The interestings

If You Loved 'The Interestings,' Try Reading These 7 Other Books, Too

Meg Wolitzer’s hit novel The Interestings has a wondrously simple plotline that slyly conceals a big, sprawling epic. Although it’s ostensibly about a group of six gifted kids (the eponymous “Interestings”) who meet at a ’70s summer camp for gifted and creative kids, the book eventually spreads out to chart their lives and fraught friendships over the course of many decades. The book opens during their first year together at Spirit-in-the-Woods, but The Interestings is really about everything that happens after. And a lot happens after.
The book is colored by both its compelling use of history (it kicks off just before President Nixon resigns and spreads out to include a hefty number of other topical occurrences) and its indelible characters. Centered primarily on Julie — “Jules” after that first summer and never anything else — Jacobson, Wolitzer uses the new kid in camp as an entry point into the rest of The Interestings crew: the ethereal Ash Wood, her larger-than-life brother Goodman, the beloved but awkward Ethan Figman, the overly emotional Cathy Kiplinger, and the enigmatic Jonah Bay. How the six tangle together (and, in some cases, untangle) over the years frames the narrative of the novel. Wolitzer’s seamless sliding between time periods and dedication to crafting characters that feel real (even if that means making them often scan as less than appealing) elevates it to something very special indeed.

But if you’ve read (and loved) The Interestings and are hungry for more titles like it, there’s more out there like it, depending on what exactly struck you from the book:

1. If you’re hungry for another novel about a friend group held together by both big intellect and even bigger lies, pick up Donna Tartt’s The Secret History

If you’ve only read Tartt’s Pulitzer Prize-winning The Goldfinch, you’re missing out. The author has only written three books in her 22-year career, but her first is a strong competitor for best of the bunch. Set at Hampden College, a fictional Vermont institution based on her own alma mater (Bennington, where she started writing the novel), the book follows a tight-knit group of Ancient Greek scholars whose delicate friendships are thrown into major turmoil after they kill off one of their own. Oops!
Wolitzer’s book similarly winds up to the reveal of a big crime and the revelation of some huge secrets, admirably holding tension even as we know the inevitable outcome. Tartt’s overly intellectual characters are a fine counterpoint for the more eclectic Interestings, but they all suffer from the same problem: being too smart for their own good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. If you’re looking for another book about an offbeat summer camp populated by secret-plagued attendees, try Anton DiSclafani’s The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls

Spirit-in-the-Woods is both a location and a state of mind for the characters of The Interestings, so it’s no surprise that the book often returns to the summer camp, thanks to both some necessary flashbacks and some very surprising narrative turns. DiSclafini’s Riding Camp is a fair bit different than The Interestings, but its primary setting — a chi-chi riding camp and school for girls nestled in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains — is evocative and memorable in precisely the same way that Spirit-in-the-Woods is. DiSclafini doesn’t just pay special attention to place, either, she’s just as caught up in time as Wolitzer is, and Riding Camp takes place in the early days of the Depression, a nationwide upheaval that impacts the camp’s various attendees in different ways, just like Nixon looms large over the kids of The Interestings. The book’s central character, the mercurial and needy Thea Atwell, even comes to camp with her own secrets to spare, and while the unfolding of her own narrative isn’t as exciting as the ones that reveal themselves across the course of The Interestings, the books’ similarities are still strong, and the pair make a fine double feature.

 

 

 

3. If you want to read more about life in New York City in the ’70s and onward, check out Renata Adler’s seminal Speedboat

Wolitzer’s novel spans several decades, but the meat of its post-camp action takes place in New York City in the ’70s and onward. As the Interestings try to make their way in the dangerous, daring city, Gotham comes alive around them — always bright, always bold, and quite often exceedingly disappointing. Adler’s classic Speedboat similarly explores life in the big city in the later part of the ’70s, vividly bringing to life all the excitement and terror of attempting to carve out a intellectually-driven existence (in the case of Speedboat, our main character is a budding journalist) in a city that doesn’t care much for sympathy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. If you’re seeking out another book about fraught female friendships, grab Mary McCarthy’s classic The Group

