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Bangkok Wakes to Rain: A Novel Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Pitchaya Sudbanthad (Author), Euan Morton (Narrator), Penguin Audio (Publisher)
3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 470 ratings
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"Recreates the experience of living in Thailand's aqueous climate so viscerally that you can feel the water rising around your ankles." (Ron Charles, Washington Post)

"Important, ambitious, and accomplished." (Mohsin Hamid, New York Times best-selling author of Exit West)

A missionary doctor pines for his native New England even as he succumbs to the vibrant chaos of 19th-century Siam. A post-World War II society woman marries, mothers, and holds court, little suspecting her solitary fate. A jazz pianist in the age of rock, haunted by his own ghosts, is summoned to appease the house's resident spirits. In the present, a young woman tries to outpace the long shadow of her political past. And in a New Krungthep yet to come, savvy teenagers row tourists past landmarks of the drowned old city they themselves do not remember. Time collapses as these lives collide and converge, linked by the forces voraciously making and remaking the amphibious, ever-morphing capital itself. Bangkok Wakes to Rain is an elegy for what time erases and a love song to all that persists, yearning, into the unknowable future.

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  1. Listening Length
    11 hours and 24 minutes
  2. Author
    Pitchaya Sudbanthad
  3. Narrator
    Euan Morton
  4. Audible release date
    February 19, 2019
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Penguin Audio
  7. ASIN
    B07NJ6QW5G
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 11 hours and 24 minutes
Author Pitchaya Sudbanthad
Narrator Euan Morton
Audible.com Release Date February 19, 2019
Publisher Penguin Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B07NJ6QW5G
Best Sellers Rank #36,740 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#70 in Asian American & Pacific Islander Literature
#248 in Asian American Literature & Fiction
#436 in Cultural Heritage Fiction

Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
470 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book engaging and entertaining. They praise the writing quality as nice and the characters as interesting. The setting is described as evocative and compelling, conjuring up familiar scenes. However, some readers find it difficult to keep track of all the charts. Opinions differ on the narrative structure - some find it innovative and intricately constructed, while others feel it's disjointed and confusing.

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ReadabilityWriting qualityCharacter developmentEvocativenessNarrative structureDifficulty to keep track
14 customers mention "Readability"12 positive2 negative

Customers enjoy the book's readability. They find it engaging, with vivid descriptions of Bangkok at various time periods and interesting characters. The vignettes evoke familiar scenes for some readers.

"Well-written, though a bit artsy for my taste, with a host of interesting and sympathetic characters...." Read more

"...Some of the vignettes were engaging and did, indeed, conjure up familiar scenes, but as the book progressed it got more and more unreadable for me...." Read more

"I loved this book! The author uses an innovative style to weave a tale about the human cost of politics in the mid 20th century...." Read more

"I really enjoyed this book. Go back and read chapter one after you finish. It's the ending as well as the beginning...." Read more

12 customers mention "Writing quality"9 positive3 negative

Customers appreciate the writing quality. However, some find the storyline disjointed and hard to read.

"...It's beautifully written, so intricately structured. There are still scenes that replay in my head when I try to go to bed. It's that kind of book" Read more

"Well-written, though a bit artsy for my taste, with a host of interesting and sympathetic characters...." Read more

"Well written, but the time line jumping is slightly confusing. It's hard to keep track of all the chart as well. But!..." Read more

"...It's the ending as well as the beginning. Some nice writing: "I tasted dirt and rubies and thousands of years of rain" or how about- the guard "..." Read more

7 customers mention "Character development"5 positive2 negative

Customers enjoy the character development and find the characters intriguing.

"...a bit artsy for my taste, with a host of interesting and sympathetic characters...." Read more

"A confusing story to follow with interesting sections and characters but it is hard to understand the big picture. Not recommended." Read more

"...As for the story, I found the characters sad, hopeless in their lives, and stuck in go-nowhere lives...." Read more

"This is an exquisite book. Beautifully constructed story with memorable characters." Read more

7 customers mention "Evocativeness"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book evocative of Bangkok. It conjures familiar scenes and depicts the city in different historical periods. The book is described as gorgeous, unforgettable, and unquestionably Thai.

"...Some of the vignettes were engaging and did, indeed, conjure up familiar scenes, but as the book progressed it got more and more unreadable for me...." Read more

"...The book is unquestionably Thai. My many visits to Thailand I think definitely played a part in why I enjoyed the book...." Read more

"...Yes, the setting of Bangkok was described in different historical periods and rain and water in general played a part in the story, but the..." Read more

"...for three plus years, I was brought back to that complex and compelling city by this book." Read more

10 customers mention "Narrative structure"4 positive6 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the narrative structure. Some find it innovative and beautifully constructed, with memorable characters. Others mention a disjointed narrative that flips back and forth between characters without any relationship between them. The flow of the chapters also appears disjointed.

"...It took a little getting used to that the story flips back & forth among characters with no relationship to each other - different eras of time too...." Read more

"...It's beautifully written, so intricately structured. There are still scenes that replay in my head when I try to go to bed. It's that kind of book" Read more

"A confusing story to follow with interesting sections and characters but it is hard to understand the big picture. Not recommended." Read more

"I loved this book! The author uses an innovative style to weave a tale about the human cost of politics in the mid 20th century...." Read more

3 customers mention "Difficulty to keep track"0 positive3 negative

Customers find it difficult to keep track of all the charts.

