Courting trouble? New novel Figurehead by Patrick Allington.Novel turns King Father into a literary 'Figurehead' of fun
Monday, 27 July 2009
Peter Olszewski
The Phnom Penh Post
Australian piece paints a potentially controversial portrait of Cambodia's ex-King Norodom Sihanouk during the KR years.
A just-published Australian novel, Figurehead, by Patrick Allington (Black Inc) about the dark days of the Pol Pot regime blurs fiction with reality and creates caricatures of the high-profile Cambodians who played a part in this unfortunate passage of history.
It is the debut novel by Allington, who was mentored by JM Coetzee, winner of the 2003 Nobel Prize in Literature, at the University of Adelaide.
The book follows Ted Whittlemore, a fictional radical Australian journalist, possibly based on Wilfred Burchett, a controversial writer denounced as a communist sympathiser.
The book recounts how in the late 1960s Whittlemore saves the life of Nhem Kiry, who then becomes Pol Pot's mouthpiece.
The consequences haunt Whittlemore as he ponders the Khmer Rouge excesses and wonders what went wrong.
Geordie Williamson, the chief literary critic of The Australian newspaper, wrote on June 11 that, "Figurehead is almost, but not quite, a historical novel...Its inventions are not just speculative amalgam - tall tales and hearsay to plug gaps in the historical record - but a leap, made from real-world specificity into the abstract universals of literature."
But how will Cambodians view the representation of Norodom Sihanouk, who is lampooned as some absurdist cartoon character that could be at home in the darkly satirical US TV series South Park?
In one passage Sihanouk refers to his wife Princess Monique as "fruit salad". In another, Khmer Rouge leaders snigger about Sihanouk's ample stomach: "'Everybody is so delighted,' Ieng Sary whispered, 'that His Majesty Prince Norodom Sihanouk is finally pregnant. He has wanted to be a mother for so long. He's so large that the doctors suspect twins.'"
The representation poses the question of whether the book will be made available in the Kingdom's bookshops.
A just-published Australian novel, Figurehead, by Patrick Allington (Black Inc) about the dark days of the Pol Pot regime blurs fiction with reality and creates caricatures of the high-profile Cambodians who played a part in this unfortunate passage of history.
It is the debut novel by Allington, who was mentored by JM Coetzee, winner of the 2003 Nobel Prize in Literature, at the University of Adelaide.
The book follows Ted Whittlemore, a fictional radical Australian journalist, possibly based on Wilfred Burchett, a controversial writer denounced as a communist sympathiser.
The book recounts how in the late 1960s Whittlemore saves the life of Nhem Kiry, who then becomes Pol Pot's mouthpiece.
The consequences haunt Whittlemore as he ponders the Khmer Rouge excesses and wonders what went wrong.
Geordie Williamson, the chief literary critic of The Australian newspaper, wrote on June 11 that, "Figurehead is almost, but not quite, a historical novel...Its inventions are not just speculative amalgam - tall tales and hearsay to plug gaps in the historical record - but a leap, made from real-world specificity into the abstract universals of literature."
But how will Cambodians view the representation of Norodom Sihanouk, who is lampooned as some absurdist cartoon character that could be at home in the darkly satirical US TV series South Park?
In one passage Sihanouk refers to his wife Princess Monique as "fruit salad". In another, Khmer Rouge leaders snigger about Sihanouk's ample stomach: "'Everybody is so delighted,' Ieng Sary whispered, 'that His Majesty Prince Norodom Sihanouk is finally pregnant. He has wanted to be a mother for so long. He's so large that the doctors suspect twins.'"
The representation poses the question of whether the book will be made available in the Kingdom's bookshops.
54 comments:
SIHANOUK SON OF THE BITCH .
RANNARIDH SON OF THE BITCH SIHANOUK.
THEY ARE ALL BASTARDS ..
Yeah, this king should b brought to justice. Because of him that our country came across this unfortunate future...
Shit Sihanouk!!!
Yes we should be brought all Khmers born before 1975 to the court and let the Vietnamese run our coutry.
Ah choy mê vea ah Norodom Sihanouk.
