madiriye's review against another edition
3.0
Finally finished this! It took me about halfway through the book to start being entertained. It was difficult to follow at some points and boring at other points, but overall I’m glad I read it. I thought the concept of showing Bangkok’s past, present, and future was kind of fascinating.
curiouslykaylee's review against another edition
2.0
This book was definitely an odd choice for me, but that is the point of my library’s reading challenge
heathssm's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
amysou0204's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
Very difficult to read and get into. This book spans over many decades and looks at the lives of many different characters but the stories are not in chronological order and it is very difficult to try to remember all the characters' names to know who the chapter is about. The book was very confusing and while some of the story lines were interesting and would have made for a much better book had it focused on just those better story lines, other ones were lacking and a bit unnecessary in my opinion and could have been omitted for a smoother, more fluent read.
van_worldexplorer's review against another edition
4.0
Beautifully woven story of people in the same space over time. Loved how things concerted. The ending was a little weird but I don’t hate it. Loved the family dynamics displayed and how people changed over time.
toddbert's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
lprngtn's review against another edition
just wrong place wrong time! hopefully I’ll read this start to finish at some point
bookdeli's review against another edition
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
stephjoy15's review against another edition
4.0
*3.5 stars rounded up*
At first this book was a little difficult to get into. With its multiple storylines, it was difficult getting a sense for what was happening. While most all the storylines do intersect at some point, I was definitely more invested in some and could have done without others.
That being said, this book made me feel the pulse of Bangkok. There were moments where I found myself there in the streets taking in the sights and sounds and smells. Sudbanthad has a beautiful writing style and there were several sentences that I had to stop and reread and fully appreciate how beautifully written they were. This book also taught me about some major events and tragedies that have happened in Thailand.
This book made me ponder a lot of questions, such as: what effect does beauty have on our success? What is the cost of letting go of certain things or certain people? What is the role of remembrance and memory in a world that is continually looking to the future? And what happens when that future becomes scarier and it is easier to escape into the past? Do places continue to hold memories long after people have gone?
There was a sense of urgency throughout the second half of the book as the city begins to sink. Nowadays, climate change is a huge issue that everyone is talking about and yet, there seems to be little actually being done to combat it. This book definitely portrayed that urgency mixed with hopelessness as people continue moving up and the water continues to wash away places and memories.
I wish that more attention was paid to dismissing and moving on from characters. They all seemed to just fade away and I wish I could have said goodbye to them. However, I think this was in line with the theme of memories being swept away. Overall, I enjoyed this read although the end had me a little confused as I was not expecting the jump to the future and all the sci-fi speculation. However, once I understood what was happening there I was able to enjoy it more.
This book left me with many thoughts and feelings and made me wonder what memories certain places and things continue to hold onto.
At first this book was a little difficult to get into. With its multiple storylines, it was difficult getting a sense for what was happening. While most all the storylines do intersect at some point, I was definitely more invested in some and could have done without others.
That being said, this book made me feel the pulse of Bangkok. There were moments where I found myself there in the streets taking in the sights and sounds and smells. Sudbanthad has a beautiful writing style and there were several sentences that I had to stop and reread and fully appreciate how beautifully written they were. This book also taught me about some major events and tragedies that have happened in Thailand.
This book made me ponder a lot of questions, such as: what effect does beauty have on our success? What is the cost of letting go of certain things or certain people? What is the role of remembrance and memory in a world that is continually looking to the future? And what happens when that future becomes scarier and it is easier to escape into the past? Do places continue to hold memories long after people have gone?
There was a sense of urgency throughout the second half of the book as the city begins to sink. Nowadays, climate change is a huge issue that everyone is talking about and yet, there seems to be little actually being done to combat it. This book definitely portrayed that urgency mixed with hopelessness as people continue moving up and the water continues to wash away places and memories.
I wish that more attention was paid to dismissing and moving on from characters. They all seemed to just fade away and I wish I could have said goodbye to them. However, I think this was in line with the theme of memories being swept away. Overall, I enjoyed this read although the end had me a little confused as I was not expecting the jump to the future and all the sci-fi speculation. However, once I understood what was happening there I was able to enjoy it more.
This book left me with many thoughts and feelings and made me wonder what memories certain places and things continue to hold onto.