Oh I don't have the words to express how this book made me feel! It's described as being "attuned to the addictive rhythms of a Thai soap opera and written with the consuming intensity of a fever dream" and man it delivers that and then some.
The writing is so lush and gorgeous with countless descriptions of food and fabrics and in the way classical music and flowers are interwoven in the story so that they actually play a role in the characters' development and not just create a mood. The characters experience such overwhelming emotions in true soap opera style but the novel doesn't hesitate to poke fun at it's own melodrama. The book actually reminds me a lot of Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things because they have a lot of similarities (tragedy stricken parents who pass the numbing grief onto their children, siblings leading broken lives, the vivid prose, non linearity) but Blind Earthworm's melancholy is dazzling while Small Things has a quieter but still intense grief. Reading this book feels like feeling an ache in your heart on a bright summer afternoon because you're hit with nostalgia and a longing for something you can never have again, leaving you wondering about what could've been.
And I loved the little detours it takes! I love it when writers put in tiny stories that could stand as short stories on their own. It's also made me realise that non linear narratives are okay (sometimes). Honestly I'm just so in awe of Kong Rithdee's skill in translating this because neither the story nor the language make it easy and I'm also happy that they included a playlist at the end!