Ah èng nis khmean sach khdsei khlahan chea sdach muoy dâng na leuy. Ah Sihanouk èng nis poukê ban
têkhang choy srey dèl kê tê muoy yang kôth. Ah Sihanouk èng nis mindèl ban choy srey krâmom muoy dâng doch monus pros ê teath leuy.
trov ah Sihanouk èng khlahan leung! trov ah èng trov hean chaul tov ôy tolaka kath taûs dôch Khieu Sam Phân beû ah èng pith chea sdach aûch mern. beû ah èng chea sdach trov hean totuol taûrs dèl ah èng ban khâth cheath samlap Khmer aûrs cheang pi lean neak. beû ah Sihanouk èng chea meas mern min trov khlach phleurng té !
Mee Socheata, my Youn spy, she does everything to divide Khmers to kill each others for her Youn to take Cambodia. Mee Socheata is no difference than any Youn who dreams to eliminate Khmers.
She knows that pourk ah.me jumkourt psychopaths at oversea hate Khmer King she does that just to divert their attentions from her Youn in Cambodia.
My ngorb preah thorany srob and srob all ah.mee pourk chhkae choy m'ray.
Congratulation Mr 8:00 ! Yours comments on ah NORODON SIHANOUK son of bitch Sisowath Kossamak, Ah chhkê Norodom Sihanouk are very good informations for Khmer People in the world.
Pi father of PPU.
Ah phleu 8:25 PM. Ah Phleu min deung tha yuon chaul dauysar ah chamkuoth luong ah Norodom Sihanouk khbath cheath khmer rue yang na. Ah 8:25 PM Ah si ach sdach tov chos ! Yuon yok srok dauy sar Ah chhkê Norodom Sohanouk.
Pi Anh father of PPU.
Yep,he(tmil Sihanouk) deserved to be condemned and cursed from his people because.
1-He favored communism over the free world.
2- He prefered vietcong ,north vietnam over South vietnam .
3-He prefered khmer rouge led by POLPOT,KHIEV SAMPHAN,IENG SARY,IENG THIRITH,DUCH,TAMOK,NUON CHEA, over the true nationalist led by our heroes LON NOL,Prince SIMIMATAK.
Now suffer the consequences of your betrayal your SOB.
These Khmers who cursed King Sihanouk are easly brainwashed by foreigners not just by Viets.
The WHITE MEN took others' countries in the world and took Australia to be their own chasing the Australian Aborigine out of their own native land. Now in this 21th CENTURY the SAME WHITE MEN makes STUPID COMMENTS attacking Khmer King. Is he this WHITE MAN a stupid man or he is paid by the Vietnamese like his WHITE WOMAN named TRUDY JACOBSEN who's biased toward the Vietnamese and accusing Khmers of RACIST toward the Vietnamese, while she knew damn well that the Vietnamese have been presence in Cambodia for centuries.
I am Khmer and I defend my King and my country and my poor people in my country, but for the same WHITE MAN sided with Vietnamese to divide Khmers, he is no difference than a blood sucker who terrorized the planet for centuries for robbing others' nations.
These stupid people who make negative comments about my King who fought to save his country during COLD WAR I owed to him not to the White MEN who side with Vietnamese to destroy Cambodia.
I am not these idiots who are clueless enjoy bashing Khmer King while Viets enjoy investing in my country.
An Australian Ambassador has Vietnamese Wife and so the American politicians have the Vietnamese wives.
Some Khmers are still fucking believing the White men are gods.
In the past they took and robbed other nations and used them as their slaves in their own countries, now they used propaganda by twisting the facts and hiding their own intentions to destroy others.
Why wouldn't the White thieves in Australia shut their mouths? Those Whites are sticked together and together with the Vietnamese to put pressure on Khmer King because they cannot force Kim Jung Il to renounce his Nuclear misssiles.
Why don't the white men speak openly and engage in a diploamt way instead of trying to atatck King Sihanouk whom this White bastard knew nothing about.
Didn't the Britain and US say "We don't need to care about Cambodia but we need to worry about our allies Thailand and Vietnam?".
Yes don't over dramatioze yourself people. Trudy Jacobsen has determined to destroy Khmer Unity for her Vietnamese lover.
I stand by ny assertion that this WHITE man is paid by the Vietnamese.
Socheata is no Khmer Nationalist. With her very low education she has a mission to divide Khmer Unity. Her background is not even Khmer. She is of Chinese and Youn decent. Her cousin told us they are no real Khmers, but Youn and Chinese.
