Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Fong and the Indians - Paul Theroux

I used to work at a Backpackers in Darwin and picked up a very raggedy copy of this from the free book exchange. Thank you to whomever left it there. It has to be said; Brilliant book! Absolutely hilarious.

We Follow Sam Fong a dimwitted Chinese immigrant living in East Africa during a time of civil unrest. He gets mistaken for a Chinese communist, and is dragged off on a small adventure. Fong is a shy corner store owner, with a wife and children of his own, all living off his almost non-existent income. Fong's greatest dream in life is that the milk train will suffer an accident, so he can finally sell his large supply of tinned condensed milk. The story is wonderfully written, rich in detail. You really feel sorry for poor Fong and his family's dire poverty stricken existence. I won't give much more away. Really excellent book I recommend it to any adult with an interest in communism, or a sense of humor. Really I think anyone would enjoy Fong's strange detour in his little sad life. Brilliant book, very funny and interesting. Thank you Paul Theroux.

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