Throwback Thursday #3: Anna and the King of Siam (Margaret Landon)

Throwback Thursday is a monthly bookish meme hosted by Davida @ The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog every first Thursday of the month, where we are highlighting one of our previously published book reviews.

I see this as an opportunity to re-post (or translate posts originally published in Bahasa Indonesia) my old book reviews, previously posted in my old (now inactive) blogs.

For #ThrowbackThursday this week I picked a historical fiction I have read and reviewed in April 2018

Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon

🟢 I am never a movie person. But among the short list of movies I have ever watched (most of them are book-turns-to-movies or movies starred by Matt Damon--yes I'm his fan!), there are even shorter list of movies which I often re-watch. One of them are Anna and the King, starring Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-Fat.

🟢 I loved its cultural background of 19th century Siam. I also loved the silent and respectable romance of an English woman and the King of Siam, as well as the perfect chemistry of Jodi and Yun-Fat. I learned later that it was based on the diary of a real Anna Leonowens--an English Governess hired by King Mongkut of Siam to teach his children (later on, his harem too). When searching for this diary, I stumbled upon this historical novel by Margaret Landon. She re-wrote Leonowens' diary into a more flowing story (cutting a lot of tedious geographical and anthropological entries of the original diary).

🟢  If you have watched the movie, imagine the much savage, violent, selfish, and distrustful King, in oppose to Yun-Fat's charismatic and charming version; then increase by ten folds the wretched condition of the slave of a rich lady, of whom Anna has helped to buy the freedom. Imagine also how the revengeful King would react when his favorite concubine, Tuptim, was running away with her lover; that instead of regretting his impotence in intervening the court verdict and heartbrokenly but secretly crying for Tuptim's unfair death penalty like Yun-Fat's version, the real King was ten times crueler and more revengeful in his terrible rage. And lastly, the real King, while quite often granting Anna's request, he was also harsh, unfair, and deceitful towards Anna--and certainly very far away from having any sparks of romance! There... if you combine those aspects, you'll get the rough idea of the book.

🟢 When starting this book, I have prepared myself to not expecting any romanticism of the movie. Nevertheless, I was a bit surprised to learn the terrors Anna and her household must have endured during her stay at Siam. And my admiration grew for her. If this was truly Anna Leonowens' account of her real life in Siam, then she must have probably been one of the bravest women ever lived in 19th century. How terrible and dangerous her life and work were, and all for a vague hope that the crown prince Chulalongkorn might bring justice and brighter future to Siam when he succeeded his father!

🟢 The only time I did not hate King Mongkut, was near the end, in his thank you letter to Anna, where he said: "...All that [Chulalongkorn] ever learned of good in his life, you taught him." I think that was one thing teachers would always like to hear.

🟢 Finally, while the movie ends with emotional separation (the dance always makes me cry!), the historical novel ends with a slightly hopeful future, though not as emotional as when Yun-Fat embracing Jodie in their last dance: "It was through the principles laid down in her teaching that he had formed the plans by which he had transformed his kingdom."

🟢 4/5 stars for this tremendous story of an English woman.

*********

Have you read this book? Or watched the movie?

 

Murder in the Mill-Race (1952) by E.C.R. Lorac: An Audiobook Review

🔶️ When Dr. and Mrs. Raymond Ferens moved to a rural village called Milham in the Moor of Devon, they were charmed by the picturesque village. But after a while they begin to notice the hidden malice among its people.

🔶️ Sister Monica is the warden of the local children's home. Though everyone praises her very highly - almost like a saint - the Ferens see her as a cruel authoritarian woman with huge influence among the people. But they wisely keep their knowledge to themselves, and not interfere with the children's home affair.

🔶️ Then one day Sister Monica's body was found floating near the mill, with bruises on the back of her head. Neither suicide nor accident were considered possible, and therefore... murder it was. But, who's done it? And why?

🔶️ The local Sergeant finds it difficult at first to deal with the village people, in finding clues or motive. Unanimously they shut their mouths as tightly as clamps; no one seems to know anything, and everyone seems to protect the others. But Chief Inspector MacDonald is undeterred by this show off of "village loyalty". He's an outsider, and he wisely but determinedly uses his authority to dig for facts.