The Interestings aren’t the literary world’s only sharply named group made up of big-time strivers and tension-laden friendships. McCarthy’s The Group is loosely based on McCarthy’s own experiences at Vassar College and in her post-graduate years, and it follows eight very different friends as they embark on their adult lives. Wolitzer’s book gives equal attention to the various relationships that weave throughout her narrative, but the relationship between Jules and Ash is one of its most compelling. The pair fiercely bond as only teenage girls can, and that bond is put to the test throughout The Interestings, thanks to both common calamities and shocking secrets. McCarthy’s novel is all about the essential nature of female friendships, even as they often prove to be more heartbreaking than any romance. Jules and Ash probably should have read this one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. If you’re stuck on the unrequited love between Ethan and Jules, seek out Lionel Shriver’s The Post-Birthday World

Before Jules really finds her place within the group, she finds her place in Ethan’s big heart — even though she doesn’t really want it. Although the pair’s romance is remarkably short-lived, Ethan never quite gives up hope on Jules. Um, even after he marries Ash and the pair become fabulously wealthy and famous and Jules finds her own husband outside the confines of the Spirit-in-the-Woods clique. Awkward. Ethan’s dedication to Jules, and his frequent desire that things had turned out differently when they were teens, is one of the most aching elements of Wolitzer’s novel. If you’re stuck wondering “what if” just like Ethan, consider picking up Shriver’s The Post-Birthday World, which works as a kind of mix between the pains regular old unrequited love and the weird pleasure of Sliding Doors. What if that love worked out? What if it didn’t? What if you could see both sides?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. If you want to read more about smart kids and the scrapes their brains get them into, dive into Marisha Pessl’s Special Topics in Calamity Physics

The Interestings are, well, interesting, but they’re also smart and creative and cool and bound for greatness, sort of like the Bluebloods of Pessl’s dynamic debut novel. Much like The Interestings, we’re introduced to the complicated and complex group through the arrival of a new member — the awkward Blue van Meer. Even better? There’s also a big mystery at the heart of this novel, and enough pop culture nods and literary allusions to keep it chugging right along.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. If you just want to read more Wolitzer, start with the author’s The Uncoupling

Wolitzer published eight novels before The Interestings hit shelves in 2013, and each one is better than the last. If you’re looking to get still deeper into Wolitzer’s bibliography, pick up The Uncoupling, the novel she wrote just before The Interestings. A modern take on the Lysistrata story (that’s the Greek comedic play about a city filled with women who withhold sex from their men in order to stop a war), The Uncoupling is wry and witty in the same way that The Interestings is, with a literary backbone that will keep the creatives happy. Other solid Wolitzer picks? The Wife and The Ten-Year Nap.

Temple of Bangkok Thailand

Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha), Bangkok, Thailand

Wat Phra Kaew (วัดพระแก้ว), the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, and the adjoining Grand Palace together form the greatest spectacle for the visitor to Bangkok. Despite the fact that the whole compound is so full of tourists you spend half the time trying to avoid getting in people's photos, it's still a pretty amazing place to visit. It consists of over 100 brightly colored buildings, golden spires and glittering mosaics, and dates back to 1782, when Bangkok was founded. When you enter the compound, you first of all see Wat Phra Kaew and the nearby attractions, and then move on to the Grand Palace afterwards.

Wat Phra Kaew itself is the main attraction though. This is Thailand's most important and sacred temple, so you're expected to act with due respect inside it. It houses the tiny (between 60 and 75 cm) Emerald Buddha, which is located high above the heads of the worshippers and tourists. Not much is known for certain about the statue, except that it isn't actually made of emerald but rather of green jade or jasper. Getting a good look at it is difficult as photography is forbidden inside the temple, and it's perched so high up inside it's glass box that it's difficult to really see.

