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Sightseeing
Sightseeing | Rattawut Lapcharoensap
9 posts | 9 read | 15 to read
One of the most widely reviewed debuts of the year, Sightseeing is a masterful story collection by an award-winning young author. Set in contemporary Thailand, these are generous, radiant tales of family bonds, youthful romance, generational conflicts and cultural shiftings beneath the glossy surface of a warm, Edenic setting. Written with exceptional acuity, grace and sophistication, the stories present a nation far removed from its exoticized stereotypes. In the prize-winning opening story "Farangs," the son of a beachside motel owner commits the cardinal sin of falling for a pretty American tourist. In the novella, "Cockfighter," a young girl witnesses her proud father's valiant but foolhardy battle against a local delinquent whose family has a vicious stranglehold on the villagers. Through his vivid assemblage of parents and children, natives and transients, ardent lovers and sworn enemies, Lapcharoensap dares us to look with new eyes at the circumstances that shape our views and the prejudices that form our blind spots. Gorgeous and lush, painful and candid, Sightseeing is an extraordinary reading experience, one that powerfully reveals that when it comes to how we respond to pain, anger, hurt, and love, no place is too far from home.
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Lunakay
Sightseeing | Rattawut Lapcharoensap
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Pickpick

My fiction pick for #foodandlit 🇹🇭 this month...there is a common parent-child relationship theme in all of them. They offer a sad look at some of Thailand's most prominent social issues, well-written and touching.
I would have preferred a more balanced view, it's important not to gloss over things, but I'm sure there are happy stories worth telling, too.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

@Catsandbooks @Texreader

Catsandbooks Great review! 🇵🇾 2y
22 likes1 comment
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TheKidUpstairs
Sightseeing | Rattawut Lapcharoensap
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Pickpick

Engaging, interesting, effective short stories and one novella, set in a Thailand beyond the tourist track. I read these slowly, a story here and there, for #FoodandLit #Thailand and loved them. The title story was my favourite, and I will be thinking about it for quite a while.

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ReadingEnvy
Sightseeing | Rattawut Lapcharoensap
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Pickpick

This book of short stories set in Thailand has been on my shelves since 2012, and I finally got to it for my #RE_ASIA2019 project. These are slice of life stories and a novella about cockfighting. They remind me a lot of the book of short stories set in Hawaii I read last year, where the locals are the focus.

The author was born in Chicago and raised in Thailand, but these stories are not translations.

Centique I loved this. Now I‘ve got Bright coming from the library too 😊 6y
61 likes1 comment
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ReadingEnvy
Sightseeing | Rattawut Lapcharoensap
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Reading Envy Podcast Episode 140: Woman Greets Bear (Reading Goals 2019) - this short episode looks back at 2018 and announces new reading goals for 2019. Happy New Year! https://tinyurl.com/ReadingEnvy140

Cinfhen That‘s a lovely stack!!! Happy new year and I really enjoy your podcast xx Thanks for all the inspiration 💗 6y
CarolynM Happy New Year 🎉 6y
Bookzombie Happy New Year!🎆 🎉 6y
See All 8 Comments
Simona Happy New Year to you too❣️🍾🥂 6y
Lindy Four categories in one book for the classics challenge: The Tale of Genji. A chapter per day read along starts today. Feel free to jump in. 😁 6y
Lindy I can‘t believe that the only book you read from Alberta is by an author I‘ve never heard of. You will be receiving a surprise in the mail to remedy the situation. 6y
ReadingEnvy @Lindy it's not like you didn't teach me better!! And I can't recommend The Sometimes Lake. 6y
Lindy @ReadingEnvy Thanks for steering me away from books to avoid. 👍 6y
72 likes8 comments
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Centique
Sightseeing | Rattawut Lapcharoensap
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Pickpick

This is a book of 6 vivid short stories set in Thailand. I loved all of them, which is unlike me, I normally struggle with short stories. The writing is beautiful and each story is completely different to the one before, each character developed so distinctly that they‘re imprinted on my brain right now! 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Does anyone have any great reccs for other books by Thai authors? I‘d love to read more about this country.

rockpools A couple of us read & loved this one last year - it's more short stories, but I *think* there's a novel coming out later in the year. There doesn't seem to be a huge number of Thai books out there in English though. (Stacking Sightseeing!) 7y
Centique @RachelO thanks! Stacked it 😊 I hope publishers realise we need more books translated 🤞🤞 7y
batsy I'm quite amazed at the dearth of That fiction in translation, too. I'm doing passportlitsy and one of the countries is Thailand, and I'll be reading the Prabda Yoon book tagged above 🙂 7y
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Centique @batsy I know right? Makes me realise again how much work there is to do to get more diverse books. I must look and see if there‘s a way to support that goal. 7y
Cathythoughts I‘m not a short story fan either. But was very impressed with Sarah Hall‘s Madame Zero. So I‘m stacking this one, you make a good case 👍✨✨ 7y
Centique @Cathythoughts and I stacked Madame Zero! Snap 😁 7y
61 likes3 stack adds6 comments
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Centique
Sightseeing | Rattawut Lapcharoensap
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These stories are so vivid! I‘m transported by this one piece 😍😍😍

Reggie That was beautiful. 7y
Centique @Reggie there‘s more where that came from! I‘m just sad to find there‘s only one book by this author. (As far as google can show me) Hope he‘s working on another. 7y
Cathythoughts Poignant ❤️ 7y
41 likes3 stack adds3 comments
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Ncostell
Sightseeing | Rattawut Lapcharoensap
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Pickpick

I read this collection of short stories from #Thailand by Rattawut Lapcharoensap for the #readaroundtheworld challenge. It's been a long time since I've sat down to read a book of short stories but I'm glad I read this one. It was a great way to get a glimpse of many different aspects of the Thai culture.

JenP I just read another review of this by another participant who also liked it. Beautiful cover! I am glad you liked it too 7y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Pretty pic!! 7y
Ncostell @JenP Yes, I liked the cover too. This was a book I don't think I would have discovered before this challenge, it's been fun expanding my reading horizons. 7y
Ncostell @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Thanks! The flowers were from my daughter's dance recital which I snagged for my photo op. 7y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Ncostell beautiful!! I'm sure her recital was awesome!! 😊 7y
59 likes1 stack add5 comments
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hike.read.repeat
Sightseeing | Rattawut Lapcharoensap
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Panpan

I didn't like this one. Had to force myself through it bc I'm using it for a challenge.

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nomadreader
Sightseeing | Rattawut Lapcharoensap
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A short story collection by a Thai-American author about traveling in Thailand? The perfect book to read while traveling in Thailand.

ReadingEnvy Perfect! 8y
3 likes3 stack adds1 comment