Temple of a Thousand Faces (63 page)

READERS GUIDE

A CONVERSATION WITH JOHN SHORS

Q.
Temple of a Thousand Faces
is your sixth novel, and yet it most closely resembles your first book,
Beneath a Marble Sky.
Why did you decide to return to historical fiction?

A. Many readers asked me to write a sequel to
Beneath a Marble Sky
, my novel about the building of the Taj Mahal. I certainly considered writing such a book, but at the end of the day I decided that I had already brought the Taj Mahal to life, as I had intended to. The story that I had wanted to tell had been told. However, the concept of once again writing about a special place and culture intrigued me. I started exploring possibilities and ultimately learned about the remarkable tale of Jayavarman VII and Jayarajadevi. I knew that I had discovered a story that excited me.

Q. Can you describe your experience at Angkor Wat?

A. Angkor Wat is a magical place. It’s located just a few miles from Siem Reap, Cambodia—a small city that has sprung up to accommodate the tourists who travel to Angkor Wat. Siem Reap is less than an hour’s flight from Bangkok, and is easily accessible. The
landscape around this vibrant city is lush and tropical. One can get from Siem Reap to Angkor Wat in a car or bus, but many tourists opt to ride on a motorcycle taxi of some sort, often behind the driver or in a comfortable cart attached to the back of the motorcycle.

Angkor Wat is extraordinary in so many ways—its sheer size, the vast number of statues, and the intricacy of the carvings are all quite compelling. The temple is in remarkably good condition, a testament to its engineers and builders. Though one is free to wander about without having to worry about rules and regulations (a philosophy that has its drawbacks since not all tourists are respectful), the site does attract a lot of visitors, so in order to deeply understand the spirit of the place, and to imagine my characters there, I explored the temple when most tourists were back at their hotels—mainly during the heat of the day. The hotter it was, the fewer people were there, and the happier I became. A few times it seemed as if I were the only person present. That’s when the temple came alive for me. I stood in the Echo Chamber, where the amplification of every sound created the impression that I was listening to my very thoughts. I climbed to the temple’s summit and beheld the beautiful landscape spread out below me. And I imagined what I was seeing as it might have been nearly a thousand years ago.

Q. How important is hands-on research to your writing process?

A. I certainly could not have written
Temple of a Thousand Faces
if I hadn’t explored the Angkor region on my own. I had read about certain places there—Kbal Spean, for instance—so I had an idea of where I wanted various parts of the novel to occur. But seeing things with my own eyes enlightened me in so many ways. Again,
using Kbal Spean as an example, traveling into the Cambodian countryside to visit the site changed my perspective in many ways. I walked through the thick jungle to find Kbal Spean, which was discovered only a few decades ago, and felt as if I were on a movie set. Standing below immense trees and listening to monkeys scurry about the heights, I studied how the small river flowed over the ancient carvings. As time passed, I increasingly appreciated the wonder of the place. I hope that this appreciation can be felt by readers. My goal is always to bring settings to life on the page, to in a sense turn a setting into a character. Studying a place firsthand is an integral part of that process for me.

Q. The Khmer civilization flourished over centuries. Why did you write about this particular moment in time?

A. Once I decided to write about Angkor Wat, I read about the Khmer Empire from its origins to its demise. I was looking for what I thought was the most interesting period within that empire’s history. I settled on the story of Jayavarman VII and Jayarajadevi for several reasons. First, I was fascinated by how they managed to rebuild an army and retake all that had been stolen from them. Second, I admired their deep reliance on each other. I believe it was the strength of their relationship that allowed them to succeed in reclaiming their kingdom.

Q. You just discussed two characters who are modeled after real people. Now talk about some of the characters you fabricated.

A. Well, Asal and Voisanne come to mind first. I created Asal because I wanted to show that Chams weren’t necessarily the villains
of this story or of this history. Khmers and Chams struggled against each other for many generations. Since I re-created this conflict from the sympathetic point of view of the Khmers, I conceived Asal to add balance to that perspective. Voisanne embodies the characteristics of the women I met in Cambodia—strong, clever, witty, and hospitable.

Q. Why did you decide to tell the story of Boran, Soriya, Prak, and Vibol?

A. Much of
Temple of a Thousand Faces
is centered on the trials and triumphs of powerful people. While I enjoyed bringing these characters to life, I also wanted to tell the stories of typical Khmers. Farmers, weavers, priests, and fishermen were extremely important to Khmer society. I decided to create a family that relied on fishing because it would be reasonable to include them in the battle on the Great Lake, and I wanted to show that everyday Khmers played an essential role in driving the Chams from Angkor.