White Australians used by the US-Vietnam against China and N. Korea to cause troubles in SEA especially in Thailand and Cambodia. The US is too smart, and they will not fight China directly but they use other nations to do the jobs for them. In SEA the US use Vietnam, and Vietnam has her friend Australia.
King Sihanouk is not the only target White Australian go after, they go after King Bhumibol too. Recently a Australian "Paul Dailing" who insulted King Bhumibol was sent to jail in Bangkok.
In SEA the White men said that the Vietnamese are the smartest people who could do the jobs effectively; and the stupidest and Laziest ones are Khmers. I believe them although I am Khmer.
The former king is too hard to understand, he continually sides with the people who destroy and wants control of our nation for protection and survival of his own throne and family name, which in this century means nothing anymore.
For the royal throne, he sole out his opposition to the Viet border treaty, for his royal throne, he kiss up to Hun Sen and call him a heroe at the time Hun Sen cracks down citizens, oppositions, and any nationalist.
History have shown he has sided with the destructive forces against Cambodia ever since the crumble of his Sangkum Reast Niyum. So what does this tell us about his character? He only wants to cling to power, or fame, even to his last breath, now do we see where Hun Sen gets his aspiration to be prime minister of Cambodia's destruction till he gets 91 years old come from?
tragic!
Hurry up,Sihanouk JUSTICE!
Sihanouk played while cambodia burnt!
Sihaknuk not saved Cambodia but tremendous destroy with the communist drugs in his brain cell,Sihaknuk dare kill Patriarch Chuon Nath( the best patriarchy in khmer history. Sihaknuk wanted his mother death to satfy his youn wife,Sihaknuk hate Lon Nol because Lon Nol killed youn and cleaned youn up in all over Cambodia .
Sihak nuk is the junk human destroy Cambodia ,siding with youn all the way for the THRONE.
I am condemning SIHAKNUK is the junk human even compare to the homeless dog ,Sihaknuk worthless Cambodia in miserable because this crazy dog king.
right on! it is the truth. don't be afraid to reveal the truth. the truth will set us all free someday! god bless cambodia.
Sihanouk is a national disgrace and a criminal.At one time he had called on foreign troop namely the north vietnamese army to invade and slaughtered his own people.
We can see that majority of the comment posters don't support ex-king because they know the evil of Sihanouk done for Cambodia.
Go to see: http://amekhmer.free.fr
thanks u tuk trei sre what a horrible Sihaknuk has done to the khmer?
Sihanouk kisses Hun Sen's ass because Hun Sen keeps him out of KR Trial , but he is dying of cancer anyway. he is not going to live much longer.
10:25 PM !
what do you know about Sihanouk ? were you born yet when Sihanouk asked khmer people to join khmer rouge to fight the government in the 1970 ? if Sihanouk was not a khmer rouge leader at that time , khmer rouge won't have won the war and 1.7 million innocent lives won't have died by the hand of khmer rouge .
think about it harder 10:25 PM
THE EX-KING SIHANOUK SHOULD GO TO THE KHMER ROUGE TRIBUNAL FOR TESTIFYING, IF HE IS A PURE GOLD.
BUT I DON'T THINK HE GOES...BECAUSE HE IS NOT...
Use your brain to think about national interests is better to defend Sdach Bamphlanh Cheat.
10:50 can you find something to say people wright or wrong not just colors!!!!
Use your braine Royalshit!
That's HIM he took many many many flight back and forth from Beijing to Phnom Penh during Khmer Rouge era. You name it what he brings???
Amekhmer s'agit d'un groupe radical de la méchanceté des gens qui vivent en France qui n'ont pas d'éducation et pas d'emplois. Le mari et la femme sont tous stupides, mais ils font semblant de connaître la politique.
Amekhmer est une femme noire (negro) et moche avec une mauvaise dentition, et elle vit à Strasbourg.
I hate Hun Sen, but the best thing is to have Hun Sen in power for life so to keep these low lives out of Cambodia.
First they believed the Vietnamese propaganda that fooled them like Puth Tumneay:
-Bangkok Rorlum, Phnom Penh Rorleay, Prey Nokor Kchat Kchay; Sabay Angkor Wat.
- Sdech sambol chreass (Light skin) will rule/reign 3 Kingdoms; and now
-Vietnam will be washed away or submerged into the sea from climate changes.
Those propagandas were supported by the west (althgough the prediction could be false), but the Vietnamese use it for its own political advantages to march toward west. They have more chance to win, but less chance to lose, it depends.
