Andr itibaren Kut Salao, Kantharalak District, Si Sa Ket, Tayland itibaren Kut Salao, Kantharalak District, Si Sa Ket, Tayland

I think I have become addicted to these quirky little picture books. The books in the series were originally published in Swedish and not all have been translated into English. Most are also, sadly, out of print. The characters' names have also been translated as Findus and Pettson, which actually make more sense. The farmer is "Pettson" and his little cat is "Findus" because his neighbor first brings the kitten to him in a box marked 'Findus Green Peas'. Findus (or 'Mercury' in this translation) is something like an irrepressible five-year-old child and Pettson (or 'Festus') is his ever patient guardian/friend. The illustrations are full of delightful little eccentricities. Every time you look at them, you see something new. In this episode, while Pettson is searching for his fishing pole in the attic, Findus finds a rolled up tent. After Pettson explains what it is for, Findus begs to go on a camping trip. The two set off on a hike to the lake, where they plan to fish and camp. They are waylaid, however, by Pettson's group of recalcitrant hens who insist they want to go too. The story proceeds at a leisurely pace that mirrors Pettson's calm manner, while Findus' antics skitter all around the pages. These stories are so perfect on so many levels. There is a sweet but wry humor that will have adults chuckling, while the detailed illustrations will capture the attention of children of about age four and up. I so wish they would all be translated and reissued.

I didn't love this book and there were aspects that irritated me to no end which were intermixed with paragraphs of beautiful prose. I wasn't quite sure how I would feel about it until I was done. Based on the reviews people seem to love it or hate it. I felt neither. I felt as though the author had unleashed every sexual desire, thought and contemplation repeatedly and I realize there was a point to this but I felt like I could only picture the author in these pages and pages of lustful encounters and contemplations. sexual tensions require subtlety, which he did not allow in this book the way he did with the other themes of his book: redemption, forgiveness, whether a person is all good or bad, whether one can change. These themes took shape in the stories of the character and the plot of the book itself. The constant toiling over sexual addiction, sexual preoccupation and love were constantly revisited and graphically detailed in the same way for about a quarter of the book. Over and over again. This point was gratuitous and the message I believe he was attempting to channel was lost on feeling like the author needed to deal with his own issues privately. Not that that is the case but just what came to mind. Over all I think it's a solid 3 stars, super quick read. His pace was excellent despite the failings I mentioned.

This is a book I've reread many, many times, and every time it leaves me with a feeling of bittersweet depression. It starts just like a high school novel, then delves deeper into raw emotion, thrilling highs and heartwrenching lows. I always enjoy it, no matter how much of it I already have memorized.