It's thought to have been made in the 15th century and was the cause of several wars before ending up for good in Bangkok in 1782. The image is considered a talisman and holds tremendous significance for Thailand and the Thais. The 'robe' that it wears is changed 3 times each year by the King himself, at the start of each season: A diamond encrusted gold robe during the hot season, a solid gold robe in the cool season and a gilded monk's robe in the rainy season.There are also many other Buddha images inside the temple.

Round the interior walls are murals depicting the jataka stories. These are located according to the typical Thai conventions inside temples. The ones facing the altar depict the victory of the Buddha over the evil demon Mara, as he subdues her and achieves enlightenment. As is normal for Thai temples, shoes must be taken off before entering into the temple.

Despite it's national importance, Wat Phra Kaew is the only temple in Thailand that doesn't have any resident monks, and so is not a seat of Buddhist learning in the same way as the likes of Wat Pho and Wat Mahathat.

A cloister surrounds the temple, and depicted along here is an extensive mural of the Ramakian, the Thai version of the famous Indian epic, the Ramayana. In total there are 178 sections, and although they date from the reign of King Mongkut (Rama IV 1825-1850) they have since been restored on numerous occasions. The explanatory texts across from each were devised by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V).

Also in the compound is:

- A miniature model of the famous Cambodian temple complex Angkor Wat, made during the reign of King Mongkut (Rama IV) when the Thai territory extended over Cambodia.

- Two libraries, built to protect copies of important Buddhist literature. The Phra Mondop library is impressive, but almost always closed to the public. If not, it's well worth looking at.

- The impressive golden Phra Si Rattana Chedi, which it's claimed (somewhat improbably) houses ashes of the Buddha.

- The Royal Pantheon, with full size statues of the first seven kings of the reigning Chakri dynasty (Rama I - Rama VII). Only open on April 6th, the anniversary of the founding of this dynasty. Surrounding this are large statues of mythical guardians (pictured right), such as the kinaree, half human-half bird and the Hindu garuda bird. It contains the scared Buddhist scriptures, the Tripitaka.

 

Wat Traimit (Golden Buddha) and Chinatown, Bangkok, Thailand

 

• Wat Traimit in Bangkok

  Temple of Golden Buddha in Chinatown

  Located at the end of Chinatown's Yaowarat Road, near Hualampong Railway Station, Wat Traimit houses the world's largest massive gold seated Buddha measuring nearly five metres in height and weighing five and a half tons. In the past, artisans crafted the Buddhas in gold and disguised them from invading armies by a covering of stucco and plaster.
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  Wat Traimit – The Temple of the Golden Buddha

  The Buddha at Wat Traimit was discovered by accident when it was accidentally dropped as it was being moved, revealing, under a casing of plaster, a beautiful solid gold Sukhothai style Buddha. Pieces of the plaster are still kept on display.
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  Wat Traimit

  • Opening Hours: 09:00 - 17:00
  • Location: Traimit Road (west of Hua Lampong Station), at the very beginning of Chinatown
  • Price Range: 10 Baht to visit the museum located half way to the top of the building. Visiting the golden buddha itself is free.

Wat Saket (Golden Mount), Bangkok, Thailand 

 Wat Saket has glistened above the historic Banglamphu area for nearly two centuries. The temple's intriguing (if somewhat horrifying) history, peaceful atmosphere and impressive panoramic views make it one of Bangkok's top attractions.

Tired of crowded and noisy Bangkok? Wat Saket provides relief.

First established during the Ayutthaya period in the 1600s as "Wat Sakae", the temple once covered a vast area that included the city's central charnel grounds. The surrounding neighbourhood is still known as "Ghost Gate" thanks to the countless corpses that were cremated here. The gory process involved feeding body parts to a swarm of vultures that were long a fixture at Wat Saket. All of this was undertaken by an undertaker who received payment by way of a coin deposited by family members in each dead person's mouth. It's said that the undertaker would pluck out the coin and quickly place it in his own mouth for safekeeping.

