Laos is a poor, landlocked socialist republic in Southeast Asia, bordering the more dominant powers of China, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. THE CORONER’S LUNCH is set in 1976, a year after the end of the long civil war that brought the Soviet-backed communist Pathet Lao to power. The protagonist of this remarkable book is Siri Paibun, a doctor and widower who, instead of retiring quietly at the age of 72, became the country’s sole coroner. One of the many beauties of this book about the experiences of ordinary people under communism is the small daily acts of subversion and rebellion that go unnoticed by the unimaginative authorities but evoke a liberating sense of personal triumph that sustains people throughout each day.
Siri has been a communist since his student days in France, but only because of the woman he loved and later married. Although she is seen by the authorities as a safe pair of hands, in reality Siri is a bystander to a callous regime. One of the many pleasures of this remarkable novel is Siri’s life in her hospital laboratory with her two colleagues: Drui, a girl who reads outdated fashion magazines and takes care of her sick mother; and Mr. Gyun, a man who is considered “simple” (he has Down syndrome). The collaboration and relationship between these three in their work and sometimes personal lives is a subtle but poignant portrait of how the human spirit can triumph over the most brutal official dictates and extreme poverty of resources.
Siri himself lives in a room in a building with many others, including the predatory Miss Wong, whose curtain is always flickering and who forces Siri to dig trenches for a party on a Sunday night off. However, Siri has other neighbors that only he can see – the spirits of the dead who come to him at night and tell him stories of how they met their end.
Turning to the actual plot, Siri encounters two unexplained and dangerous cases. One concerns Mrs. Nitna, the wife of a high-ranking government official who mysteriously died during a meeting of the Women’s Union. Another concerns the bodies of three men found at the bottom of the sea, tied to rusty bombs. Siri’s professional attitude compels him to dig into these unexplained deaths against the wishes of officials to the point of endangering himself. He also feels compelled to continue because of his spiritual visitors and the final resting place that will bring them knowledge of how they met their end.
The investigation and Siri’s life story run almost in parallel. We meet a range of sharply observed characters, some sympathetic, others less so, but all compelling. The strength of the book lies in the wonderful details, irony, and coded conversations-for example, between Siri and his lunchtime friend Siviali, whom he meets every day on a nearby deck; Siri with his baguette, which Aunt La always made specially from the bread cart. There is also excitement as the energetic Inspector Phosy and Vietnamese police officer Nguyen Hong take over the cases under investigation, and Siri is sent into the jungle to find out why the unit’s past three military commanders who helped rebuild local communities after the war mysteriously died.
Siri remains undeterred by the many petty bureaucratic insults of the regime and the backward and poor existence he is forced to lead. He maintains his dignity and composure throughout. The book loses its unmistakable tone only once, in an unconvincing scene where Siri turns the tables on his young and deputy boss, Judge Haeng, after Siri cannot stand another “burden-sharing tutorial” from this incompetent but arbitrary young man.
“THE CORONER’S LUNCH has been compared to Alexander McCall Smith’s Botswana series, but I would say that, judging by this first installment, it is far superior: first, because it lacks the element of slightly patronizing tone that sometimes spoils McCall Smith’s (otherwise charming) books; but mainly because THE CORONER’S LUNCH has much more substance. The deaths provide many enlightening insights into all aspects of this mysterious country and its societies, and all the many disparate threads come together in a truly remarkable and masterful way at the end.
I was delighted with this remarkable book: for the compelling and sympathetic portrait of a man, his small circle of friends, and their lives; and for the gripping and intelligent dramas that ultimately come to a wholly satisfying conclusion, even while unraveling a mystery very personal to Siri himself, and also illuminating neat, barbed little details about how the regime undermines any semblance of its values the constant propaganda claims.
Colin Cotterill is an extremely talented author who, with his lightness of touch and simple, direct writing style, fully engages the reader in a complex, multi-layered world. The book is so full of beautiful little touches and nuances that it is impossible not to be won over. I am really very glad I read this wonderful book and I encourage you to do so as well.