Book Summary and Reviews of Hunters in the Dark by Lawrence Osborne

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Patricia L. (Seward, AK)

Hunters in the Dark
"The seeds laid by any given karma were not entirely known, the outcomes could not be foretold with any accuracy and it was likely, in any event, that one would remain floating and turning within the circle of eternal suffering." Though this passage is found towards the end of Lawrence Osborne's "Hunters in the Dark" it captures the atmosphere of his intriguing story.
Robert, a thirty something, teacher of English literature "in a little provincial schoolroom" is spending his holiday in Cambodia. "The sweet bird of youth, in his case, had nowhere to perch and had not taken flight to begin with. His youth was a wingless dodo. One could go on and on and that bird would still not sing. You waited for life to begin and yet for some reason it did not begin. It hesitated while you wondered about the risks. You stood in the wing of your own play, afraid to walk onto the boards and begin."
Within the foggy, damp and steamy backdrop of Cambodia, author Osborne nudges Robert onto "…the boards…" and into what predictably becomes an intricate web of con, retribution and confusion. There are beautiful Khmer women, an American con man and the network of taxi drivers and hotel attendants who observe all. Osborne has written a story that is hard to put down as each obvious solution is derailed and the intrigue becomes more so. The author also expertly portrays the complicated relationship of the Anglo-Saxon and the people of Asia as not always as hospitable as may be perceived.
Likened to Graham Greene, Osborne uses excellent prose to weave an exciting story. His experience as an ex-pat in Asia gives the occasional rambles about the countryside and/or those who inhabit it an astute credibility. Recommended for all who enjoy a well written yet spellbinding tale.

Bink W. (Sopchoppy, FL)

Mind of the East
Very enjoyable book that captures the sights, sounds, smells and thoughts of a different culture. One of the very few books I might read again just for the pleasure of the language.

Molly B. (Longmont, CO)

Floating in Cambodia
I enjoyed this mystery, a fascinating look at Cambodia and its mysteries and enigmatic culture that westerners could never fully understand. The book is full of rain, ruins, ghosts, and superstitions. The pacing is sometimes erratic, but there is some gorgeous writing and very cool turns of phrase, with an ending that is full-circle and satisfying, if somewhat rushed. I will search out his previous books.

Barbara C. (Fountain hills, AZ)

Hunters in Dark Cambodia
What a pleasure to find a book so well written, with such terse, unusual language. Lawrence Osbourne has hit the nail on the head as he describes the dark, ominous, conniving Cambodia of today. The steamy atmosphere of the place, the duplicitous nature of the people, and the naivety of the central character, Robert, make for a tense and creepy book reading experience. The author has introduced a melange of characters very well defined and original. The plot is slowly paced and requires a patient reader to progress through it, but the descriptions of the areas and the twists and turns of the story require the reader to concentrate and savor the language. Although throughout, the Cambodian names and phrases are so foreign, the reader quickly adapts and can parse their meanings. I found this book to be addictive, and would recommend it for book clubs.

Sherilyn R. (St George, UT)

A Dark and Gritty Novel
I enjoyed this coming of age book although it is not a type I am normally drawn to.

Osbourne's writing is dark, lush, sumptuous and rich. Atmospheric! It had a gritty, hard edge to it. Osbourne lives in Thailand and this had the sense of reality and place that only someone who truly lives in country could elicit.

Graham Green was described as "the ultimate chronicler of 20th century man's consciousness and anxiety." Osbourne may be on his way to just such a description for the 21st century. Am headed to pick up one of his other books.

Nancy O. (Hobe Sound, FL)

This book seriously blew me away
From the "beautifully ignorant" main character of this novel to the country of Cambodia where ghosts, spirits, omens and signs are as much part of the landscape as are the ruins at Angkor Wat, Hunters in the Dark just frankly blew me away. It is dark, beautiful and haunting but even that doesn't begin to describe how very taken I am with this novel. I won't go over plot here, but I loved being taken to a place where where people believe that "karma swirled around all things, lending them destinies over which mere desire had no control.

It made one's little calculations irrelevant" - a statement that says so very much about what is happening in this book. I could so easily go on and talk about other things, for example, the "devastating spectacle" of the dominance of "Western ideas and moods" in Cambodia and the horrific impact they had on Cambodia's future, but I really think I've said enough at this juncture.

Getting into the story does take some time, but my advice is to relax. There is a great payoff awaiting patient readers -- not so much in terms of plot, but more so it's all about what's happening around the action. I suppose you could read it just for plot but that would be such a waste -- this is an incredibly beautiful, haunting book, and now I am eager to hunt down others by this author.

This book would be great for book groups -- there is so much going on in it to talk about -- the restlessness and drifting tendencies of young adults who aren't very satisfied with their lives; the devastating impact of European ideas on cultures such as Cambodia's, and much more. I have to say that I was quite impressed and I hope others will enjoy it as much as I did.

...17 more reader reviews

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