' reigns over Thailand and the massive social and political change that come with them. It's not a heavy-duty book, the themes and lessons are pretty bluntly obvious, and it actually gets a little annoying how "ideal" Phloi is as a Thai woman. But, if you're interested in how Thailand moved from the pre-colonial era into the present one, this will give you the flavor of high-society life through that time.

[Rene · Rating 4 out of 5]

In all honesty I must say that I have read an abridged (English) version. It is the only English version I ever saw in Thailand, by the way.
This book gives an excellent insight in the life at the Thai court during the reigns of King Rama 5 up to King Rama 8.
We follow a girl that starts to live there with her mother, while still very young, until her death as an old woman. She leaves the court when she marries, but she stays in touch.
From the time of her marriage the book concentrates on her family life and that of her children.
Highly recommended to get acquainted with Thai culture and history. This is a powerful novel, written by a former Thai prime minister.

[marquie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Due to the fact that I myself, am a Thai - this book has proved to be tremendously informative on the history and culture of my own country. Spanning the period of four reigns of four Thai kings, this novel explores the life of "Mae Ploi" as she confronts with radical changes and social conflicts. It is a novel that digresses from usual historical fiction, as it fully plunges you into the themes of emotions, loss and suffering. And more importantly, it is a novel that impresses and never ceases to touch the heart. And it is because of this piece of fiction, that I can proudly say to myself that Thai Literature is worth reading, worth loving, and worth cherishing.

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

ชีวิตของคน.. ที่ไหลหลาก​ดุจสายน้ำ.. ผ่านคุ้งโค้ง​ ขวากหนามประดุจสุขทุกข์​ที่ผลัดเปลี่ยน​กันมาตลอดทั้งชีวิต... มีสุข มีทุกข์​ สมหวัง​ พลัดพราก​.. สำหรับ​เรา "สี่​แผ่นดิน​" โดดเด่น​มากในการหยิบชีวิตคนหนึ่งคนมาเล่าให้ฟัง.จากเล็กจนโตจนแก่.. .. ฉากหลัง​ทางประวัติศาสตร์​นั้นสำหรับ​เรายังดูไม่"แน่น" พอที่จะมาประกอบ... สิ่งที่ดูหนักแน่นทำให้นิยายมีชีวิตชีวาตลอดเรื่องแม้จะหนาขนาดนั้น... ก็คือความหลากหลาย​ในหลายชีวิตของตัวละคร.. ซึ่งก็คือชีวิตจริงๆของเราๆ

(ปล.เราได้อ่านคนที่ถกเถียง​เรื่อง​นี้ว่าเป็นนิยาย​อวยเจ้าแล้วตลกมาก... มันจะโยงกันให้ได้ทุกเรื่อง​เป็นการเมือง​ซะหมดเลยนะเนี่ย)

[Pookan Ruengwes · Rating 4 out of 5]

อ่านแล้วรู้สึกถึงความไม่เท่าเทียมทางเพศ(ไม่รู้ว่าสมัยนั้นจริงๆจะขนาดไหน แต่นี่คงเป็นความเห็นของคุณคึกฤทธิ์) ผู้ชายยุคนั้นดูจะมองว่าผู้หญิงทำอะไรไม่ได้ และผู้หญิงเองก็เป็นอะไรที่น่าหงุดหงิด เอาแต่คิดว่าตัวเองเป็นพลเมืองชั้น2 โชคชะตาจะดีจะร้ายก็ขึ้นอยู่กับผู้ชาย ไม่เคยเรียกร้องสิทธิอะไรให้กับตัวเองเลย โดยเฉพาะแม่พลอย

แต่สนุกดีมาก

[Pairash Pleanmalai · Rating 4 out of 5]

เนื้อเรื่องแบบเรื่อยๆ แต่อ่านแล้วก็เพลิดเพลินกับบรรยากาศ ตั้งแต่สมัยร.5 ถึง ร.8
ซึ่งเป็นช่วงที่บ้านเมืองมีการเปลี่ยนแปลงหลายอย่าง
มีบรรยากาศในรั้วในวัง ให้ผู้อ่านค่อยซึมซับ และเผชิญเหตุการณ์ไปทีละเรื่อง ไปกับตัวแม่พลอย
จะอ่านสนุกถ้าชอบยุคนั้น และจะเบื่อถ้าถูกบังคับให้อ่าน

[The Alp · Rating 4 out of 5]

นอกจากประวัติศาสตร์ประเพณีในยุคสมัยนั้น ได้เรียนรู้การดำเนินชีวิต ผ่านช่วงเวลาสำคัญ และการเปลี่ยนแปลงที่มีผลกระทบต่อตัวเองและครอบครัีว
่

[Fern · Rating 5 out of 5]

ชอบภาษาที่ใช้ ซึ่งมีเสน่ห์และทำให้เห็นความแตกต่างของการใช้ในยุคสมัยนั้นและเป็นการบ่งบอกถึงชนชั้นทางสังคม
ชอบการเข้าถึงความรู้สึกต่างๆผ่านตัวแม่พลอยในความรัก ความสงสัย ความกลัว ความจงรักภักดี

[Ploy Suriyaporn · Rating 5 out of 5]

ผสมกันระหว่างหนังสือเมื่อคุณตาคุณยายยังเด็ก บวกกับ Bildungroman บวกกับ parody วางไม่ลง
- จากใจแม่พลอย หนักแผ่นดิน