Customer Reviews

Anna and the King of Siam

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I was drawn to Anna and the King of Siam because of the Musical, The King and I. I not only enjoyed reading the book, but I also enjoyed comparing the two works based on the same woman's courage and dedication. Anna Leonowen's life and work in Siam is not only facinating, but an interesting aspect of history as well. The book shares and outlines this story in an interesting and exciting way. Anna had to have great courage and dedication to do what she did in her time. The difference in culture was alluring to her, as well as shocking at times. Throughout her time in Siam, she formed many friendships, and she had many who admired her. She gained a few enemies as well. Anna also had an intriging relationship with the King, which fluctuated on a regular basis. Anna was truly a remarkable woman, as was her story. I loved it!

For sheer readibility, it's worth 5 stars. But for its history and biography, I would rate it less than zero. So as a compromise, I'd give it 3 stars. The Siam king Anna Leonowens portrays (Landon's 1944 best-seller is based on Leonowens' original account) looks nothing like the real king Mongkut whom historians study and the Thais revere. The real Mongkut is the closest thing to a philospher-king that modern Asia has produced and his political reform essentially created modern Thailand. He was an accomplished linguist and spoke several European languages including English. He was well-versed in western science and history. From his success in preserving his country's independence in the age of western imperialism by playing off colonial powers against each other, it seems he knew as much about the balance of power as, say Metternich and Palmerston. He laid the basis for the modernisation reform and foreign policy initiatives long before Leonowens set foot in Siam. So it's hard to see how she could possibly play any significant role in these areas as she had claimed. Little wonder that the Thais are upset about Hollywood's latest attempt to remake the King and I starring Jodie Foster and Hong Kong movie star Chow Yun-fat. How the sheer fantasies that made up Leonowens' book - and the historical illiteracy and cultural insensitivity of Landon's - came about warrant a serious interdisciplinary study in 1) psychology of self-delusion; 2) history of Victorian colonial racism; 3) western orientialism that portrays an exotic East of sensuality, barbarity and mystery. Would I let my children read thse books? Yes, of course, 'cause they are entertaining. But I would advise them to read some real history to debunk the egomania and delusion of Leonowens.

The history of Anna and the King of Siam is as romantic as the story itself. Author Margaret Landon found what may have been the only copy of Anna' book, The English Governess at the Siamese court while she was a missionary in Thailand. Later, she located the Romance of the Harem in a second-hand bookstore in Chicago. She paid a $1 for the book, which turned out to be a fine investment. Landon combined the two books and added fictional elements to create a skillfully written novel.

The exotic setting and romantic story so impressed the wives of both Rogers and Hammerstein that they convinced their husbands to write a musical based on the book. And thus we get the musical The King and I, plus several movies, most recently one with Jodie Foster.

Landon wrote other novels (Never Dies the Dream) based on her missionary experience but never achieved the same greatness as in Anna and the King of Siam. This is a well structured novel, with a lot of drama. The death scene of the Fa-ying is incredibly touching. Anna is believable; sometimes annoyingly persistent, other times selfless and very very brave.

The actual writins of Anna Leonowens are also available. It's fun to read Landon's book and then the source material she used. You may agree with me that Landon's skill as a novelist took Anna's story and made it unforgettable.

I am 15, so to establish my credibility I must explain that I am currently writing an enormous research paper on the controversy over various written and film versions of Anna and the King of Siam. After roughly three months of extensive background research, I read this book and found it to be almost entirely untrue. I believe that those who claim King Mongkut would not have accomplished what he did without Mrs. Leonowens counsel are disillusioned and clearly have not read much on the subject. He was an extremely enlightened and well-educated monarch with no reason to engage in conversation with an English schoolteacher. Many people actually believe that she met the King only once, or not at all. Despite the glaring errors, however, I have seen both the musical and the newest version with Jodie Foster and enjoyed them immensely. Read this book and see the movies only if you are aware that they are fictional.

I first read this book over 20 years ago, and returned to the commemorative edition as an exercise in nostalgia and to revisit history as it is written, remembered, and transmitted. The gist of this review is simple: we make into saints those people into whose stories we can inject our own preferences, dreams, and agendas... and we callously portray those who are more difficult to understand. Even so, the result can be lyrical, touching, and even valuable, if understood for what it really is -- a hagiography.

This book deserves 4 stars because it gives thinking people a chance to take a peek at how an anti-colonial American missionary would evaluate the role of a British Colonial expat in a culture which threatened and resisted them both -- gracefully. Even while trying with the best of motives to tell the truth, it is difficult for an author to hide her baggage when describing a world to which she can never belong.

When Mrs. Landon writes Anna's "innermost thoughts," for example, the latter include anti-colonial rhetoric that is a standard theme of American internationalism, but a passing rarity among British expats! These thoughts also model some of the missionary fervor of Landon's own Thai agenda.

No author ever lets us see the world as it is -- just their best perception. Here we have the odd experience of peering at the unfamilar via the eyes of a foreigner who is guessing (poetically) at the views of a stranger.

