The blind earthworm in the labyrinth : a novel

On the day Chareeya is born, her mother discovers her father having an affair with a traditional Thai dancer. From then on, Chareeya's life is fated to carry the weight of her parents' disappointments. She and her sister grow up in a lush riverside town near the Thai capital, Bangkok, captivated by trashy romance novels, classical music and games of make-believe. When the laconic orphan, Pran, enters their world, he unwittingly lures the sisters into a labyrinth of their own making as they each try to escape their intertwined fates. The original Thai language edition of The Blind Earthworm in the Labyrinthwon the prestigious South East Asian Writers ("S.E.A. Write") Award for fiction and was a best-seller in Thailand. It is translated into English by Thai film critic and recipient of France's Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, Kong Rithdee. Attuned to the addictive rhythms of a Thai soap opera and written with the consuming intensity of a fever dream, this novel opens an insightful and truly compelling window onto the Thai heart. "Mesmerising and unputdownable - a virtuoso translation of what must surely be one of the best Thai novels to make it into English." - Lawrence Osborne, author of Hunters in the Darkand Only to Sleep Tuned To The Rhythms Of The Soap Operas That Air On Thai Television Each Night And Written With The Consuming Intensity Of A Fever Dream, This Novel Opens An Insightful And Truly Compelling Window Into The Thai Heart. This Is A Melodrama About A Ship-wrecked Relationship. Set In Thailand And Traveling Loosely Over The 1980s And ‘90s, With Mention Of A Political Incident In 2010, This Sad And Beautiful Book Begins On The Day Chareeya Is Born, The Same Day Her Mother Discovers Her Father Having An Affair With A Traditional Thai Dancer. From That Moment On, Chareeya's Life Is Bound To The Weight Of Her Parents' Disappointments. She And Her Sister Chalika Grow Up In A Lush, Tranquil Riverside Town Near The Thai Capital Of Bangkok, Captivated By Romance Novels, Classical Music And Games Of Make-believe. As Children, The Two Develop A Friendship With An Orphaned Boy, Pran. Over Time These Childhood Friends Find Themselves Lost Between Unrequited Desires And Fantastical Dreams That Are Realer Than Their Everyday Lives. The Culmination Of The Story Comes As Neither Chareeya, Chalika, Nor Pran Can Exit Safely From The Intertwined Labyrinth Of Their Fates. The Author's Lyrical Prose Is Enchanting: The Book Is Filled With The Colors, Sounds And Fragrances Of Thailand. Her Language Has A Hazy Cinematic Effect As Characters Maneuver Through Magical Remembrances Of Events Gone By, Often Failing To Confront The Problems In Front Of Them. Dangerous And Irresistible, The Story Can Be Read Either As A Nod To Old-fashioned Thai Romances, Or As A Sophisticated, Literary Upgrade Of The Soap Opera Drama, Or As A Bitter Commentary On The Myths, Smokescreens And Delusions That Seem To Have Disoriented The Thai People With Many Years' Heartbreak In Attendance. Veeraporn Nitiprapha ; Translated By Kong Rithdee. Novel. In English; Translated From Thai. On the day Chareeya is born, her mother discovers her father having an affair with a traditional Thai dancer. From then on, Chareey's life is fated to carry the weight of her parents' disappointments. She and her sister grow up in a lush riverside town near the Thai capital, Bangkok, captivated by trashy romance novels, classical music and games of make-believe. When the laconic orphan, Pran, enters their world, he unwittingly lures the sisters into a labyrinth of their own making as they each try to escape their intertwined fates. The original Thai langaue edition of The Blind Earthworm in the Labyrinth won the prestigious South East Asian Writers ("S.E.A. Write") Award for fiction and was best-seller in Thailand. It is translated into English by Thai film critic and recipient of France's Chevalier dans I'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, Kong Rithdee. Attuned to the addictive rhythms of a Thai soap opera and written with the consuming intensity of a fever dream, this novel opens an insightful and truly compelling window onto the Thai heart.