The Book Private Dancer

[mahtin]

For a good depiction of how one can come unstuck emotionally when getting involved in relationships with the sort of women described on this thread, I recommend you watch the classic 1952 film, Moulin Rouge, starring Jose Ferrer as the famous French artist, Toulouse-Lautrec.

Or, alternatively, the even goldener oldier...

The Blue Angel (German: Der blaue Engel) is a film directed by Josef von Sternberg in 1930, based on Heinrich Mann's novel Professor Unrat. The film is considered to be the first major German sound film and it brought world fame to actress Marlene Dietrich.^[1] In addition, it introduced her signature song, Friedrich Hollaender's "Falling in Love Again (Can't Help It)".

[IanForbes]

i was replyin g to op, not you sir. he not goodied 2 shoes like he paints hmself to be.

buy drinkie is same same as having sex withthem.

In that case I guess the same would be true in any North American, European or Aussie bar. If you buy a drink for someone (including same gender friends) then it's the same as having sex with them... at least by your standards.

The book "Private Dancer" is just one of many books on the same subject. All newbies who come to Asia and see the completely different attitude towards sex feel somehow enlightened, and many feel the need to expound their revelations to one and all. I'm no different. The same topic has been stated dozens (hundreds?) of times on thaivisa.

[john b good]

i was replyin g to op, not you sir. he not goodied 2 shoes like he paints hmself to be.

buy drinkie is same same as having sex withthem.

"buy drinkie is same same as having sex with them"

Are you a nut case or what

You only joined up last Monday and banned already

And was it just on the 27th you were discharged (or escaped) from some psychiatric institution somewhere

[carmine]

i was replyin g to op, not you sir. he not goodied 2 shoes like he paints hmself to be.

buy drinkie is same same as having sex withthem.

"buy drinkie is same same as having sex with them"

Are you a nut case or what

You only joined up last Monday and banned already

And was it just on the 27th you were discharged (or escaped) from some psychiatric institution somewhere

Lessons learnt from my recent "TV holiday"........everything in moderation!!!

[IanForbes]

If I buy myself a drink is that the same as having sex with myself?

If you gain any interesting bit of information from a book, magazine, newspaper or television clip then it's of some value. Many people never read anything but the cartoons. Some haven't read a book in their entire life. Some can't even read, period. That's their loss.

[samuibeachcomber]

actually enjoyed the book,as it related both sides to the tale,showed you a guy unable to commit but unable to let go,showed you life in a go go bar,what they can get up to and how they can lie.either way i thought it a good book especially for first time farangs to thailand.

[john b good]

If I buy myself a drink is that the same as having sex with myself?

If you gain any interesting bit of information from a book, magazine, newspaper or television clip then it's of some value. Many people never read anything but the cartoons. Some haven't read a book in their entire life. Some can't even read, period. That's their loss.

Once again a voice of reason Ian.

And I kid you not but my GF had to look at her ID card to check how her name (Christian name) is spelt. She had changed it several years ago so as to get some better luck. "I am thinking about changing mine now" (:-))

And she couldn't quote her address as it is shown in the ta bien baan. "and she has a degree" but I've never figured exactly what it is in

Edited October 2, 2009 by john b good

[madjbs]

I wouldn't bother to read such trash for free, let alone actually purchase it! Full of old boring cliches, but, if you are actively involved and obsessed with that kind of lifestyle, I guess you might enjoy such rubbish.

[samuibeachcomber]

I wouldn't bother to read such trash for free, let alone actually purchase it! Full of old boring cliches, but, if you are actively involved and obsessed with that kind of lifestyle, I guess you might enjoy such rubbish.

could not agree less,i thought it well written,how can you say its trash when the content is dipicting a certain way of life here.you might be well removed from it yourself but it does not lessen its relevance

Edited October 2, 2009 by samuibeachcomber

[optimistvik]

getting drinks once in a while is also like paying for them

[carmine]

I wouldn't bother to read such trash for free, let alone actually purchase it! Full of old boring cliches, but, if you are actively involved and obsessed with that kind of lifestyle, I guess you might enjoy such rubbish.

What sort of trash do you read?

[madjbs]

Full of old boring cliches.

how can you say its trash when the content is dipicting a certain way of life here.

Unimaginative rubbish. Simply playing off peoples obsessions with the night life industry here.

[madjbs]

What sort of trash do you read?

ThaiVisa usually...

[sorensen]

There is nothing wrong with spending ones own money as one wishes.

I shelled out a few quid for a house and car for the GF's family, and they were absolutely thrilled.

No pool your Cheap Charlie..........

[straightdave]

Unfortunately its fiction and full of cliches. I wouldnt accept it as the gospel in anyway.

its fiction , but based on a seris of factual tales put together to form a great book

the author stephen leather is a supercool dude who does a lot of reaserch-in the trenches!

i see so much really boring crap on thailand

like, by guys who marry some girl , buy a farm, yaaawn.....and decide its interesting!, or some boring crime hype

at least this one is a page turner

know any other good ones please?

[Geekfreaklover]

For me, there are two great books written about Thailand, or have Thailand as a theme.

1) The Falcon of Siam

2) Platform

I'm sorry I can't think of the author's names straight away. Number 2 was written by a French author. Number 1) was about the Greek gentleman who came to Bangkok and managed to get a foothold in Thai society. Both epic reads.

Edited October 2, 2009 by Geekfreaklover

[john b good]

Unfortunately its fiction and full of cliches. I wouldnt accept it as the gospel in anyway.

its fiction , but based on a seris of factual tales put together to form a great book

the author stephen leather is a supercool dude who does a lot of reaserch-in the trenches!

i see so much really boring crap on thailand

like, by guys who marry some girl , buy a farm, yaaawn.....and decide its interesting!, or some boring crime hype

at least this one is a page turner

know any other good ones please?

