One of Thailands bestknown and most highly regarded novels portraying the romance of a young Thai man and a married older woman In that tranquil and apparently very ordinary picture I see everything unfolding Every scene every part from the beginning to the final actNopporn a Thai student studying in Japan is tasked with hosting a distinguished old family friend and his new wife the beautiful aristocratic Kirati Despite their difference in age and status and the social constraints of the day Nopporn and Kirati are inexorably drawn to each other and love starts to bloom A stirring portrayal of youthful romantic obsession and later attempts to come to terms with the frailty of passionate feelings Behind the Painting also shows the constrained lives of many women of the time First published in 1937 it is one of Thailands bestknown and most beloved novelsTranslated by David Smyth
