This is a stupendous novel, one I never wanted to end.
Set in contemporary Bangkok – there are references to the new king – there is, nevertheless, a feeling that the book is set in a slightly timeless, slowed down city. The almost dreamlike remoteness and otherworldliness of The Kingdom – an apartment building which is at the heart of the story – the oppressive weather, the rain and the humidity seem to seep into your bones as you read, in the same way Sarah, the main protagonist of the book, sinks into listlessness.
I read this fabulous book in Bangkok & incredibly there was a violent monsoon downpour while I read the opening lines…if ever a book was destined to be noticed and loved:
“On the upper floors of the Kingdom, as the first winds of the monsoons picked up, the rains swept in just before first light.”
The author, while invoking Bangkok’s streets & restaurants, infuses a dreamlike quality to the city. Plants, trees, fireflies, abandoned buildings all seem a world away from the noise and traffic and malls of contemporary Bangkok.
“The lightning on the horizon had become more neurotic, one part of the sky silently flaring for a moment, and a second later a different part. The flashes lit up random buildings in the distance, towers that she hadn’t noticed before. And then haggard trees, forgotten walls, temple spires that didn’t seem to exist in daylight…It was at these moments, which came upon her with stealth, that she realised how unknown this spiritual landscape was to her, how little she spoke its languages or understood its symbols.”
Nature and the change of light are integral parts of Mr. Osborne’s Bangkok:
“The towers turned bronze as the sun slipped away behind them and cast cavernous shadows across the gardens. The city switching from its brutal daylight chaos to its sweeter nocturnal order/. The acacias brimmed with little excited birds collectively capable of creating a continuous roar, and above the whitewashed walls fan palms and bougainvillea suddenly stood out with a dark and formidable glamour.”
Since I was reading the book in Bangkok, I ended up googling the sois & restaurants & landmarks Mr. Osborne references, and sure enough they all exist.
Yet for the 4 young women who live in The Kingdom – Sarah, Nat, Ximena & Mali – their lives are more influenced by The Kingdom than the city per se. Nat may well work at the Marriott & Ximena in a French restaurant, but ultimately their lives are affected by the secretive, half-empty, dusty, cavernous apartment complex where they all live, and where secrets exist.
The women are not close friends – they spend some time together, drinking and playing cards, but remain excluded from total intimacy and from much of each others’ lives.
Mali, who is half-Thai, intrigues them all. Sarah has a massive secret which we know about, but the other women do not.
Although initially superficially friendly, as the book slowly unfolds, mutual suspicions affect the womens’ relationships. What seems to be the initial dreamlike qualities of Bangkok turn imperceptibly and then increasingly threatening. Political and civic unrest on the streets below affect their lives, and the sounds, the gunfire, the power cuts, all take their toll.
The author tells his story from the varying points of views of his characters, moving seamlessly from one to another, skilfully weaving stories together, all the while imperceptibly tightening the noose of fear and distrust. The mood of the book becomes increasingly unsettling, and we instinctively know that karma is lurking. Crimes are committed, lies are told, and death occurs, but despite the increasing tension, even so the ending of the book is breathtaking.
I am deliberately not telling you what crimes occur. I want you to enjoy this gripping, thrilling read without any plot-spoiling from me.
Such a great book.
100% recommend.
Just one final note – Mr. Osborne said in an interview that The Kingdom is modelled on the apartment complex where he lives, so if anyone can ID it for me, that would be amazing!