I enjoyed this well written book very much. This is the first I have read by this writer, but will be looking out for more.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Set in Bangkok, this fascinating novel follows the stories of several characters whose lives intertwine around a city slum. After being recognised as ripe for development, the area is under threat for all its disparate characters. This book is full of descriptions of Thai life and traditions, and the reader is drawn into the very different lives of all the characters. An original and unforgettable read - highly recommended.

Comrade Aeon’s Field Guide to Bangkok by Emma Larkin was an interesting book especially as i have been to Bangkok many times for a holiday. I found Emma's book very well written throughout, with great descriptions of their Thai culture and the Thai customs.and wrote about recent history within Bangkok.
I loved the way Emma wrote about Bangkok, its a Place I love to go to and she described it beautifully.

However, it has changed so much over the years.

Does Bangkok ever Sleep?

The answer is No............is one of the most busiest capitals I have ever been to but so beautiful in other ways.

So it was great to read about then and now!

Big Thank you to Granta Publication and Netgalley for the Earc in return for an honest review

A propulsive and fascinating read from start to finish set in exotic Bangkok that is rich in Thai culture and customs. Larkin brings the city and characters to life superbly and depicts the gritty underworld lurking just below the surface of the normal cityscape. A compelling, intriguing and thoroughly enjoyable piece of literary fiction. Highly recommended.

A diverse group of Bangkokians are all connected by an almost 20 year old mystery - even if they don’t know it. Lovely prose, easily and smartly showing the differences in their characters, their lives and their station with Bangkok’s social class and structure.

I enjoyed this a lot, clearly written with a lot of local knowledge and affection for the people of Bangkok.

unfortunately i did not manage to read this whole book but from what i read it was a thoroughly enjoyable book. it was insightful and well written and i would recommend it

Set in Bangkok, the story revolves around a plot of land where history was buried, and an eclectic mix of characters from skyscrapers to slums. Mystery and overlapping life stories make the book a compelling read. Amazing descriptions of the city, its smells and waterways.

A fascinating foray into Bangkok's world anchored into the wider Thai culture and recent history. Emma Larkin uses an eclectic cast of characters to present to the reader the various realities of Bankok: from the slums with its down to earth characters to the rich and famous venerated like Gods to the expats living in luxuries almost unimaginable to those that keep this well oiled machine working, to the extremely corrupt government and tyrannic military.

This is going to sound strange, but I've requested this mainly because the title reminded me of The Adventures and Misadventures of Maqroll. Needless to say that the 2 novels are worlds apart, but in many ways Comrade Aeon is not far from Maqroll. I really enjoyed Aeon's strange ways, his inquisitiveness, his awareness of the world around him but also felt a tinge of sadness for him, he really was a lost soul.

Despite not being overly familiar to this part of the world, the story painted the exact image I had in mind of Bankok and Thailand. Nothing surprised me: not the poverty, not the corruption, not even the suppression of freedom with no means of ever getting justice. I suppose the author used all the cliche out there to better appeal to a western readership. Also the fact the "mystery" element is not that mysterious doesn't help either. I think it was rather evident where the story was going since before the 50% mark. Or at least it was for me.

Nevertheless Comrade Aeon's Field Guide to Bangkok kept me engaged and indeed entertained throughout! A read I recommend for those looking for a novel set in other parts of the world.

In Bangkok, a plot of land behind a city slum resonates with the hopes, dreams and fears of the local community. For Comrade Aeon, a homeless insurgent who fled to the jungle after a military crackdown on student protestors in 1976, it's a verdant refuge and the place from which he documents the underbelly of the city. For Ida Barnes, an ex-pat whose husband may be cheating on her, it's an inviting retreat. For Witty, an urbane property developer married to one of the city's most famous movie stars, it's a 'Bangkok Unicorn' - that rare chance to make his mark on the Bangkok skyline. But the slum-dwelling spirits who guard its secrets know that it holds a much darker history, that it masks the silent politics at the heart of Thai culture.

The genre here is mystical realism, tinged with a sense of mystery. The mystery, in this case, is long-standing and slowly unravelled as the plot proceeds, which might not be for everyone. This is a slow read and requires your concentration but overall, is a worthy read.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Bangkok - a city of extremes of wealth and poverty.

A patch of land in the centre of the city has grown wild and no one is quite sure why. Next to it is a slum with many inhabitants. A developer wants to build a huge hotel on the land and excavation begins. Bones are found...

