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Mother's Beloved
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message 1:
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Diane , Armchair Tour Guide
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rated it 4 stars
Dec 15, 2018 07:52AM
Start discussion here for Mother's Beloved: Stories from Laos by Outhine Bounyavong.
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message 2:
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Diane , Armchair Tour Guide
(last edited Dec 15, 2018 08:22AM)
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rated it 4 stars
About the Book ((from Culture Trip)"Outhine Bounyavong, one of Laos’ best known writers, is a key post-revolutionary writer whose stories provide a commentary on the changing values of Laotian society. Mother's Beloved, first published in English in 1999, it is a collection of simple, moralistic tales that seeks to uphold traditional Laotian culture and values in the face of a rapidly changing society, the title itself evoking a yearning for the past.
Outhine is critical of the industrialisation and modernisation of Laos at the cost of traditional values, which he portrays in a myriad of ways through his stories. ‘Frangipani’ criticises economic development that comes at the cost of environmental degradation. ‘Wrapped-Ash Delight’ celebrates folk wisdom and the importance of community over selfishness and materialism."
About the Author (from Wikipedia)
"Outhine Bounyavong (Lao: ອຸທິນ ບຸນຍາວົງ ʻUthin Bunyāvong, 1942–2000) was a Laotian writer, known especially for works of contemporary fiction.
Born in 1942 in Xaignabouli Province, he grew up in the capital, Vientiane, where one of his early teachers was Somchine Nginn, author of the first novel in Lao.
Many of his stories celebrate traditional aspects of Laotian rural life, and at least one collection has been translated into English as Mother's Beloved."
message 3:
by
Diane , Armchair Tour Guide
(last edited Jan 03, 2019 07:03PM)
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rated it 4 stars
I liked this collection of sweet stories. The stories mainly focused on doing the right thing or doing something kind to someone else. I loved the descriptions of nature and a glimpse into the Laotian culture.There are a lot of negative reviews for this book, which I find unfortunate. I think a lot of the readers missed the point of the book, and dismissed it as being to childish or simplistic. I, personally, enjoy books that offer pure insight into another culture, and this one was no exception.
