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152nd out of 155 books
—
82 voters
Catching the Sun
by
Tony Parsons
Just how badly do you want to find paradise? When taxi driver Tom Finn is almost jailed for confronting two burglars in his own home, he leaves broken Britain and takes his wife and children to live on the tropical island of Phuket, Thailand. Phuket is all the Finn family dreamed of - a tropical paradise where the children swim with elephants, the gibbons sing love songs i...more
Paperback, 352 pages
Published
March 2012
by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
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I have read a few books by Tony Parsons, so was looking forward to reading this one.
Sadly I was really disappointed. The plot was disjointed, characters were flat and editing was sloppy. For example on the first page it states:
Rory is laid on his front with a book on his lap
The story is about a father (Tom) fleeing from broken Britain to start again in Thailand. His reasons for leaving I imagine, echo those that are currently felt by many. Recession, no jobs, break down of moral values.
Tom ends...more
Sadly I was really disappointed. The plot was disjointed, characters were flat and editing was sloppy. For example on the first page it states:
Rory is laid on his front with a book on his lap
The story is about a father (Tom) fleeing from broken Britain to start again in Thailand. His reasons for leaving I imagine, echo those that are currently felt by many. Recession, no jobs, break down of moral values.
Tom ends...more
For a book of its type, this book is generally ok. It’s not my normal kind-of reading but it certainly more than sufficed as a ‘beach read’ on a recent holiday.
It centres around a fictive British family who, after becoming dissatisfied with their life in the UK and a brush with ‘bad business’ after the father confronts burglars in his own home, relocate to Hat Nai Yang on the island of Phuket in Southern Thailand. After this, the book acts a kind of ‘tribute to Thailand’ and elaborates on how a...more
It centres around a fictive British family who, after becoming dissatisfied with their life in the UK and a brush with ‘bad business’ after the father confronts burglars in his own home, relocate to Hat Nai Yang on the island of Phuket in Southern Thailand. After this, the book acts a kind of ‘tribute to Thailand’ and elaborates on how a...more
This was a very 'comfortable' book The book would be great as a beach read or just to get away from the usual daily life.I was totally engrossed and think that anyone reading it can imagine themselves living in Thailand. I was captivated with the daily life of the natives and the Finn family fit right in. The reason for them moving to Thailand comes quite late in the book but this made sure you were part of the 'family' first.Their compassion for the islanders and the children especially worked...more
I found this book a bit slow in pace. The first part in particular was a bit tedious and there were only fleeting moments in the rest of the book where I was gripped. The plot line is actually quite good but the problem for me is that it felt like it was formulated and the writing and the characters are mediocre so I didn't believe in it and as a result didn't care what happened! It just didn't feel genuine to me.
The story is about a family emigrating to Thailand to find a better life away from...more
The story is about a family emigrating to Thailand to find a better life away from...more
Just how badly do you want to find paradise? When taxi driver Tom Finn is almost jailed for confronting two burglars in his own home, he leaves broken Britain and takes his wife and children to live on the tropical island of Phuket, Thailand. Phuket is all the Finn family dreamed of - a tropical paradise where the children swim with elephants, the gibbons sing love songs in the jungle, the Andaman Sea is like turquoise glass and this young family is free to grow. But both man-made disaster and t...more
I began reading this book and put it down several times, I'm glad I continued and finished it, it ended up pretty good. It took me back to when I travelled in Thailand and I felt an instant connection to what the author was saying. His descriptions were almost spot on.
Not until the 'main event' actually happened, I had no idea this book was based around that part of Thailand's history, which made me ever more engrossed in the book. I don't think the true devastation was captured, however it was...more
Not until the 'main event' actually happened, I had no idea this book was based around that part of Thailand's history, which made me ever more engrossed in the book. I don't think the true devastation was captured, however it was...more
Honestly, this book surprised me. Reading my previous status updates, you'd know that I wasn't really into it and I thought that it was a slightly "slow" book to me. Indeed I was wrong.
The first out of four parts of this book did not impress me at all. It was plain with perhaps too much description of the surroundings. Needless to say, it wasn't hard to get bored with it.
It gets better with each chapter though, and I soon found myself lost in the words of it. Very realistic, unexpected and well,...more
The first out of four parts of this book did not impress me at all. It was plain with perhaps too much description of the surroundings. Needless to say, it wasn't hard to get bored with it.
It gets better with each chapter though, and I soon found myself lost in the words of it. Very realistic, unexpected and well,...more
Living in Phuket I was interested to read this novel, which is based in Phuket at the time of the 2004 tsunami. Besides the many instances of him getting the culture, the geography and the 'scene' completely wrong, it was overall poorly written. The characters were flat, the plot turns far-fetched or just plain silly. Don't recommend, especially for those who live in or know Phuket! I think Parsons phoned this one in...
Tony Parson does not dissapoint. The words just flew off the pages....
A tale of disillusionment leading to a search for greener pastures, but is paradise always what it seems. When things do not appear to be what they seem, does one leave or stay.
