I came across my copy of this book recently, and it made me wonder whether it is the worst “Hong Kong” novel ever written by a well-known author.
The characters are two-dimensional, the plot is flimsy, and the author knows nothing about Hong Kong – as demonstrated by the fact that the factory owned by the main character is located in that well-known industrial area of Kowloon Tong.
Truly a dreadful load of old nonsense.
Yes, it is.
LikeLike
Fumier, you are very much an authority on old nonsense, so I am glad you agree.
LikeLike
If I changed my name to Paul Theroux, I am sure I could get my blog published.
LikeLike
Still be rubbish, though.
LikeLike
i think theroux was writing about a time when there were still some factories in kwoloon. it’s still a mediocre book
LikeLike
You ”came” across it? But it wasn’t even good. Such is the life in Hong Kong. We will make ourselves get excited over any little thing.
Maybe you need a vacation.
LikeLike
Surely Kowloon Tong has always been a residential area. Other parts of Kowloon have/had factories, but not Kowloon Tong. Theroux simply didn’t do his research, let alone come to Hong Kong to understand more about the place, and it shows.
LikeLike
I should be disappointed if it were ever anything but rubbish, OG.
LikeLike
The book is a satire so your objections are meaningless. You are obviously impervious to satire. And irony.
LikeLike
You mean that Theroux deliberately put the factory in Kowloon Tong as a joke? And there I was thinking that he was a hack who had churned out a rather banal story and decided to give it a Hong Kong setting to make it seem more exotic (but not bothered to do any research). Just shows how stupid I am, right?
LikeLike
The Ordinary Gweilo got it right again. Kowloon Tong has always been
a residential district. During the heyday of the Gweilo days when
God was an Englishman(now they only think and wish they are), Kowloon
Tong even have some free-standing houses with front, back and side
yards, Gweilo were running aroumd all over the place and acting like
they owned the ground too in those days. My grandfather once told me
so, he ought to know.
Xi Hu.
.
LikeLike
Theroux probably got Kowloon Tong mixed up with Kwun Tong. Silly Kwunt.
LikeLike
Ordinary Gweilo 
Leave a reply to passerby Cancel reply