Q. What was the hardest part about writing
Temple of a Thousand Faces?

A. Throughout my career as a novelist, I’ve researched a variety of ancient cultures. One commonality among these different groups is that people seemed to speak more eloquently than we do today. It doesn’t seem to matter if a person lived in sixteenth-century India, medieval England, or twelfth-century Cambodia—the manner in which they addressed their friends and loved ones was often more formal than the language we use today. I wanted to
re-create some of this formality without going too far and slowing down the story. Finding the proper balance was a challenge. I hope I’ve created distinctive voices that readers will enjoy.

Q. It seems that many writers find a subject matter and tend to stick with it, or close to it, book after book. In your case, three of your novels have been works of historical fiction and three have had contemporary settings. Why have you bounced back and forth?

A. I’m not terribly interested in writing the same book over and over. To keep things fresh for me (and I hope for my readers), I try to identify what I think will be a compelling story. If that story occurs seventy years ago in the South Pacific, so be it. If it occurs a few years ago in Thailand, that also works. All my books are set in exotic places and centered on cultures that might not be well-known. I have always enjoyed discovering distant lands through the pages of a memorable novel. That passion has played a large part in what I write and why I write.

Q. Speaking of a passion for writing, what did you like most about the process of writing
Temple of a Thousand Faces?

A. Trying to re-create the wonders of Angkor Wat was difficult, but quite gratifying. I wanted to bring the grandeur of the temple back to life and to populate the world around it with characters whom the reader would come to enjoy. Working on the initial draft, while probably the hardest part of the whole process, often left me daydreaming about my characters and the land that they inhabited. As a writer, I enjoy getting swept up in my own story.

Q. What finally happened to the Khmer Empire?

A. According to many historians, the city of Angkor thrived until about the middle of the fourteenth century, when the Khmers seem to have been overwhelmed by their neighbors to the west—the Siamese. The disease known as the “Black Death” may have also played a role in the demise of the Khmer Empire. Scholars debate about whether or not Angkor Wat was abandoned, but in any case, Western civilization wasn’t made aware of the temple until centuries later, when European explorers wrote about discovering a temple the likes of which the world had never seen. French explorer Henri Mouhot said about Angkor Wat: “One of these temples—a rival to that of Solomon, and erected by some ancient Michelangelo—might take an honorable place beside our most beautiful buildings. It is grander than anything left to us by Greece or Rome.”

Q. At the end of your novel, you mention that some of the funds generated by
Temple of a Thousand Faces
will be donated to the Jayavarman VII Children’s Hospital. Why does this particular cause appeal to you?

A. Cambodia is a beautiful country, but a poor one—a fact that often translates into malnourished and vulnerable children. According to a recent United Nations report, the mortality rate of children under five years old in Cambodia is about nine times higher than it is in the United States. Treatable illnesses such as tuberculosis, malaria, and dengue fever take a terrible toll.

The Jayavarman VII Children’s Hospital is located in Siem Reap, just a few miles from Angkor Wat. I walked past the hospital
many times and was always moved by what I saw. I was also deeply impressed by the local children, who gave me a warm welcome. Supporting them in return is important to me.

Q. Can you tell us about your next novel?

A. I’m in the midst of writing a story set at the Great Wall of China during the sixteenth century. The novel will highlight the Great Wall as well as a remarkable clash of cultures and will be loosely based on a famous Chinese legend.

READERS GUIDE

READERS GUIDE

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. What was your overall reaction to the novel? What parts did you particularly enjoy?

2. Had you heard of Angkor Wat before reading
Temple of a Thousand Faces
? If so, what were your original impressions of the temple and how did they change, if at all, while reading the book?

3. Clearly John Shors tries to bring Angkor Wat and its surroundings to vivid life. Is he successful? Can you visualize the temple and the people?

4. Discuss how Jayavar and his wife Ajadevi complement each other. What abilities do they each bring to their partnership? What character weaknesses does each possess, and how does the other compensate for them?

5. Several of the major characters are powerfully influenced by their belief in reincarnation. Why do you think the author felt compelled to explore this belief?

6. Who do you think is the strongest character? Who starts out weak and becomes strong? Does anyone start out strong and become weak?

7. Discuss the villains. Do you prefer Indravarman or Po Rame? Who do you find more fearsome? More compelling?

8. If you were Voisanne, what would you do after the death of your family?

9. Do you think that works of historical fiction serve to make the world a smaller and perhaps a better place? Why or why not?

10. If you could write a sequel to
Temple of a Thousand Faces
, what would you have happen to the characters?

READERS GUIDE