Many months of living and learning about the wonderful people in Thailand made me appreciate Anna and the King of Siam even more. This book provides many realistic details about the Thai culture during the 19th century. I read Anna and the King of Siam after reading Anna and the King. I found the contrast between the two books facinating. Although I enjoyed reading both books equally (for differenct reasons), Anna and the King of Siam provides more realistic version of interactions between an unkown foreign English teacher and a powerful king. The people of Thiland truly love and respect their king for many good reasons. Understanding this, however, one can understand how both movies regarding the story of Anna Leonowens (The King and I & Anna and the King) are currently banned in Thiland.

I really liked this book because it was really exciting. I also liked how it taught you about different traditions and religious beliefs. I have never read another book that took place in Siam, so that was really interesting. I liked how when after someone said something in the language that people in Siam speak, they would also print in English what they were saying. Anna the main character's, bravery and courage was great. I admire how she could stand up to a king without being scared.

The story is about a widowed school teacher from England who travels to Siam to teach the king's son and Prince Chuklalonkorn along with his many brothers and sisters. The king's many children are eager to start their lessons, as is Anna, but little did they know that they would become more like friends than like a school teacher and her young pupils. In the beginning Anna and the king are always bickering and disagreeing with each other, but they too, soon become friends.

I think that anyone who is interested in adventure should read this book. This book is for someone who loves to learn new things such as languages, religions and or monks because one of the Ladies in the palace is in love with a monk named Balat. The king also travels to different places for business and sometimes has dinner parties that involve people from different places. If I could be in Anna's place that would be great.
I think that is a great adventure!

This is truly a tale of the power of one life. Anna Leonowens remarkable story reminds us that truth and compassion are the most powerful weapons against oppression, tyranny and fear. Anna's boldness and confidence in the face of King Mongkut's absolute power over life and death was rooted in her faith. This faith also inspired her to endless acts of selfless compassion towards the oppressed of Siam. Her relationship with Prince Chulalongkorn, the love and understanding they shared, is touching. It is significant that later in his life (after reigning over Siam for 29 years) he ascribed to Anna the credit for imparting to him the principles he needed to know in order to transform his country.

In this age of post-modern political correctness it is easy to rewrite history using emotion in place of the facts. This book tells a story that not everyone wants to hear, now that the influence of Western thought and culture on the East is seen more as oppressive aggrandizement rather than the educational enlightenment it truly was.

That the 19th century ruler chose a woman to educate himself and his children (and therefore, his country) shows clearly that Mongkut's political motivations were to gain knowledge without being dominated by a western pedagogue. Mongkut realized that, to enter the modern age, he needed to tap into elements of the west's (in some ways more advanced) culture, and do it without making himself vulnerable to the sometimes heavy-handed white male missionaries who were clamoring to "enlighten" any non-Christian regions of the Earth. In any event, it is clear that Mongkut could not have achieved as much as he did without the help of Leonowens, and the hand wringers who would deny her any credit at all do great disservice to the memories of both historic figures. It is also interesting to note that those who doubt the veracity of Leonowens' story have motivations that stem most distinctly from the fact that she was a woman.

"How old shall you be?"
"I am 150 years old, your Majesty."
"In what year shall you be borned?"
"Seventeen hundred and twelve, your Majesty."
"How many years should you be married?"
"Several, your Majesty."
Pause.
"How many grandchildren shall you have by now? How many? How many? How many? Ha! You do not answer that so quick. I make better questions than you answers, hmm?" (pages 58-59)

This is Mrs. Anna Leonowens (an English governess's) first introduction to the eccentric 59-year-old King of Siam, King Mongkut, in the 1860s. Margaret Landon's `Anna and the King of Siam' is an intriguing, historical tale based on ancient, Siamese records and the secret diaries, letters, and conversations of Anna in Bangkok that reads like fiction but is amazingly genuine [some parts]. Anna, along with her six-year-old-son Louis, embark on an erratic odyssey through a foreign land of a cryptic culture that will, in a few months, become traditional to them. Yet there are some seemingly barbaric issues to be cleared up. Among them are slavery, the King's concubines in the harem, and the unjust treatment of several subjects. While Anna may have altercations with the King, she comes to revere his intellectual methods of attempting to create Siam a scientific nation in modern times but expresses severe criticism on needless occasions. As a governess, her duties are to instruct the royal children (of which there are more than 67; however, only the eldest participate) and aid the King in composing extraordinary letters to renowned world leaders, such as Abraham Lincoln and Queen Victoria. Prince Chulalongkorn, Anna's most prominent and smartest pupil, is heir to the throne on account of being the eldest; she attempts to steer him onto the positive path of ruling the country justly. Also bestowing color to Anna's experiences, including misadventures, other than irrelevant talks with the King on that of Moses and ethics is a cast of supporting characters: Tuptim (the slave), Lady Thiang (the King's head wife), Lady Son Klin, and countless others. Across Anna's remembrances, a message is conveyed: despite one's differences they must master the skill of understanding the outsiders and point them to salvation, excluding falsehood by supplanting it with truthfulness. 'Anna and the King of Siam' is a fascinating web of Siam's (now Thailand's) superb past filled with rich descriptions for a journey neither the reader or Anna will let sink into oblivion even until the breaking end. --P.J. Persad