Next Chapter, 2021, 200 pages. www.amazon.com
by Leonard H. Le Blanc III
I once read ‘Henderson the Rain King,’ a Pulitzer Prize nominated effort by Saul Bellow. The story’s protagonist was visiting my old hometown of Danbury, Connecticut, USA, so I could easily visualise his geographical movements. But I quickly discarded it. First, it was death-by-boring. Second, I wanted the bitch slap the protagonist for being a silly, empty headed, clueless ninny. Third, if this was selected as one of the best books of the 20th century then there was something extremely wrong with the damn selection committee. No bloody way. I can write a better book than this.
Then along comes ‘Angkor Away’ by Steven Palmer. It immediately straps you in for a wild triple corkscrew rollercoaster ride of pure fun, grand adventure and spirited high jinks. I loved the witty, inventive narrative, lightning quick plot pace and sheer readability. A perfect example of why people walk into a book store and want something entertaining to high dive right into. This is that book. Enjoy. Five stars. Cannot wait for the sequels. As the British blandly say: “Not bad.”