Even in this age of elevated trains and skyscrapers, Wat Saket makes itself known.

But the charnel grounds were only one aspect of a temple that would have served as community centre, school and more. It's said that the powerful military commander, Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke, who would later become King Rama I (founder of the still reigning Chakri Dynasty and one of Thailand’s most important historical figures), used the temple grounds as a place to rejuvenate between his military pursuits during the late 1700s. The Thai words, sa and ket, refer to “shower” and “hair”, so Wat Saket got its name due to the king-to-be cleansing himself here, both physically and spiritually.

Don't worry, there's a coffee shop half way up.

The Golden Mount (phu khao thong) was built within the Wat Saket grounds by Rama I’s grandson, King Rama III in the early 1800s. Rising some 58 metres above ground, the steep human-made hill is crowned at its top by a large golden chedi that’s believed to house relics of the Buddha. Waterfalls, flower gardens and prayer bells are placed along the 320 stairs that wind to the top. It sounds exhausting, but the stairs aren't very steep and a coffee shop and several other stop-offs make it manageable. Be sure to bang the massive gong after making a wish.
After passing through an enclosed shrine area, a steep stairwell takes you to an open-air platform centred around the main chedi at the very top of the structure. Here, a small crowd of locals are usually found offering flowers, candles, incense, and prayers as a few tourists soak in the atmosphere. Even on the hottest of days a refreshing breeze gently chimes tiny gold leaf bells, each representing a donation from the lay community.

A surreal city scape from atop Wat Saket.

The Golden Mount was Bangkok’s tallest structure until the 20th century, and although dwarfed today by modern skyscrapers its location among a protected heritage neighbourhood of two-storey buildings still allows for some impressive 360-degree views of the city.

Above the chaos of Bangkok.

Though the old charnel grounds have long been covered over by shophouses, Wat Saket remains a sprawling temple complex that also includes a cavernous ordination hall and many other smaller buildings, shrines, stupas and alleys. The temple has long been a centre of local and national Buddhist activity, and the temple is as alive today as it has ever been. On important Buddhist holidays, thousands of monks and members of the lay community take part in a candlelight procession that streams from the main hall to the top of the Golden Mount and continues late into the night with chanting, parades and food.

If here around 17:00 you can check out a traditional chanting service in the main hall.

As with all functioning temples or sacred places of any religion, it’s important to be respectful of local culture by acting and dressing appropriately while visiting Wat Saket.

Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha), Bangkok, Thailand / Wat Pho, Bangkok, Tajlandia 

• Wat Pho in Bangkok

  Temple of Reclining Buddha

  Wat Pho (the Temple of the Reclining Buddha), or Wat Phra Chetuphon, is located behind the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and a must-do for any first-time visitor in Bangkok. It's one of the largest temple complexes in the city and famed for its giant reclining Buddha that measures 46 metres long and is covered in gold leaf. It’s an easy ten minute walk between here and the Grand Palace, and we recommend coming to Wat Pho second, because even though the golden Buddha here is just as popular many people don’t take the time to wander around the rest of the complex so the experience tends to be far more relaxing. This is also a great place to get a traditional Thai massage. Wat Pho is often considered the leading school of massage in Thailand, so you really are in good hands here. Since December 2012, entrance to the temple costs 100 baht and you can visit any time between 08:00 and 17:00.
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  The highlight for most people visiting Wat Pho is the Reclining Buddha. The figures here are impressive: 15 metres tall, 46 metres long, so large it feels like it has been squeezed into the building. The Buddha's feet are 5 metres long and exquisitely decorated in mother-of-pearl illustrations of auspicious 'laksanas' (characteristics) of the Buddha. 108 is a significant number, referring to the 108 positive actions and symbols that helped lead Buddha to perfection. You’ll need to take your shoes off to enter, and if you would like a little good luck, we recommend purchasing a bowl of coins at the entrance of the hall which you can drop in the 108 bronze bowls which line the length of the walls. Dropping the small pennies in makes a nice ringing sound and even if your wishes don’t come true, the money goes towards helping the monks renovate and preserve Wat Pho. As this is a revered image, all visitors must wear appropriate clothing; this means no exposed shoulders or skin above the knee.
  

