Mai Pen Rai Means Never Mind. An American Housewife's Honest Love Affair with the Irrepressible People of Thailand

"Mai Pen Rai Means Never Mind" is a fascinating book. So far as I know, it is the only book Carol Hollinger ever published, and I suspect that when it was first issued (in 1965, by Houghton Mifflin), it was intended as a piece of light humor -- a bit of amusing fluff, if you will. Well, this particular bit of amusing fluff has been continuously in print now for 44 years, a remarkable span of time which would make most writers jealous. (It is currently offered by Asia Books, in Thailand.) Recently, I bought another copy of this book and re-read it, trying to understand its enduring popularity. And I noticed something I hadn't noticed before: Carol Hollinger is an original and quite brilliant writer. Her prose is delightful, as are her perceptions and her attitude. In addition to all these gifts, she has a genius for selecting illuminating encounters and fascinating people. The result of all these talents working together is a really brilliant book. Carol Hollinger's touch is almost always light, but she was far from a frivolous person. When the book's main hero, Khun Amorn, suddenly turns on her and tells her with severity, "It is more easy to be liked than to be a friend," we understand the deeply serious message being sent, and we understand it precisely from the context of the story we have just been reading. "And then he added, with such compassion that his voice seemed to sound from his soul, 'But I think that this night you have learned this.' " Very highly recommended for anyone with an interest in Thailand.