The World's Literature in Europe/Asia discussion

Asma, I hope you don't mind if I add a folder. Hoping someone might recommend some good Thai literature? I've read some detective/sex stuff like Bangkok 8 but recently was blown away by a movie about the spirit world in Thailand called Uncle Boonme Who Can Recall His Past Lives (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle_Bo... ) (on Netflix) and can't find the book that was based on or anything else in that vein (although I am looking forward to reading similar in a Laotian setting later this year with the group read of The Coroner's Lunch - read that whole series, its great. Also can't stop listening to Khun Narin Electric Phin Band (Electric Trance Music from Thailand). Anyway, any suggestions on good Thai reads much appreciated.

Hi, Don. There is a neat website called "Books Set In." Pick a location and the search engine finds some books. There are 2 pages for Thailand.

http://bookssetin.com/p1/431/Thailand...

It is slim pickings, I know.

In my TBR, I have this one - . Cannot speak for the book as I have not yet read it.

A friend shows this book on her Thailand list




Another friend has

Wanda - Thank you so much! These are great leads and I'll track them down. The "set in" link is great as well. Much appreciated! Don

You are very welcome, Don. Enjoy!

Don wrote: "...any suggestions on good Thai reads much appreciated. "

Great thread, Don! What about this one-- Letters from Thailand: A Novel ?

Thanks Asma! Great recommendation. Saw Botan listed on the Thai Literature page so this might be a great one to start with.

Wanda wrote: "...There is a neat website called "Books Set In." Pick a location and the search engine finds some books...
http://bookssetin.com/p1/431/Thailand......"

Wonderful resource. It offers an alternative book search with the Google Map in the upper right, from which I found some titles of interest set in Mongolia. Thank you!

Asma wrote: "I found some titles of interest set in Mongolia. ..." If you are looking for books about Mongolia, please consider our own Bryn Hammond's Amgalant series (Amgalant One: The Old Ideal and Amgalant Two: Tribal Brawls ) which I found to be wonderful adaptations of the classic The Secret History of the Mongols. Fascinating history written with consummate scholarship and brio!

Don wrote: "... If you are looking for books about Mongolia, please consider our own Bryn Hammond's Amgalant series (Amgalant One: The Old Ideal and Amgalant Two: Tribal Brawls )..."

Don, they are on my TBR bookshelf. Thanks for introducing the series in your post.

Hi,

I personnally don't know any books about Thailand, but here are the books tagged Thailand on GR:
https://www.goodreads.com/genres/thai...

You could also try to explore listopias, such as these ones:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/3...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

Melaslithos wrote: here are the books tagged Thailand on GR:
https://www.goodreads.com/genres/thai...

You could also try to explore listopias, such as the..."
Thank you!

Melaslithos wrote: "Hi,...here are the books tagged Thailand on GR:
https://www.goodreads.com/genres/thai... You could also try to explore listopias..."

Excellent resources, Melaslithos. The setting of Thailand is an intriguing and productive literary destination.

I must admit that living in China, I mostly focused on this part of Asia. But I am trying little by little to expand my horizons and read books from other Asian countries. I haven't tried anything about Thailand yet, but it's on my list!

I have Sightseeing on my shelf at home. It was on one of the lists someone linked to.

Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "I have Sightseeing on my shelf at home. It was on one of the lists someone linked to."

That is one that my local library actually has available! I've requested. Looks really good.

Don wrote: "Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "I have Sightseeing on my shelf at home. It was on one of the lists someone linked to."

That is one that my local library actually has available! I've re..."

I went poking around WorldCat for other books with that subject heading.

It came up with Platform by Michel Houellebecq, a book I have read but hadn't associated with Thailand. It is translated from the French and would do for a post-modern somewhat racy title.

That led me to another book longlisted for the Orange (now Baileys) Prize in 2011, The Road to Wanting by Wendy Law-Yone.

Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "Don wrote: "Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "I have Sightseeing on my shelf at home. It was on one of the lists someone linked to."

That is one that my local library actually has availab..."

Thanks again Jenny. These are great leads. Just what I was looking for.

Melaslithos wrote: "I must admit that living in China, I mostly focused on this part of Asia..."

Pearl of China and The Real Story of Ah-Q and Other Tales of China: The Complete Fiction of Lu Xun look of interest. Can you recommend another?

Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "I have Sightseeing on my shelf at home..."

Most of mine are from China, Japan, and India, so I'm glad we're discovering Indo-China as well as Oceania through their literary works this year.

Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "...That led me to another book longlisted for the Orange (now Baileys) Prize in 2011, The Road to Wanting by Wendy Law-Yone."

Hadn't known that the Orange Prize became Bailey's (delicious).

Don wrote: "Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "I have Sightseeing on my shelf at home..." "That is one that my local library actually has available! I've re..."

Definitely, Sightseeing looks great. Thanks.

Asma wrote: "Melaslithos wrote: "I must admit that living in China, I mostly focused on this part of Asia..."

Pearl of China and ..."

Lu Xun is a great writer, the one to really introduce the use of vernacular Chinese in litterature, and make it therefore more accessible to all. From around the same period, you can also try Lao She. Rickshaw Boy is one of his most well known books, not to long. But I haven't read it so can't say anything about it. I read Quatre générations sous un même toit, tome 1 (I can't find an English translation on GR, not sure what it the status of it). It's a fantastic saga.

On a lighter tone, I love Eileen Chang. Her stories are fantastic. They take place in a time of trouble, but really centers on the characters and their life.

Also, since you're mentionning Pearl of China, have you read any of Pearl S. Buck? They're great and I can only recommend them.

One contemporary book on China I love and always recommend is Beijing Coma. It's a thick book, but I just couldn't put it down. It is beautifully written and talks magnificiently of very hard events.

I'll stop here since this topic is supposed to be for Thai litterature. But if you give me more details on what books you like and what you are looking for, I might give you more specific recommendations.