A
new book from the talented Louis Anschel, German by birth and used as a
translator from English to German; however, his linguistic skills allow him
to also use English for his literary expression.
A Snake in Paradise (ISBN 978-616-7111-17-9, Bamboo
Sinfonia, 2010) follows his popular book A Farang Strikes Back.
In this latest book, Anschel introduces many characters
in the first third of the book, and the reader is left wondering just how
they will all connect, and when.
The opening chapter drags the reader’s attention by
suggesting that a double murder was happening as you read, but was it?
The following chapter introduces a simple farm girl from
Buriram, living in a wooden shanty, with the ambition to live in a concrete
house. She does not have a very pleasant introduction to adult life, being
raped by her elder brother. A fate that too many young girls meet
up-country.
The next characters, Peter and Jane from the UK are
retirees looking to purchase a condominium being assisted by a beautiful
real estate saleslady known as Apple. They are followed by Ingmar, a
Scandinavian enjoying the boisterous nightlife of Pattaya.
But the list of characters does not end there - next is
Heini, a German expat, married to a Thai and running a small loss-making
hotel/guest house. Heini is having marital problems, differing from his
spouse as to how the guest house should be turned around to make a profit,
as his pension cannot finance the enterprise forever.
As the book moves on, the farm girl ends up working at a
Pattaya bar, just as her mother does. The mind-set of the girl as she meets
all the nuances of bar work, is well explained. When your mother is doing
it, and you are surrounded by other girls all practicing the ‘trade’ makes
it acceptable in the young girl’s mind.
A French Algerian joins the cast, and at this stage, half
way through the book you start understanding just who is the real central
character from the selections that author Anschel lays before you.
As well as Thai village life, this book takes you into
the customs and culture of the Thais, and shows a great understanding of
them. The different attitudes towards daily events can be quite different
between foreigners and the indigenous peoples. The bar girl-foreigner
relationship dynamics is explained very well.
As the plot unfolds you are given the identity of the
central character, who has built a very interesting web of deceit. After
this, the pace picks up until you are rushing headlong from one disaster to
another, and the central character reveals just how evil a character can be.
With the majority of the book set in Pattaya, familiar
places and streets abound. Including the Royal Garden Plaza and Central
Festival and even our police station.
An interesting read as you try to put all the characters
together, which happens in an intriguing way. At B. 395 this is a very
cheap, but very enjoyable read, well crafted and a thriller in the popular
genre. Available through all good book stores.