🔶️ The further Inspector MacDonald digs, the more it is revealed that Sister Monica wasn't saintly at all. Dark secrets were enveloping her person, that somebody's honour was threatened.

🔶️ This was my first Lorac's, and I instantly loved her style. She reminds me a little of Agatha Christie's small-village-mystery. Inspector MacDonald becomes my new favorite detective now; his deduction and understanding of psychological aspect of human beings is marvellous, and his way of handling people is uncanny. He has Hercule Poirot's confidence as well as intelligence, but without the latter's (cough) vanity.

🔶️ I always love simplistic mystery in small villages, where everybody knows everything about everyone - there's bound to be hatred, gossips, and jealousy underneath the supposedly peaceful atmosphere. This one is all that. A simple but satisfying read!

Rating: 4,5 / 5

This book counts for British Crime Classics Challenge 2023

For Bingo Card: Death by Drowning
For Monthly Theme: Authors New to Me

The 12.30 from Croydon (1934) by Freeman Wills Croft

🛩 The story opens with little Rose Morley's enthusiasm over her first journey by plane. Her mother has had an accident in France, and her father takes her on the journey, together with her grandpa, who insisted on going along despite his declining health. The flight goes well, and they are all enjoying it. But when the plane arrives in France, they can't wake Andrew Crowther, Rose's grandpa. He's dead!

🛩 The story suddenly switched to a Charles Swinburn, Crowther's nephew who has succeeded his uncle in leading the manufacturing business Crowther has built. It was then that I realized that this is actually an inverted mystery. It's not about whodunnit, but howcatchem. The readers follow the story from the murderer's point of view, instead of the detective's as in most crime stories.

🛩 Charles Swinburn is the murderer. Business is slacking, and he needs money to avoid ruin, and, most importantly, to marry Una Melor, a refined girl he's infatuated to. Crowther had made it clear that he will inherit a lot of money after his uncle died (the money will be divided between Charles and Elsie Morley, Rose's mother), but he can't wait until then. If only....

🛩 We follow Charles' every step and thoughts through the story. How he's disgusted at first at his own thoughts of committing murder, his pleas to get the promised money from his uncle in advance (and rejected), to his decision to take the only possible way he sees - murder - while self-justifying himself. We witness here the machination of mind of an ordinary decent man turn murderer. Fascinating!

🛩 When the decision has been made, the realization is quite simple. Charles meticulously crafts his method; planning the details, thinking over all possibilities, alibi and all. It is a simple murder, really. He just switches off his uncle's bottle of indigestion pills with another in which he has put cyanide inside one pill, placing it near the bottom of other real indigestion pills (to give him enough time to prepare his alibi). When his uncle would take that poisonous pill, he'll die quickly, and everyone will think it a natural death, while Charles is far away from home, taking a holiday on a cruiser.

🛩 As usual, 99% of every genius plan must have at least one setback. In murder, that tiny loophole can ruin the whole plan. And what with perpetual remorse and anxiety, sooner or later a murderer can lose his mind. This story should show every murderer-to-be, that committing murder is really not worth it - whatever it was that one expects to gain!

🛩 It is a very interesting approach to a murder mystery, but I think I much prefer the conventional style. Moreover, this story feels a bit redundant. After having followed the murderer’s detailed action, we must then attend the court, where the case is discussed again; and after that, the police and detectives discuss all the loose ends. Interesting, perhaps, but rather tiresome.

Rating: 3,5 / 5

This book counts for British Crime Classics Challenge 2023

For Bingo Card: Death Onboard: Aircraft
For Monthly Theme: Authors New to Me

Six Books Saturday #1: New-to-Me Crime Writers

#SixBooksSaturday is my new personal monthly bookish meme, inspired by Six Word Saturday, which I've stumbled upon @ Travel with Intent.

I thought it would be fun to list six books of random category/theme, which I'd decide on the spot. It might be six favorite books from my favorite author, or six books I've just added to my TBR. Or, if I find a gorgeous pinkish cover, I might list six pink book covers. Anything is possible according to my whim.

