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Title: Bangkok 8 by John Burdett ISBN: 1-4000-4044-2 Publisher: Knopf Pub. Date: 03 June, 2003 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $24.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.18 (50 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Bangkok Gr8 !
Comment: This thriller has original characters, colorful settings, lots of action and suspense, hilarious moments, and a little Buddhist philosophy. It's a page-turner, and the main character, Sonchai, is very engaging. He's a good guy in a wild city, where bad things happen, as he tries to solve a case as well as avenge his soul-brother's murder.
It's a good novel, with interesting twists and turns. You can almost feel Bangkok's heartbeat while you're reading, and you can't wait to see what will happen next.
While reading this book, I just HAD to go out and get some pad thai, it's that absorbing.
I agree with another reviewer who mentioned that the ending is weak. I think the loose ends were too neatly tied up. But with so many sub-plots and layers of the story, I think finishing the book would be disappointing no matter what.
I hope Sonchai, and his mom, appear in a sequel.
Rating: 4
Summary: Not A Masterpiece, But An Enjoyable Yarn
Comment: I recently devoured Bangkok 8 in a couple of days. It is a compelling mystery with excellent use of local culture and customs to add color to the novel. It is literally overflowing with lurid and accurate details of Bangkok. He also manages to convey a lot about Buddhism. I liked how he used a radio call in talk show with a sociologist host to make observations and analysis about Thai culture and societal problems, rather than giving long speeches to characters. I like the fact that he made the main character half Thai and half Caucasian (or double if you prefer). This dual status gives him access and insight into Thai culture and western culture. Furthermore, it makes him an outsider in both cultures as well. He is also well steeped in the world of prostitution since his mother used to earn her living via the trade. In addition, his Buddhism and personal knowledge of the street makes him a pure cop, who doesn't take a bribe, but is tolerated for his ability to speak English, which can come in handy for the police department. The ending is somewhat anti-climatic, but somehow appropriate to the tone of the story.
Rating: 5
Summary: Excellent book
Comment: I just finished reading it, and couldn't put it down. Very suspenseful and also poignant, as the main character is the son of a Thai prostitute and a white American soldier. He gives a moving picture of life in the ... trade, life as a half caste in Thailand, and life as a Thai Buddhist. This last was fascinating and a big part of why I recommend this book. It's a page turner of a murder mystery, starting with a dead marine and a beautiful suspect, but the best part is following what we have come to think of as a standard story through the viewpoint of a Buddhist cop working in a corrupt, if "compassionate" culture. It's hilarious at times, and at times heartbreaking, and if you happen to guess who the murderer is, you'll still never guess why. To people who say the ending is a letdown, well, that is one of the drawbacks of this type of book. It's always a letdown to solve a tantalizing case and end a compelling read. This book was definitely worth it, and I've already bought another of his books to read asap.
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Title: The Winter Queen : A Novel by Boris Akunin, Andrew Bromfield ISBN: 1400060494 Publisher: Random House Pub. Date: 06 May, 2003 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Today Show Book Club #13) by Mark Haddon ISBN: 0385512104 Publisher: Doubleday Pub. Date: 31 July, 2003 List Price(USD): $22.95 |
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Title: None of Your Business by Valerie Block ISBN: 0345461843 Publisher: Ballantine Books Pub. Date: 03 June, 2003 List Price(USD): $23.95 |
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Title: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini ISBN: 1573222453 Publisher: Riverhead Books Pub. Date: 29 May, 2003 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: Fear Itself: A Fearless Jones Novel by Walter Mosley ISBN: 0316591122 Publisher: Little Brown & Company Pub. Date: July, 2003 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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