The book charts the lives of an ex-pat woman, the slum dwellers, an actress turned scriptwriter and her developer husband and a man who lives on the wild land. All have their stories to tell and their reasons for being interested in the land.

An enjoyable book.

One Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi, four mississip-. Comrade Aeon’s Field Guide to Bangkok is a mix of several characters, exploring both the high life of luxury and the deafening noise of the slums. This book is a must-read for anyone who loves a dark mystery, along with the mystical realism of Salman Rushdie.

The genre here is mystical realism, tinged with a sense of mystery. The mystery, in this case, is long-standing and slowly unravelled as the plot proceeds, which might not be for everyone.

It’s also worth noting that Emma Larkin is a pseudonym for an American journalist working in Thailand and Myanmar. Despite this, Larkin does not set out to dismantle the Thai government in a convolute manner. Instead, she allows the reader to decide for themselves.

Comrade Aeon is a former veteran who wanders through the back alleys of Bangkok, taking note of all the intricate details that we often miss. The types of snakes that have been reproducing in the sewers, the ever-increasing pollution, or even the increasing number of dead cats that keep turning up. There’s also one person that he keeps a particular interest in; Wongduan.

Wongduan is a former actress/singer living in a new luxury apartment with her husband, Witty, a high-flying property developer. But they both carry the enormous weight of losing their son, who was protesting against the Thai government.

Plenty of conspiracies as to why start to unravel and are further added to by a local woman named Ida. She has vivid nightmares of the evolving, violent slums, which lead her to constantly passing out in unknown spots.

Deep in the City
Going into this one, I was expecting to read more about Bangkok’s gritty underworld and seedy nature. I guess Private Dancer has skewed my views on Bangkok a little because it’s not all go-go bars and prostitutes.

However, there is still a serious amount of dirty dealings. Larkin, who grew up in Bangkok, portrays these nuances excellently. The perfect example is when Witty wants to proceed with a luxury property development, but the only way to make it viable is to remove the slums.

Here, the heavies are sent in to ruffle up the residents and force them to leave. Within the foundation laying phase, the builders discover bones hidden in the ground. Could this be a mass grave? How about the protesters that went missing several years earlier? Maybe the whole thing is a government cover-up of the Sanam Luong protests?

The book loops all these problems together through several complex characters. This follows in a similar style to Shantaram, although the action is denser and easier to navigate.

Due to my lack of understanding of Thai names, I struggled to remember their names initially. Still, fortunately, they’re all so well developed, it’s easy to get a handle on who’s who.

Lost at Sea
My favourite characters are definitely the couple, Witty and Wongduan.

Although Wongduan won’t give up her search for her missing son, it does begin to stretch their relationship. By attending rallies with other parents of missing children and constantly wallowing around the apartment, Wongduan’s only comfort is in her TV scriptwriting, which is proving to be quite the hit around Bangkok.

As she campaigns for searches of nearby sites, including a mysterious container dropped in the ocean, all avenues come up empty. Because of this, the residents have stopped caring about the missing bodies, forcing the parents to take matters into their own hands.

However, despite his hard nature, it’s clear that Witty too misses his son. Entering into his son’s old room, which is still left as it once was, he takes in the touches of his son’s personality by looking over the items staring back at him.

Historical Drama
Wongduan’s TV series is a through-line in the novel and is a connection to move from one family narrative to another. Most households have the television on, at least in the background throughout.

This is also indicative of Comrade Aeon, whose obsession with Wongduan leads him to excessive studying of her actions. Within his shack, hidden away in the elusive jungle, he stores hundreds of notebooks filled with scribbles, illustrations and magazine cut-outs of the subtle changes in Bangkok. And his prime possession is the one in which he keeps a running history on Wongduan’s life.

Closing Thoughts
Comrade Aeon’s Field Guide to Bangkok is a great novel that transpires the far reaches of a dirty city, all the way through to the untouched jungle. With excellent character depth, motivations and outcomes, this one is a must-read for anyone looking to explore some Bangkok mysteries.

Although the tension is slow-building, I highly recommend this book to anyone who’s previously enjoyed Shantaram. A mystical tale taking place in a diverse environment, there’s still a lot to learn about Thailand.

I lived and worked in Bangkok during the period in which this book is set. Set around a small plot of land on the outskirts of a slum in the centre of the city, it tells the story of Comrade Aeon, a former communist who fled to the jungle in 1992, Witty, a property developer married to a movie star, Ida, an Expat woman living an unhappy life and Yao An, a noodle seller int he slum itself.