I will post Six Books Saturday on the last Saturday of each month. If you're interested, you are, of course, welcomed to join me. There's no rule, really. You can post six anything about books with your own theme, and leave your link in the comment, so I can read you posts. Or you can share the posts in Twitter (I still call it that) with hashtag #SixBooksSaturday, and don't forget to tag me!

This month I pick a theme which is correlated with this month's British Classics Crime Challenge theme, which is Authors New to Me.

Here is my first Six Books Saturday:

NEW-TO-ME CRIME WRITERS I've read so far this year, whose books I'm excited to read more

(in no particular order)

Christianna Brand

(my first read: Heads You Lose)

Dolores Hitchens

(my first read: The Cat Saw Murder)

Stuart Palmer

(my first read: The Penguin Pool Murder)

E.C.R. Lorac

(my first read: The Murder in the Mill-Race – review yet to come)

Merryn Allingham

(my first read: The Bookshop Murder)

Robin Forsythe

(my first read: The Pleasure Cruise Mystery)

Have you read these writers? Which one is your favorite?

 

The Pleasure Cruise Mystery (1933) by Robin Forsythe

⛴ Algernon Vereker is lucky to have Manuel Ricardo as his best friend. When Vereker's feeling down after bad criticism of his latest painting, Ricardo suggested a pleasure cruise holiday. Well, his suggestion is not fully unselfish, because he hoped Vereker would pay for his ticket as well!

⛴ Just when Vereker begins to feel bored on board the cruise, mysterious things happen. A woman called Beryl Mesado, his cabin neighbor, seems to avoid being seen in public. She makes an appearance at dinner, but it's quite a distance from Vereker's table, that he can't see her face. She wears a pale blue dress and a diamond necklace with butterfly clap. On board with this elusive woman is a maid/companion and the Colvins (sister and brother-in-law).

⛴ At his cabin Vereker hears conversation between Beryl and Colvin. Beryl insists that Colvin must do "the job" quickly despite of the "risks". At this Vereker's boredom vanishes, and his sleuthing mode is on!

⛴ On the fatal night, Vereker hears Beryl's exclaimation that Maureen's necklace is gone. Who's Maureen? Then a rattle sounds inside Vereker's cabin, which he can't find the source. At midnight, Ricardo wakes him up as he'd found a woman's body on the deck, wearing pale blue evening dress, but without the diamond necklace. Her knuckles were bruised inside her chamois gloves (which doesn't match her evening outfit), and Vereker notices that her shoes are of bigger sizes. The Colvins admit that Beryl had had bad heart condition, and that must have been the cause of her death. But was it?

⛴ Later on Vereker found the diamond necklace with butterfly clasp on his cabin! So, that's where the rattle sound came from! But Colvin said the missing necklace is of white and cinnamon diamonds. Are there two missing necklaces, then? And was it burglary and murder?

⛴ This is a very complex and complicated murder mystery. Besides the Colvins, the other suspects consist of Dias, an acquaintance of the family, and a wealthy young girl, a Miss Penteado, Ricardo's crush. The murder method is the most unusual I've ever known. It's like when Forsythe saw the device, he thought, "Ha! That can cause death if one isn't careful!", and used it for his next novel.

⛴ All in all, it's a fun read. I loved the holiday vibes onboard the cruiser. I also loved the witty banters between Vereker and Ricardo; and the mystery itself is really puzzling. The only setback is the redundancy whenever Vereker told Inspector Heather or Ricardo of how the case has been progressing, or their discussing over the solution. Other than that, it's a witty, highly entertaining mystery with unusual but ingenious plot. Many thanks to Dean Street Press for re-printing this Golden Age Mystery!

Rating: 4 / 5

This book counts for British Crime Classics Challenge 2023

For Bingo Card: Mystery Set on Boat/Ship
For Monthly Theme: Authors New to Me

Shelf Control #4: A Fete Worse Than Death by Lesley J. Taaffe

Shelf Control is a weekly feature created by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies, and celebrates the books waiting to be read on your TBR piles/mountains. Since early January 2023, Shelf Control has moved base to Literary Potpourri.

