clarereadstheworld's review
4.5
I spent a wonderful afternoon today lost in the mountains of Laos with this beautiful collection of short stories by Outhine Bounyavong. This was also the first collection of short stories to be translated from Lao to English.
The stories all focus on the ordinary people of Lao. There's a boy with a lazy dog, and a girl who doesn't know how to return the belt she accidentally stole. There's a shoe repair man who's annoyed a client hasn't returned to collect his shoes and a mother and her son who spend their evenings watching two birds flying in the sky above their homes. While these stories at first appear simple and plain, once you peel back the layers, you uncover deeper meanings. The stories are in fact rich in symbolism and metaphors, and anything but plain and simple. This is the beauty of Outhine's writing.
The stories also conjure up vividly Outhine's contemporary Laos, the landscapes, the people, the food but also a country on the cusp of a cultural shift which happened as western influences began to take hold in Laos. While Outhine's stories do not appear to be openly critical of this cultural shift on the surface, upon reading a little deeper, the stories become more of a call to the people of Laos, reminding them of their culture and values. The stories hold up a mirror to the people of Loas, reflecting back to them their true cultural identity.
Another beautiful thing about this edition is that the translators chose to include the original Lao text alongside the English translation. I love how this reminds the reader that the English version is just that; a translation. These stories were originally written in Lao, with a Lao audience in mind. I also learnt alot about the history of Laos in the preface. It was well worth taking the time to read this before starting the stories.
An absolutely beautiful collection of short stories if you love translated fiction or short story collection, I'm sure you'll love this one too.
The stories all focus on the ordinary people of Lao. There's a boy with a lazy dog, and a girl who doesn't know how to return the belt she accidentally stole. There's a shoe repair man who's annoyed a client hasn't returned to collect his shoes and a mother and her son who spend their evenings watching two birds flying in the sky above their homes. While these stories at first appear simple and plain, once you peel back the layers, you uncover deeper meanings. The stories are in fact rich in symbolism and metaphors, and anything but plain and simple. This is the beauty of Outhine's writing.
The stories also conjure up vividly Outhine's contemporary Laos, the landscapes, the people, the food but also a country on the cusp of a cultural shift which happened as western influences began to take hold in Laos. While Outhine's stories do not appear to be openly critical of this cultural shift on the surface, upon reading a little deeper, the stories become more of a call to the people of Laos, reminding them of their culture and values. The stories hold up a mirror to the people of Loas, reflecting back to them their true cultural identity.
Another beautiful thing about this edition is that the translators chose to include the original Lao text alongside the English translation. I love how this reminds the reader that the English version is just that; a translation. These stories were originally written in Lao, with a Lao audience in mind. I also learnt alot about the history of Laos in the preface. It was well worth taking the time to read this before starting the stories.
An absolutely beautiful collection of short stories if you love translated fiction or short story collection, I'm sure you'll love this one too.
filaughn's review
3.0
This was my Laos book for the read-around-the-world challenge. It's getting 3 stars largely on the strength of the introduction & the fact that it's a glimpse into Lao literature - and that's pretty hard to find. This book is presented with Lao on the left and the English translation on the right (except for the Intro, where the English is the original and the Lao text is the translation). The broad overview of Laotian history and literature was interesting, as was the author's biography and the story behind how this book came to be. The actual stories were very forgettable, and I don't think I'll remember any of them in a week.
barbarabarbara's review
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
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