  As we said before, it really is worth taking a look round the rest of the temple. Wat Pho also has good English speaking guides who will provide interesting information for around 200 - 400 baht, depending on how many people there are in your group and how good your negotiating skills are. If you prefer, you can wander alone. Recommend sites include four chapels that contain 394 gilded Buddha images, long lines of golden statues from different parts of Thailand sitting in the lotus position. Although the intricately detailed murals that cover the walkways around Wat Pho will require a book or guide to decipher, the exquisite murals are so detailed and intricate that even if you don’t understand all the imagery you can still appreciate the artwork. Finally in the courtyards at Wat Pho Temple are some comical looking Chinese statutes that were once uses as ballasts on ships and 91 chedis (or stupas) decorated in ceramic pottery flowers and colourful tiles.
  

  Wat Pho was the first public university in Thailand, specialising in religion, science and literature. It is now more well-known as a centre for traditional massage and medicine. After a walk around the temple there is nothing quite like a relaxing foot or head and shoulder massage. If you've never tried a traditional Thai massage, Wat Pho is a good place to experience this popular leisure activity. It's quite different to most other forms of therapeutic massage and tends to be invigorating rather than relaxing, incorporating yoga style postures to relieve stress and improve blood circulation. This is a very popular activity at Wat Pho temple, so we recommend you pop in before your treatment to book a spot, or you might end up with a long wait.

  Wat Pho

  • Opening Hours: Daily 08:00 - 17:00 (Massage available until 18:00)
  • Location: Maharat Road. Close to the river (about a half mile south of the Grand Palace), Old City (Rattanakosin)
  • Price Range: The entrance fee is 100 baht

 

Top 5 Thai Food

   Top 5 Thai Food

Most Popular 

Thai Foods

 Thailand’s food needs little introduction. From San Francisco to Sukhothai, its profusion of exotic flavours and fragrances make it among the most coveted of international cuisines. As a walk through Bangkok forcefully reminds, these flavours and fragrances are seemingly inexhaustible. However, whether it be juicy pieces of grilled pork on a stick or a fiery bowl of ‘Tom Yum’ soup, we all have to start somewhere. And what better place than our carefully selected Top 10 of Thai Food, which spans everything from staple backpacker favourites to Thai classics. Once you’ve tried them all, please vote for the one that really thrilled your taste buds...

 

1.)Tom Yum Goong (Spicy Shrimp Soup)

 

The quintessential Thai aroma! A bold, refreshing blend of fragrant lemongrass, chilli, galangal, lime leaves, shallots, lime juice and fish sauce shapes this classic soup, giving it its legendary herbal kick.Succulent fresh prawns and straw mushrooms lend it body. A versatile dish that can fit within virtually any meal, the distinctive smell reminds you of exotic perfume, while it's invigorating sour-spicy-hot taste just screams 'Thailand'

2.) Som Tum (Spicy Green Papaya Salad)

 

Hailing from the Northeast state of Isaan, this outlandish dish is both great divider - some can't get enough of its bite, some can't handle it - and greatly distinctive. Garlic, chilies, green beans, cherry tomatoes and shredded raw papaya get dramatically pulverized in a pestle and mortar, so releasing a rounded sweet-sour-spicy flavour that's not easily forgotten. Regional variations throw peanuts, dry shrimp or salted crab into the mix, the latter having a gut-cleansing talent that catches many newcomers by surprise!

3.) Tom Kha Kai (Chicken in Coconut Soup) 

A mild, tamer twist on Tom Yum, this iconic soup infuses fiery chilies, thinly sliced young galangal, crushed shallots, stalks of lemongrass and tender strips of chicken. However unlike its more watery cousin, lashings of coconut milk soften its spicy blow. Topped off with fresh lime leaves, it's a sweet-smelling concoction, both creamy and compelling.

