Adam’s Comments (group member since Jan 16, 2013)

Adam’s comments from the Readering Group group.

Hey, remember all the thrilling movies and television shows about architects trying to get things done before time expired?
Oh, me either.

In my fifth grade class we made a scale city, and earned money through our grades. Eventually we were given the opportunity to start commercial businesses and build homes for our little city. My business was a BBQ restaurant called "Adam's Rib", and my house was on the second floor. Much like H.H. Holmes the second floor had a secret room in it, an exterior room with no windows and slanted walls to hide its existence.
The difference; I planned on using the secret room to hide pornographic materials.

Has anyone done previous reading about serial killers? Have you researched any others before?

Obviously they are an odd group of people, an infamously fascinating group as well. I grew up in Wichita Kansas, home of the BTK killer. He is known for stalking his victims for months or years before waiting in their houses to first Bind, then Torture and finally Kill them. After his apprehension he admitted to 10 murders and is thought to have committed a few others, though slightly outside of regular method.

Hows the progress going?

Bad-ass. Thanks for the tip, I didn't know that it was possible to load things this way.

Cool, Is that easy to load to my kindle? Does it work like a regular kindle book?

I am excited for this change of pace as well, especially since 'Windup' wound up in the dumpster.

I don't think there is a point. This book is Sci/fi for people that like the new Star Trek movies. Some stuff happened, then some more stuff happens. Later you can tell people you read a book.

"The report would be routine retirement of a Replicant. Which didn't make me feel any better about shooting a woman in the back."

A problem one often has when asserting an opinion of a book or movie is a simple summation of the story. The Windup Girl adds to that frustrating pattern by being high in concept and light on content.
Overall the story is a cleverly lined set of dominoes, the book being their eventful collapse. However I am left with an overall sense of dissatisfaction, mainly because the book does not have a point. After thinking it over, again and again, I am left wondering what all of that paper was supposed to mean.
The title character is a genetically modified sex worker. Is this the story about human worth, the unbreakable nature of the soul? No it is not.
The powerful calorie man and his foreign riches. Is this a story about colonialism and its double edged nature? No it is not, especially if this same thing happened in Missouri, Finland and China before Bangkok.
The Tiger of the environmental ministry. Is this a story of morality and living with a code? No it is not, the Tiger is in us all…I guess.
Hock Seng and his treachery. Is this a story of a cold heart pumping warm blood once more? Not really.
The Trade Ministry verses the Environmental Ministry. Is this the story or order being established in a world gone mad? No, it is not.
Kanya’s rise to power from a secret shame. IS THIS A REDEMPTION STORY!? It is more of a ghost story than a redemption story.
The corporate powers gone insane, augmented biology threatening to destroy us all. Is this a story of environmental awareness or anti-corporate sentiment? Not in the least.
Is this a story about power and ego? Perhaps, but poorly executed.
This book reminds me of fish and chips at every bar I am dumb enough to order fish and chips in. I order the fish and chips and everyone at the table says “Man I should have got fish and chips!” Then a basket of molten bread crumbs, oil and salt arrive and I burn my tongue on the first bite. I recoil in pain and horror only to watch the remaining portion of fish vaporize as it has its first contact with a regular atmosphere in what has to be months. High on concept and light on content.
The portion of the book I enjoyed the most was the epilogue, now that sounded like a story!

I can't remember how far in they mention more about it. But the cats have been genetically modified and eventually out resourced the regular domesticated cats of the world. The windups are the second generation of this technology, but they were built with flaws so their augmented nature would be obvious.
The windups seem to be a controversial technology, since the cheshers were so effective as an invasive species. And Thailand is one of the countries that has done its best to separate itself from this type of technology.

It picks up after page 100. Interesting character moments until then.

I found a list of the more common Thai, Chinese, and Indian words used in this book. I hope it helps!

baijiu - Chinese liquor
Bodhisattva - someone who is dedicated to the ultimate welfare of other beings
chedi - Thai pagoda shrine
Damma/Dhamma - the way of the higher Truths; a lifestyle that leads to minimum accumulation of karma and is therefore the fastest path to personal liberation.
(sa wat) dee kha (kaa) - Thai greeting (female)
(sa wat) dee khap (khrab) - Thai greeting (male)
Farang - Thai Westerner; mister; sir
gaijin - Japanese foreigner
heeya - Thai insult
jai dee - Thai good heart; kind
jai rawn - Thai hot heart; angry hothead
jai yen - Thai cool heart; calm
jao por - Thai gangster boss; godfather
Jo No Mai - Japanese slow dance
jok Thai - rice soup
Kamma - karma
khlong - Thai canal
khrab - (male) kha (female) Thai polite ending for sentence also sometimes for yes
khun - Thai you (polite)
mahout - hindi elephant driver
Mai pen rai - Thai bend with the wind; go with the flow
muay thai - Thai a hard martial art
nak leng - Thai gangster
nam plaa prik - Thai ubiquitous fish sauce condiment
pha sin - Thai women's tube skirt similar to the Sarong
phii - Thai ghost; spirit
pi klang - Thai a musical instrument
pi lien - possibly gangster from context
plaa Thai fish
sai sin - Thai sacred white cord that keeps out evil spirits
sanuk - Thai fun
Sepak Takraw - Thai kick volleyball
som tam - Thai spicy salad made from shredded unripened papaya
tamade - Chinese very common curse; literally "his/your mother" but in its original form "f**k his/your mother"
wats - Thai temple
Xiansheng - Chinese courtesy title of respect
yaba - Thai literally "madness drug" are tablets containing a mixture of methamphetamine and caffeine.
Yang Gui Zi - Chinese Westerner; derogatory

While I see your point on the antiseptic nature of the style I disagree with your opinion of it. I do however agree with your opinion of the oddities in the setting.
I like the writing style; minus the details of the strange world we are in, it gives us great detail into the mind of the characters and the way they are managing in this odd time. It also demonstrates each characters opinion of the people around them and their day to day struggles. Consequently, each character is somewhat hard coded from the get-go, and any lesson learned will be more transformative and easier to identify in an independent narrative. Perhaps it is somewhat ham-fisted as a method but in practice, especially with the undefined details and still ambiguous characters, it engages readers into a strange world as it is being constructed.

I like the Indian guy in the factory. I think he is up to something. That and I outsource to Indians, and Anderson's mistrusting assessment of him is valid.

Thailand, badass!