If you're a regular reader of this blog, you must have noticed that lately my readings are mostly of e-books and audiobooks, which I get from either Scribd or Google Playbook. In this episode of Shelf Control I am featuring an e-book from my "Saved" shelf at Scribd:

A Fete Worse Than Death (and other small church matters) by Lesley J. Taaffe

Summary from Amazon:
"Pastor Michael of Ainsworth Baptist Church has taken several months away from his duties to enjoy a well-earned Sabbatical and so Sister Marjory Steeple, stalwart of the church, upholder of traditional values and all that is seemly and decent, has taken it upon herself to write regular letters to Pastor Michael to keep him up to date regarding what is going on during his absence. Sister Marjory also takes the opportunity in her correspondence to make helpful suggestions as to how the good pastor might best improve the running of the church upon his return, and finds it unexpectedly therapeutic to off-load some of her own personal problems at the same time. These problems mainly revolve around her non-church going husband, George, and his unnerving obsession with his own funeral arrangements, their wayward son Christopher, and a bluff old cousin called Murgatroyd Thrip who is diligently (and against all the odds) following his calling to be a maverick missionary in far flung corners of the world.
Strangely enough Pastor Michael does not seem to appreciate Sister Marjory's selfless sacrifices and insightful suggestions quite as he should."


I think this would be a charming, humorous read that I'd need to cheer me up after some rough time, or a gory murder mystery. I like the tone of it, and the epistolary style of this lite book. But I'm surprised that it doesn't get reviewed in Amazon, and I couldn't find it in Goodreads either, thought it has been published since 2012. I hope it means that I've found a gem, instead of a junk!

What do you think of this book? Have you heard about it?

The Lonely Hearts Book Club by Lucy Gilmore: An Audiobook Review

💗 Sloane Parker is a librarian who loves her job in a small town. One of the patrons is an old curmudgeon called Arthur McLachlan, whose rudeness is not new to the staffs. Sloane had had her share of rough dealing with him too, but she also enjoys their literary banters.

💗 One day Sloane realized Arthur hasn't visited the library for some time. Worried that something's happened, she visited his house where he lives alone - against the library's rule - and found him really ill. From then on Sloane takes care of Arthur, in disguise of working with Arthur's personal library. In doing that, Sloane sacrifices a lot: her job (she got sacked) and facing the grudge of her fiancé. But she is happy.

💗 Besides Sloane, there is also Maisie, Arthur's nosy but kindhearted neighbor who also cares about him; Greg, Arthur's estranged grandson; Matteo, Sloane's ex-colleague who's hired to be Arthur's health nurse. The four of them gather regularly at Arthur's house to form a book club.

💗 Each member of the book club alternately narrates their story from their own point of views. And through these chapters, we slowly get to know each one of these characters - strength and weaknesses, problems and struggles, hopes and dreams, rejection and loneliness.

💗 I love the premise of this story, which is books. It is books that unite these strangers from various backgrounds. Through books that they discuss, they get to learn about themselves and their mistakes. Through books, they find courage to accept themselves and their loved ones, and to build their own future. Through books also, they cement their loves and friendship, and learn more about human's nature.

💗 Among various book titles mentioned throughout the book, Kazuo Ishiguro's Remains of the Day and L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables become two most important ones. Remains because it's their first book for the club, and Anne because they use it (by highlighting its passages with different colors - each represented certain person) to express their feelings to one of them. It would certainly be the most valuable gift a bookish person could ever receive, isn't it? Especially if the book happens to be his/her favorite. 

💗 All in all, it is a book about love, friendship, family, forgiveness, and redemption; sweet and heartwarming. And it makes me wanting to re-read Anne of Green Gables! I have listened and enjoyed this story from an audiobook, very well-narrated by Angie Kane. Given that this book is narrated alternately between the characters, audiobook is a perfect way of reading it, and I'm glad I've done that.

Rating: 5 / 5