"You dont go to another country to be someone else. You go to be yourself. You go to be the person you couldn't be back home. The person you want to be."
"Everyone goes home in the end"
A tale of disillusionment leading to a search for greener pastures, but is paradise always what it seems. When things do not appear to be what they seem, does one leave or stay.
"You dont go to another country to be someone else. You go to be yourself. You go to be the person you couldn't be back home. The person you want to be."
"Everyone goes home in the end"
Loved the frequent scenes focusing on aspects of Thailand's amazing wildlife and nature, and the setting as a whole, but otherwise this story seemed quite strange to me. The writing, plot and characters were all over the place. The ending was particularly disappointing, it seemed to say (view spoiler)
Pretty lightweight story of english family with a past who travel to Thailand to escape problems. But the descriptions of the area, Phuket, were amazing. One of the children is a nature lover, and through him there is a lot of information about gibbons, turtles etc but presented through a child's eyes. The more sleezy side of Thailand is also there which adds authenticity but is not overdone.
Tony Parsons stories are usually light if un-challenging reads, but I couldn't get into this one.
A husband and father takes his family to Thailand to get away from some bad times back home. They find a lovely house and start to learn the ways of the locals. There are some natural disasters and challenges from local thieves and they have to stick together to get through them. Meh.
A husband and father takes his family to Thailand to get away from some bad times back home. They find a lovely house and start to learn the ways of the locals. There are some natural disasters and challenges from local thieves and they have to stick together to get through them. Meh.
I tried, I really did, but I should've learned my lesson from the awful Man and Boy. Parsons is unaccountably popular but I find his prose stodgy, repetitive and dull and his characterisations inconsistent and shallow. Which only goes to prove that the appreciation of writing, as with all creative art forms, is wholly subjective. Nothing more to say.
I enjoy all of Tony Parsons' novels. This one was perhaps not as good as others, but I still enjoyed it and found it thought provoking. The key question in the novel was can you escape where you came from? As well as dealing with that essential question, the novel took place in Thailand the those observations were terrific.
I personally did not enjoy this book half as much as I expected to. Whilst Parsons must be commended for his evident research, only parts of this book kept my complete attention. Perhaps it's because I'm obviously not his target audience being a 19 year old female, but I can't name someone I know that I'd definitely recommend this to.
This book did not impress me at all. I really liked My Favourite Wife, with all the foreignness and cultural differences of another country. While Catching the Sun transports you to another part of the world, the characters are flat, stereotypical and written in black and white colours.
Thought this lost its way. The central section about the Thailand Boxing Day tusnami was the most gripping but the rest meandered rather. The last section which basically centred round a character we'd heard little of until that point was miscalculated. All in all an easy read but (central section aside) rather unfulfilling
I live in Thailand, so was looking forward to reading a book about the place I am currently in.
I was incredibly dissapointed. Found it a stereotypical view point of an expats view of the country.
Spoke about it with other friends here in Bangkok and we all felt the same.
I was incredibly dissapointed. Found it a stereotypical view point of an expats view of the country.
Spoke about it with other friends here in Bangkok and we all felt the same.
I hate starting a book and not finishing it ... so I struggled through this one to the end ... and it really was so bad that it felt painful to read. Anybody who has spent any time in Thailand will cringe at the picture painted of life here ... really really disappointing book.
Although well written and the characterisation was good I found this novel a little 'plodding' at times and disappointing. The setting of Thailand was exciting and adventurous but I felt a litte underwhelmed by the end.
Rather disappointed with this especially the ending which just felt like a cop out. Tsunami section was well done but so much of rest was very unsatisfying particularly with respect to characterisation.
Such a let down compared to his other books. Characters didn't seem real - especially the too-good-to-be-true wife and kids. The only thing I liked the book was that it reminded me of time spent on Phuket.
a holiday read, a little too light and a bit rose tinted specs in terms of thai culture, but then it is written by tony parsons, chick lit author for men.
Really liked this one. Could really associate with the wish to escape to a simpler life. Unfortunately modern life catches up with them.
Usual Tony Parsos' fare . Of this time, an engaging story and some life lessons . An easy read for a hospital waiting room!
By no means the best Parsons book I have read. I liked the middle section but just felt could not believe characters as have done in his other books. A bit disappointed in the end
Another excellent novel from Tony Parsons. Really got a feel for the locations and the real life in Thailand. The usual emotional roller coaster that you have come to expect from his books and an excellent read for when you are holiday.
It was a good little read although I have to say... (spoiler- sorry)... I wished they had stayed in Thailand.
Disappointing; poor character development, especially the females. Tony can do better!
I loved this book, my favourite book I read over the summer!
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Tony Parsons (born 6 November 1953) is a British journalist broadcaster and author. He began his career as a music journalist on the NME, writing about punk music. Later, he wrote for The Daily Telegraph, before going on to write his current column for the Daily Mirror. Parsons was for a time a regular guest on the BBC Two arts review programme The Late Show, and still appears infrequently on the...more
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