How about, Patpong Sisters, A touch of the Orient, But' I Don't give a Hoot, Fast Eddie' Lucky 7's, Missing in Thailand, Even Thai Girls Cry, Miss Bangkok, Bangkok Haunts, Live Fire, Girls Guns & Ganja and a hundred others.

They are all works of fiction but there is an element of truth in each and everyone of them.

Bent politicians, bent cop's, sick buffalo's, sick mother and fathers needing live saving surgery, pedo's, Katoeys, LB's, hookers and whores.

They may be classified as fiction but they are not too far removed from being factual "in many cases"

And I think that Private Dancer is closer to fact than it is to fiction

[Geekfreaklover]

Private Dancer is faction.

[samuibeachcomber]

Private Dancer is faction.

yes sure its fiction,so what!i would hazard a guess much of it was based on real life characters though.

[rixalex]

I wouldn't bother to read such trash for free, let alone actually purchase it! Full of old boring cliches, but, if you are actively involved and obsessed with that kind of lifestyle, I guess you might enjoy such rubbish.

could not agree less

Funny that, i couldn't agree more.

Badly written cliched crap in my book - or should that be his book?

[john b good]

Private Dancer is faction.

yes sure its fiction,so what ! i would hazard a guess much of it was based on real life characters though.

Who do you think "Big Dave" is. Does he still have the big "bespoke" chair that he sits in and from which he can watch the waitresses (not to mention punters GF's) walk up the spiral stair case, right beside him.

Of course it is based on real life characters.

You guys who decry the story but claim that you are true and knowledgable inhabitant's of the realm need to get your hand off (or from down inside yours pants) and open your eyes.

Bernie has been telling you this self same stuff for more than twenty years and 95 ++% of it is either true or at the very least plasible (or very possible / likely)

Edited October 2, 2009 by john b good

[britmaveric]

Rubbish, but trashy entertainment!

[rixalex]

Jackie Collins for male sex tourists.

[Geekfreaklover]

Private Dancer is faction.

yes sure its fiction,so what!i would hazard a guess much of it was based on real life characters though.

Come on Samuibeachcomber, read my post again. FACTION. Faction is a cross between fiction and non-fiction. Hense the phrase faction.

I'm sure that many of the routines explained in 'private dancer' are happening everyday.

[ProfessorFart]

"Jackie Collins for male sex tourists. "

Not too sure what a "sex tourist" may be but that's a fair assessment.

This book seems to crop up in a post every 12 months or so and get roundly slated, and rightly so.

The guy can actually write to a reasonable degree judging from the novel of his - The Bombmaker - I read after someone had left it by the pool at the Golden Palace.

This book however is just cliche riddled crap. You can say its based on 'fact' as it relates to a situation which is not uncommon but I would be surprised were the protagonists of this book based on any actual real people, more made up from a composite drawn from bar room tales.

"Expat literary fiction" and in particular Thailand's "expat literary fiction" is pretty risible on the whole. I have yet to read a novel written by a so called 'expat' author which doesn't deal with sensationalist nonsense, stereotype and cliche. Don't get me started on Christopher G Moore as we'll be here all day.....

Do yourself a favour. If you want to learn about Thailand through literature, find Thai authors in translation and pass on dribble of this genre.

If you want to learn about the seamier side of life here, or even expat life in general go see for yourself and don't rely on the dross which has been written about it to set your benchmarks.

[rixalex]

^^ Spot on post.

[longball53098]

For me, there are two great books written about Thailand, or have Thailand as a theme.

1) The Falcon of Siam

2) Platform

I'm sorry I can't think of the author's names straight away. Number 2 was written by a French author. Number 1) was about the Greek gentleman who came to Bangkok and managed to get a foothold in Thai society. Both epic reads.

The Falcon of Siam by Axel Aylwen and published in 1988. I am finishing the book now and I understand from the friend that loaned it to me that he has 2 more in publication that continue the story of "The Falcon" in a 3 book series. Number 2 is " The Falcon Takes Wing by Axel Aylwen " and number 3 is The Falcon's Last Flight by Axel Aylwen

[lazygourmet]

Unfortunately its fiction and full of cliches. I wouldnt accept it as the gospel in anyway.

its fiction , but based on a seris of factual tales put together to form a great book

the author stephen leather is a supercool dude who does a lot of reaserch-in the trenches!

i see so much really boring crap on thailand

like, by guys who marry some girl , buy a farm, yaaawn.....and decide its interesting!, or some boring crime hype

at least this one is a page turner

know any other good ones please?

Tintin in Thailand

[samuibeachcomber]

Private Dancer is faction.

yes sure its fiction,so what!i would hazard a guess much of it was based on real life characters though.

Come on Samuibeachcomber, read my post again. FACTION. Faction is a cross between fiction and non-fiction. Hense the phrase faction.

I'm sure that many of the routines explained in 'private dancer' are happening everyday.

there was i thinking it was a genuine spelling mistake thats what i liked about the book,"everyday happenings" and a good insight for first time visitors.

[Geekfreaklover]

Unfortunately its fiction and full of cliches. I wouldnt accept it as the gospel in anyway.

its fiction , but based on a seris of factual tales put together to form a great book

the author stephen leather is a supercool dude who does a lot of reaserch-in the trenches!

i see so much really boring crap on thailand

like, by guys who marry some girl , buy a farm, yaaawn.....and decide its interesting!, or some boring crime hype

at least this one is a page turner

know any other good ones please?

Tintin in Thailand

Back in my younger years I made a fortune selling copies of Tintin in Thailand, Tintin en Thailande and Tintin en Irak. The Belguim boy reporter saved my bacon many a time.