"...It's hard to keep track of all the chart as well. But! It is very well written I found it an enjoyable reac" Read more

"...The multiple characters and povs were sometimes difficult for me to keep track of, sort of like when I read Connie Willis...." Read more

"...different centuries with numerous characters that it’s impossible to keep track...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Tyler Clark
    5.0 out of 5 stars A gorgeous book. Unforgettable
    Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I read this book a year ago, and I loved it. It's been on my mind this whole time and I need more people to read it so I can discuss with them. It's beautifully written, so intricately structured. There are still scenes that replay in my head when I try to go to bed. It's that kind of book
    One person found this helpful
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  • Bill Schauman
    4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting take on Thailand by a bicultural Thai-American
    Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Well-written, though a bit artsy for my taste, with a host of interesting and sympathetic characters. Their lives intertwine through Bangkok from the mid-19th to the late 21st (!) century, where you'll probably wish you hadn't ventured.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Martha Kuhlmann
    3.0 out of 5 stars Just a no.
    Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I visited Bangkok for the first time in 1966 as a student on a year-abroad program. I have now been visiting for 54 years and am due to visit again in February 2020. As such I was quite excited to hear the positive reviews and looked forward to a novel that promised to provide a sense of place. Some of the vignettes were engaging and did, indeed, conjure up familiar scenes, but as the book progressed it got more and more unreadable for me. Part of that was due to the apocalyptic territory into which it moved. I am not a fan, at all, of such writing and felt that I had been duped into this ending. As with many such visions, it did not hold water for me (or in this case, way too much). Bangkok is at risk, profound risk, as seas rise, but trying to speak meaningfully about how that will play out just didn't work for me at all.
    8 people found this helpful
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  • Winifred Nathan
    5.0 out of 5 stars Yes, There Are Spirits
    Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I, unlike some other readers, couldn’t put the book down. I have visited Thailand 20 times ... often for two months at a time. The book is unquestionably Thai. My many visits to Thailand I think definitely played a part in why I enjoyed the book. I continuously recalled images of places and events experienced in Bangkok and Thailand as a whole. For me the book revealed insights into the spiritual psyche of Thai people that is not so readily observed but always present. Yes, the spiritual life of Thai people Is grounded in Buddhism, but there is more. Perhaps without at least some introduction to Thai spirits grasping and weaving together the chapters could be difficult. I almost did not buy the book because of the remarks in the two to theee star reviews. Not only am I pleased that I read the book once, but I will definitely read it again. It may have to substitute for a visit this year because of the pandemic.
    10 people found this helpful
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  • Maggie Lierle
    4.0 out of 5 stars Bangkok Awakes to Rain
    Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I like Asian authors. Had not read this one before. It took a little getting used to that the story flips back & forth among characters with no relationship to each other - different eras of time too. Oh well - I enjoyed the book anyway.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Charlene
    2.0 out of 5 stars yawn
    Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    A confusing story to follow with interesting sections and characters but it is hard to understand the big picture.
    Not recommended.
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  • GB
    3.0 out of 5 stars Well written, but the time line jumping is slightly confusing
    Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Well written, but the time line jumping is slightly confusing. It's hard to keep track of all the chart as well. But! It is very well written I found it an enjoyable reac
    One person found this helpful
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  • Chesney Hoagland-Fuchs
    5.0 out of 5 stars A window into the history of democracy in Thailand
    Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I loved this book! The author uses an innovative style to weave a tale about the human cost of politics in the mid 20th century. Thailand faced the same kind of anti Communist, authoritarian government response to the Vietnam era that so many countries throughout the world did in those years. The role of the United States, the CIA and the "Domino Theory" that Communism was going to take over the entire globe brought mayhem into the lives of ordinary people from Chile to Indochina, and this story about how it effected the Bangkok based characters grabbed my heart while it educated my head on the history. Highly recommended for fans of modern history as well as those who love intricate stories about family, love and how to navigate life in those proverbial "Interesting Times"
    5 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • qpyy
    3.0 out of 5 stars バンコクに縁がある人には面白いかも
    Reviewed in Japan on September 26, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    バンコクに関して、縁もゆかりもなかったがため、特に感動や共感はありませんでした
    またストーリーも、ところどころ面白いと感じるものもありましたが、わずかに繋がっている部分が何か重大な意味をなすわけではなかったので、読み終えた後にふぅんと思うだけでした

    ひとまず1976年10月にそういうクーデターが起こったんだなぁということは勉強になりました
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  • Mark Frost
    5.0 out of 5 stars Superb novel
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 14, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Brilliant book, great delivery service
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  • timutteridge
    2.0 out of 5 stars Jerky and disjointed
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 13, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I struggled with this, like many other reviewers have noted. There’s a thread in there, maybe, but too many characters that are never fleshed out result in a lurching text that never engages the reader - it’s impossible to know what is happening and what is going to happen. Starts with a Victorian doctor, then a guy coming and going between Bangkok (sorry, but calling it Krungthep is like calling London Londres, a literary affectation), then a girl wanting plastic surgery then a flooded, future Bangkok and finishing with a recovering Jazz musician and a swimming instructor. Clever perhaps, but too clever for me, and not a novel but just fragments of a creative writing course bundled together. Poorly edited too. The section set in England was bad, not very English - I didn’t recognise what was being written about (being from the U.K.), too many Americanisms and scenarios that are just not right and it felt strange and forced. Whilst looking forward to this book as a regular visitor to Bangkok, sorry, Krungthep, I dreaded picking it up to force my way through a bit more. Elated with finishing just so I can read something else. I can’t recommend it.
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  • Emma R.
    2.0 out of 5 stars couldn't finish it.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 10, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I bought this as was recommended by the FT and have not gone wrong on their recommendations before. Sadly it's pretty basic in terms of story telling / scene setting and vocab - like a teenager's stab at a book, and not a good read. I gave up half way when it just didn't improve and seemed like there was no real point to the various threads of story. Boring book.
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