The book captures wonderfully the contradictions and charms of Bangkok, the magic and the madness, the beauty and the badness, the joy and the sadness. For, I presume, an outsider, a farang, the author does an amazing job of getting into the Thai psyche, something which I attempted to do but failed miserably despite working there.

At the book's heart lies the story of the 1992 student demonstrations and their vicious repression. A story which is still relevant in the Thailand of today.

If I have one niggle, the book failed to capture the febrile atmosphere of the period around 2009, leading up to another repression in 2010. But perhaps that is for another book...

This is set in the Thai capital in 2009 and introduces a varied and interesting cast of characters. I was drawn into this by the intriguing element of mystery.
This diverse group of people is connected by a little plot of land. I liked most of the characters, even those that misbehaved at time and it was difficult to know who I was backing.
The conclusion brought everything together, even though some of the characters didn’t get the outcome that I may have wanted.
It’s a very readable book, I found it easy to become invested in the characters. The fictional soap opera that is playing out during the novel adds another layer to the story. The excerpts from the script are amusing to read.
The Bangkok setting is vivid and I can visualise all of the places, even though I have only visited via Google!
Overall, I was really impressed with this book, it was really well put together. I am hoping to see more great stories from this new author in the future.

My thanks Granta Publication and Netgalley for the Earc in return for an honest review.

I was drawn into this because of the element of mystery and unknowing that the description entailed and the first few chapters of this book, did a good job at building intrigue about an abandoned field and the peculiar characteristics of the protagonists. However, I was not able to sustain this intrigue beyond the first half of the book and had to put it down.
I enjoyed how the author has described the characters and the mysticism attached to the abandoned field but the build up did not quite sustain for me. This could very well be a me problem and not entirely the fault of the book. I constantly found myself indulging in about 20-25 pages of the book in one go, but the moment I put it down, it would take a lot of convincing and contemplating to pick this one back. I wish I had the time to read this book in one go, maybe that would have changed how I rate this book.
The element of mystery and a slight sense of something paranormal emerging in the story that would bring all the characters together, is executed well. Throughout the read, I kept having the feeling that I was reading the script of an upcoming movie. I really do think these characters and the plot would make it a good drama film.
Not one for me, but I can see a lot of readers absolutely savouring this one!
Thank you Netgalley and Granta Publication for letting me read this arc.

Set in the Thai capital in 2009, 'Comrade Aeon's Field Guide to Bangkok' features a varied and interesting cast of characters, including Bangkok itself. It is one of those novels with a strong sense of place, capturing the essence of a location. The titular character is a former Communist guerrilla who lives an itinerant lifestyle, documenting the wildlife and natural features of the city. He lives in a small patch of disused land in the heart of the city, reclaimed by jungle.

Next door to this little oasis is a slum, home to a likeable set of characters, and on the other side, a grand apartment building. This is home to Ida Barnes, a white expatriate who feels a sense of loneliness and dissociation despite her privileged circumstances. The status quo is disrupted when the land is discovered by Witty, a property developer who senses his chance to build a skyscraper. He and his movie star wife are haunted by the disappearance of their son during a military clampdown on student protests 17 years before.

This diverse group of people is connected by the fate of the little plot of land. I liked all of the characters, even though some of them behaved poorly at times, and as such it was hard to know who I was rooting for. I had to trust Larkin to bring everyone through to a conclusion that was satisfying to read, despite knowing not every character was going to get the outcome they wanted or deserved.

It's a very readable book, easy to get into, with characters that feel real and that I quickly cared about. Larkin cleverly adds a second layer of continuity to help keep together her wide-ranging character group through a fictional soap opera that is playing out during the period of the novel. The excerpts from its script are an effective linking device, add another layer to the story, and are amusing to read.

The Bangkok setting is vivid and I can visualise all of the places. Having visited the city myself I found it recognisable, although this is very much a resident's view and not a tourist's. The plot about the unresolved disappearance of the students in the 1992 protests gives a strong narrative drive and also brings to light an episode in Thailand's past that may not be familiar to foreigners. Not to mention the corruption and power of the military in the modern country. However it's very much an affectionate portrait of the country itself.

Overall I was really impressed with this novel, which is really well put together and could be mistaken for a book by a much more experienced author. If you enjoy literary fiction, particularly that set in other cultures, this is a great book to read and a new author that I hope we'll be seeing more stories from in future.