Stupid Cambodians have always believed every shit of foreigners say; and then they start to cut each other throats and claimed they knew everything about war and politics.
Stupid Cambodians didn't want to accept that Cambodia has never been freed from Vietnam since the day of the Vietnamese and Siam joined controlled Cambodia.
Stupid Cambodians didn't accept that Risk-Taking strategies associated with intelligent leaders in Cambodia combined to free Cambodia and all of their stupid asses.
Now they are at oversea they turned their backs at the leaders who fought to free them and the country.
Allington is Viet's spy just like Trudy Jacobsen.
don't be ashame to speak khmer language, ok. khmer language is a beautiful language, just listen to sin sisamouth, ros sereysothea, pen ron, so savoeun, etc. songs in beautiful khmer clear sounds; you'll fall in khmer with khmer language again. god bless cambodia.
Ah Sihanouk,
Ah s'dach kheatakor reas khmer.
Ah s'dach me Khmer Rouge
Ah S'dach kanh Cheas Chor yuon
Chh'lean Pean, Ph'lon toeuk dei
trorb sam bat khmer,
Ah s'dach Beam kh'dor chor yuon do
yok Reach Balaong s'va, m'kot s'va,
Ah s'dach lourk srok khmer do yok tropok me Monique kone me samphoeung yuon derl ah Italian Izi jok mok oy me pom Ping Peng chenh chem chea kone.
Ah s'dach chh'lourk toeuk Mame Monique chh'kourt lop bolbay.
Ah s'dach Preah Pak Ra Mouk, ah s'dach roleay roub dai prolack Chheam Reas Khmers.
11:41AM.
Your Youn's propaganda is too old. Most Cambodian people aren't amused by your low class style.
Create another new method, because most of my Cambodian people already knew your Youn's tactics.
So don't fuck with my king motherfucker.
10:35 AM,
You are too late. Million Youn speak Khmer fluently since they are in Srok Youn. It is not about who can speak Khmer love Khmer, it is about who love Khmers and do not destroy Cambodia.
2:57 AM,
You claimed to be a young scholar then you pick up the extremists amekhmer in Strasbourg as your source?
Comment peut-on apprendre l'autonomie revendiquée érudit de la source des extrémistes de amekhmer?
What I saw few anti-HM Sihanouk are stupid. Their English suck and their comments are dumb and they write like pourk yukom batpsar.
The Government and Monarchy's supporters most are very rational and intelligent posters.
If Om Pross Hin Sithan is also in here, then those anti-HM Sihanouk were former real KHMER ROUGE and the fomer Viet spies in Republican't.
I called him Om Pross Hin Sithan because I lived not too far from his town. The old man does not look intelligent person but he is a braggart as usual.
no one is going to fck with your king. and for sure your king is going to fck you.
2:57 AM,
Are you out of your mind?
Majority to you is about 10 or 20 people whereas millions in Cambodia love their King.
And listen dude, amekhmer is not a source anyone should learn from.
This small extremist group is in Strasbourg, France.
Don't get yourself becoming so emotion and if you want to curse me please come by and see me at www.drudgereport.com
You may learn more.
Hi Khmer Buddhist 12:18 PM,
You are so Khmer Buddhist. :)))))
CHEYO KING SIHANOUK!!!
CHEYO KAMPUCHEA!!!
CHEYO CAMBODIANS!!!
White people know how to make money.
Paul Dailing, an Australain wrote a novel insulting Thai King is now in Jail. He was thrown in jail on January 22/2009 in Bangkok. He said Thai King never smiled must be feeling guilty for killing his brother, King Mahidol.
Trudy Jacobsen wrote her papers for her thesis defending Viets and accused Khmers of racist. She too became a little famous for her papers for Sydney University and some cash from Vietnam. Her ex husband was Vietnamese.
Patrick Allington wrote his novel insulting Khmer King, King Sihanouk after they discovered HM Sihanouk was standing on the top row with his best friend Dear Leader Kim Jung Il waving his hands to the massive parade of Nuclear Missiles. It's at National Geographic. And after Hillary demanded Kim Jung Il to renounce his missiles, he refused Patrick Allington novel is now published.
Nancy GRACE has been attacked by MJ's fans around the globe. Because Nancy GRACE made negative comments about MJ and said MJ will face GOD for his sins he molested children. While million MJ's fans atacked her she is smiling and her name is famous.
