I can see this both ways. Let me be positive. Kinokunaya in Paragon is, as Paul Theroux (who knows a thing or 2 about books) put it, "the best book shop in South East Asia" (ref: Ghost Train to the Eastern Star). Let's not sniff at how lucky we are to have such a well stocked book shop in our capital city. The prices certainly beat buying "back West" and having them shipped!

I think he'd change his mind if he went to Singapore to be honest - there's bigger & better on Orchard.

As for prices - they are also waaaay more expensive here. I tend to buy Kindle on Amazon now, it's half the price of Kinokuniya and about on par with a US book store.

He did go to Singapore, directly after Thailand, which just shows how unreliable Theroux is. Enjoy the opinions, however misguided, but distrust everything he presents as fact, are good things to keep in mind when reading Theroux.

I read Cloud Atlas last year - great read. So good in fact that I'm not going to see the movie for fear it might spoil my memories of the book.

I'm an antiquarian by proffession and i can say that this headline is laughable, however if it encourages a Thai to read a book of substance then wonderful.