Review of Lawrence Osborne's novel 'The Glass Kingdom' set in Bangkok

Lawrence Osborne's 2020 novel 'The Glass Kingdom' explores class divisions in Thai society through the story of Sarah Mullins, an American who flees to Bangkok after embezzling money. Published by Hogarth, the book follows Sarah as she settles into The Kingdom, a luxury apartment complex, where she befriends expatriates like Mali and becomes entangled in local gossip and social tensions. The narrative weaves a murder mystery inspired by Henri-Georges Clouzot's 1955 film 'Les Diaboliques', set against a backdrop of student protests and supernatural elements. Osborne, a British author based in Bangkok since 2012, depicts the building as a microcosm of Thailand's inequality, with themes of surveillance and karma. Comparisons are drawn to works by Graham Greene, J.G. Ballard, and filmmakers like Bong Joon-ho and Hideo Nakata, highlighting the novel's cinematic and dystopian qualities. The plot unfolds through atmospheric details, such as blackouts and eerie animal behavior, culminating in Sarah's inevitable confrontation with her choices.