LOL LOL LOl...
To make money they have to find a superstar who is very famous in the world to write about, and the writer must be WHITY.
I need to add that Paul Dalling, Trudy Jacobsen and Patrick Allington are all Australians. They are White so their novels will be read by many.
11.57 a.m.
Every mother is very special figure to me and you,irrespecitve of our differences.
Why can you treat everyone here in this site like your mother would like to be treated?
In this case, I'd rather choose to say other unpleasant things about you and your opinion and view, irrespective of our philosophical difference--but not your mother, because she has no part in this discussion, and I'd also like to leave your innocent mother out of it.
PPU
Bullshit Cambodians. Don't you know how to make money too? White people are always superior to the rest of the world. It was White who conquered this planet.
PPU take all your Cambodians back to the SEA's ZOO. You all belong to the ZOO.
9:59 I NEVER TURNE MY BACK ON THE FOOL I KICKING HIM ALL THE WEY FROM 1970!
ignorance is the root of all evil, according to the wise teaching of lord buddha. please learn from everybody, my khmer people. god bless cambodia and all our beautiful khmer people and citizens.
ps: education and knowlege like most other things know no boundary. please continue to adapt, adopt and learn everyday for the rest of our lives. god bless.
knowledge is empowerment! know the fact will set us free as a bird.
There are two main factors that strongly influenced on Cambodia's situation during the cold war:
1) External Factor: USA, Soviet, China, Thailand, Vietnam. We can collect data from many sources to analyze the fact correlation of Cambodia during that period.
2) Internal Factors: Sihanouk, Leftist and Rightist Governments.
In this part, Sihanouk played the important role in pushing Cambodia to any direction...We can get data from many sources (including primary data, coz some witnesses still alive). Besides, a scholar can do research what Sihanouk had done at http//amekhmer.free.fr due to the site has collected most information about Sihanouk, which written by the Khmers and Foreigners, including strong evidences of pictures and voice recorded.
In the song "Sranah Dei Khmer", Sin Samouth also acknowledged of Sihanouk who sole Khmer land to Vietcong.
PAST IS THE PAST, WHICH CAN NOT BE CHANGE.
KHMER SAYING "DAMREI GNAB,KAM YOK CHANGAÉ TAO BANG'
Just the web posters, you can see many of them don't like the ex-king because they knew the truth. In the million of Khmers is not differences.
Although, I don't like the ex-king, but i have never cursed/insulted him. What i want is justices for khmer citizens, and it can be a lesson for the present or future Khmer leaders that have to be responsible what they done during their reign.
In reality, I support constitutional monarchy and I love the present king too. But not fake Devoda.
I DON'T WANT TO MAKE ARGUMENT WITH KHMERS!!!
Thank for your pay attention
correction:
Leftist and Rightist Movements
i think what we talk about here is evil versus good. i think most people don't like evil. by being educated, we can see or understand and think logically for ourselves. i hope cambodia and the rest of the world can learn from our bad past and improve the future, that's the point here. yes, can't change the past, can perhaps we can improve the future or control the future so all will benefit from it all. god bless cambodia.
3:37 AM,
Don't use amekhmer as a valid source. Husband and wife in that extreme group are the extremists.
Pii Kaun Khmer nov France
3:37 AM,
With a superb technology like today, one who has skilled of technology can make voice like everybody or like King Sihanouk or like yours or me.
Vietnam has many and many thousand Engineers and many are superb Engineers. They can create King Sihanouk's voice or all of our' voices.
I don't believe the sound in that tape was the voice of the King, and I don't think amekhmer group should be trusted either.
12:27 PM,
Cheyo, cheyo, sadach xamer Saker Boun choeung,
Cheyo, cheyo, sadach Xamer Tra Kao sou Yuon,
Cheyo, cheyo sadach Xamer Lit Bat choeung Chor Yuon,
Cheyo, cheyo ah Loeu koey sadach Xmer Do ma kot peak Duon,
12:49pm,
Low class writes trash need to stop. It becomes so annoying online. You are not Khmer but Youn who spread propaganda to break Khmers unity. We wish or hope you will be dead soon.
Every comments here in this site should be used with the utmost care and caution, because I AM watching your CAREFULLY.
PPU
Ah Chkuat PPU, I don't care.
Stop your old tactics!!!
Post a Comment