4.) Gaeng Daeng (Red Curry) 

Made with morsels of meat, red curry paste, smooth coconut milk and topped off with a sprinkling of finely sliced kaffir lime leaves, this rich, aromatic curry always gets those taste buds tingling. At its best when the meat is stunningly tender, it could be likened to a beautiful woman: it's mild, sweet and delicately fragrant. And like all true love affairs, absence makes the heart grow fonder.

 

5.) Pad Thai (Thai style Fried Noodles)  

 

From Cape Town to Khao San Road, the default international Thai dish! Dropped in a searing hot wok, fistfuls of small, thin or wide noodles (you choose) do a steamy minute-long dance alongside crunchy beansprouts, onion and egg, before disembarking for the nearest plate. A truly interactive eating experience, half its fun (and flavour) lies in then using a quartet of accompanying condiments - fish sauce, sugar, chilli powder and finely ground peanuts - to wake it from its slumbers.

Similan Island Travel

Similan Island

Similan Islands Wonders

Underwater, meanwhile, all sorts of marine creatures have helped establish the reefs and the sandy beaches. When you climb up to Sailing Boat Rock, consider the brilliant white sand below.
This beach is in large part a product of diligent scraping and nibbling away by organisms such as the parrotfish - an average individual of which species may excrete more than 16 kilos of sand in the course of a year's lunching on hard corals. And there's plenty here to eat.

The conditions for coral growth are ideal, with a minimum prevailing sea temperature of about 28oC and exceptionally clear waters. More than 200 species of hard coral alone have so far been identified in this area, while these islands have the greatest profusion of reef fish in Thai waters.
In fact, in terms of both marine life and bottom topography, there's more variety than you'll find in most other dive destinations around the world. The Similan Islands has almost everything - coral walls (if we count Koh Bon, to the north, as one of the Similans), big rocks, huge sea fans and barrel sponges, caves, swim-throughs, and plenty of shallows for snorkelling as well. For, although the fringing waters around the islands average from 30-45m dropping down to 70-80m between islands, you'll find coral gardens in as little as six to seven metres.

Getting to the Similans

 

There is no regular boat service for visitors to the island, and during the low season months of May-October boats may stop running altogether depending on the weather conditions. Thap Lamu Pier, in the Thai Muang district of Phang Nga province, is the nearest launching point to the Similans, with boat trips taking about 3 hours.
More adventurous travellers may try to hitch a ride with some of the local boats heading out there - just be sure to allow lots of time since there's no guarantee that there will be a ride back on any given day. Note that a park entry fee of 200 baht is charged.
Daytrips from Phuket and Khao Lak are also possible, with travel time of 45 minutes to 3 hours depending on the boat used. A popular way to go, especially for divers and game fishers, is by joining a liveaboard boat trip from Phuket, which usually run for 4 days. There are many Phuket-based liveaboard operations offering varying levels of luxury and facilities.

A Sailor's Fancy 

 

It's best known as a diving and snorkelling destination, but the Similans' scenic moorings are also becoming increasingly popular with the sailing fraternity. Every year more yachts come to cruise the Similans during the northeast monsoon (November-May, with December-February the peak of the high season), drawn by the lovely anchorages, the beaches and forests, the clear waters and teeming marine life.
Bareboat sailing charters and sailing-diving cruises may be booked from Phuket. If you are on a yacht that doesn't have scuba gear or a compressor, you can always hire what you need from the diveboats that come out from Phuket on a regular basis.
Click here for info on Phuket Boat Charters.
Aside from sailing and diving, more and more dayboats are coming out from Phuket and Phang Nga during the high season, bringing with them crowds of sightseers, picnickers, and snorkellers. And Koh Similan National Park has added to its many attractions its role as a stopover on the way to yet newer and more distant undersea frontiers and sailing destinations - areas such as the Andaman Islands, the Invisible Bank and, when they reopen to sport diving, the Burma Banks.