If
you think that this is another book in the Vincent Calvino series with its
plot revolving around Christopher G. Moore’s Private Investigator Vincent
Calvino, then think again. It is not.
If you think this is the next stand alone novel to follow
the 10 that Moore has already written, then think again. It is not.
This is a completely new genre, a collection of essays in
four broad parts commencing with Perspectives on Crime Fiction Writing,
followed by Clues to Solving Cultural Mysteries, then Observations from the
Front Lines and finally Outside the Southeast Asia Comfort Zone.
The subtitle to The Cultural Detective, (ISBN
978-616-90393-8-9, Heaven Lake Press, 2011), is “Reflections on the Writing
Life in Thailand”. Author Moore manages to look at the reflections without
becoming introspective, but has the ability to dissect concepts and customs
with a very equal handedness. These are genuine explanations of Thai customs
given by someone who does not let his own culture and customs impinge on the
details.
An example of this is, “In Thailand the deference culture
is largely built around age, rank, family and wealth. The Thai expression is
kreng jai, and that term underpins the social, political and economic
system and has done so for centuries.”
The essays do cover Moore’s methods in writing fiction.
“You have a choice in the road you take. Authors make that choice every time
they start a book. Writing blends death and sex into myth, folktale, legend
and serving up a strong brew turns us into addicts.” He explains the
pitfalls. “Writing a book takes long hours of focused attention. You can’t
multi-task and write a novel. Because you have to keep the whole story,
plots and sub-plots, characters, their connections and motivations inside
your head as a unified whole. This is fragile territory. One that is easily
distracted.”
However, these essays are much more than a potted ‘How
To’ book (Dale Carnegie has a lot to answer for). Moore looks
dispassionately at some of the reasons the youth of the world is resorting
to anarchy. “….who have no job and turn to crime as the only available
option. This new army of angry young recruits may not be fuelled by the
hatred of a jihad. The fuel of despair and hopelessness are the precursors
to hatred, and you don’t need a religion to motivate such young men. Wanting
status and the material stuff that a material society proclaims is essential
for your manhood is the new scripture.”
Christopher G. Moore is an excellent writer, and his
style in this collection reminds me of Bill Bryson (A Short History of
Nearly Everything) and Dave Barry (I’ll Mature When I’m Dead), though
Moore’s subject matter remains more deeply thought provoking than the
former, in my opinion.
Cultural Detective won’t be carried by Asia
Books/Bookazine, so if you are in Thailand then you can order at a 10
percent discount for THB 350 retail price (includes free shipping in
Thailand) from http://goo.gl/HZzrn. Outside Thailand, order directly from
Moore’s website: http://goo.gl/tWwLn and there is a 30 percent
discount for the first 15 orders. A literary bargain!