Book review: 'Return Bangkok'

Khun Peter takes it book 'Return Bangkok' and gives his opinion on Michiel Heijungs' debut novel.

Books with Thailand as a subject have my special attention. This certainly applies to the novel written by Michiel Heijungs, who promises to bring tension and humor together in his book entitled 'Retour Bangkok'.

Given my busy life, I always have to look for the right time to read a book. When I left for Thailand a few years ago, Michiel's book went with me in my hand luggage. Unfortunately, not much came of reading on the plane. However, the book eventually ended up where most books end up, on the bedside table next to my hotel bed. And because my girlfriend needs a lot of time to dress up, this book was the rescue to soften the passive waiting.

There are only a few books that you immediately click with. Only the absolute top writers can enchant you after a paragraph with carefully chosen words and sentences. So it took me a while to get into the story. However, I must take into account that I am less sensitive to the sometimes cliché-like descriptions about Thailand. It will not be easy for a writer to surprise me with written images about this country. That is not possible if you write about Thailand every day. What makes the book particularly interesting to me is that the story takes place in the late XNUMXs. Well before my Thailand period.

Michiel calls it a 'picaresque novel' and I think that's right. The main character is an older hippie who smells big money but is certainly not a seasoned criminal. He is even more of a romantic and somewhat naive person, which is shown by his spontaneous love for a sexy bargirl. The smuggling of weed from Thailand to Australia brings the main character into contact with bad boys. That is the theme of the story. The underworld of 'easy money' provides temptations that even the main character cannot resist. A stay in Bangkok is then 'tying the cat to the bacon'.

The storyline is well constructed, although it lacks some pace at times. The bizarre situations in which the main character ends up are realistic, especially if you know how things work in Thailand. The mix of nostalgia, romance, violence and humor are refreshing, although the writer has set the bar high for himself. Because of this I sometimes have the feeling that the story drags on and becomes predictable. A number of surprising twists would have given the book more dynamism.

Nevertheless, I continued to read fascinated and picked up the book again in a quiet hour. This novel is definitely recommended for anyone who likes to read and loves Thailand. The book largely meets expectations and is therefore certainly a successful debut by the author. My advice is therefore: buy it and experience the exciting Thai adventures in times gone by.

The book can be ordered via Bol.com, more information: Return Bangkok from Michiel Heijungs or visit the author's website: www.michielheijungs.nl

Michiel Heijungs: Return Bangkok – Publisher GA van Oorschot – ISBN 9789028260542. Paperback with flaps – Price: € 16,50