(Eng) Night Full of Stars A Siamese Love Story / V. Vinicchayakul / Lucy Srisuphapreeda / River Books

A Night Full of Stars is the translation of an award-winning novel by V. Vinicchayakul, one of Thailand’s foremost novelists, and the author of over a hundred novels, many of which have been adapted for film and television. It is named after a song penned by King Prajadhipok, or Rama VII, the last absolute monarch of Siam. The song has special meaning for Gade, a young woman from Phetchaburi, whose life is turned upside down after her marriage to Nart, a dashing army officer, otherwise known as Colonel Phraya Wisetsingnart. The poignant story of Gade’s life takes place against the turbulent backdrop of Siam’s Revolution of 1932. Besides giving the reader a profound insight into the Thai way of life during this tumultuous period, readers from all cultural backgrounds will relate to the universal themes of love, loss and reconciliation.

¯¯¯¯¯

When Gade was just a child the old monk told her mother “Her fate is different from the rest of your family. She will be more fortunate than anyone else in the village, but she will also suffer because of both the merit and the karma she has made.”

A Night Full of Stars is a story of love, betrayal and loyalty and one woman’s quiet determination to save her marriage whilst remaining true to herself.

– Claire Keefe-Fox, author of Siamese Tears and Bangkok in Times of Love and War

Lucy Srisuphapreeda’s deft translation of this contemporary popular classic performs the invaluable service of further opening modern Thai literature to a wider audience. In achieving the difficult task of bringing Thai prose to life in English, A Night Full of Stars introduces the international reader to an understanding of a critical period in twentieth-century Thai history - that of the transformation from Absolute to Constitutional monarchy. It does so in conjunction with universal themes of love, loyalty and betrayal that resonate the world over.

– Professor Rachel Harrison, Head of the Doctoral School, Professor of Thai Cultural Studies, SOAS University of London

Translator again

Hailing from Central England, Lucy Srisuphapreeda makes her home in Bangkok, Thailand, where she lives with her Thai husband and three sons. She has been working there as a teacher since completing her bachelor’s degree in Thai Studies from SOAS University of London. An avid reader in both Thai and English and a firm believer in the power of literature to foster understanding between cultures, she is as keen to introduce Thai literary works to English-speaking readers as she is on sharing English literature with her Thai students.

-----------

A Night Full of Stars A Siamese Love Story / River Books
Author V. Vinicchayakul
Translated by Lucy Srisuphapreeda
Size H 210 x W 142 mm
No of pages 332 pages
Specification paperback
ISBN 9786164510807