misspalah's review against another edition
4.0
“There is, stretching delicate as bird’s head from the thin neck of the Kra Isthmus, a land that makes up half of the country called Malaysia. Where it dips its beak into South China Sea, Singapore hovers like a bubble escaped from its throat. The bird’s head is a springless summerless autumnless land. One day might be a drop wetter or a mite drier than the last, but almost all are hot damp, bright, bursting with lazy tropical life, conducive to endless tea breaks and mad, jostling, honking rushes through town to get home before the afternoon downpour”.
- Evening is the whole day by Preeta Samarasan
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First of all, this book is not for everyone. If you are fan of Salman Rushdie, you might enjoy this one. There are other reviewers who likened her writing style with Kiran Desai and Arundhati Roy but i have not yet picked up Desai and Roy, hence i cannot comment on that. Second, Malaysians need to read this book. Unapologetically Malaysian Story is an understatement as Preeta Samarasan did not hold back - either in plot, character, sentiments and even dialect. A lot of Malaysian dialect is used and no glossary is given means it is a bit difficult for Non Malaysians if they wanted to read this book. Anyway, let’s get on with the review. The story is set in Ipoh in Malaysia (which is my hometown and why i am pretty excited to read this ASAP). We followed the family of Lawyer Rajasekharan (Raju/Appa) who live in the Big House located on Kingfisher Lane. He stayed in the house with his wife Vasanthi (Amma), his mother (Paati), his 3 kids - Uma, Suresh and Asha and Chellam (servant) who is the same age as Uma. The book started with a chapter that narrated what happened a week after Uma left for the US. Raju and Vasanthi were sorting things out so that they could kick Chellam (due to her unspeakable crime) out of the house. Raju’s family is wealthy given that they were able to hire drivers, bought a house from a former british resident , hired a servant but absolutely dysfunctional. Not only they are miserable to the core but they are horrible to each other and people who are outside their family. Raju is that ‘progressive’ man for marrying Vasanthi - A dark skin woman from a low class family (ignoring the major preferences of an Indian mother who always choose a fair skin woman as a daughter-in-law). He viewed himself as a protector rather than lover. He wanted a wife that will look up to him full of admiration and not someone that is deemed equal to him like his past lovers. Paati is that typical asian mother that put the son on pedestal. His son never do any wrong and his daughter in law always try to bewitched his son. Vasanthi / Amma is that envious mother who couldn’t enjoy their youth so they lashed out at their daughters. Uma is that strong headed girl until she was betrayed by her own father. The she becomes disconnected with her family that sometimes she’s barely there. Suresh is the only son but was so overlooked by his father. He enjoyed bullying and chiding Chellam in his own free time. Aasha is the youngest and possibly the clingiest in the family. Her mother ignored her, her sister did not care about her, and to think that this child resorted to talk to the ghost that live in the Big house speaks a volume that she was being neglected by her whole family. The plot conveyed a ton of abuse / beatings, toxic relationships / infidelity, incest / molestation, patriarchy, the tensions of race , class and casteism in a subtle manner but it is still uncomfortable to read. There are few chapters which readers have to read between the lines to know that Paati has to endure abuse not only from Chellam, her daughter in law (Vasanthi) and one of her granddaughters also did it. She wrote this book with the story that possessed many layers and none of them were a non-chronological manner. Treat this story like a jigsaw puzzle and you will be fine as every single chapter while not arrange sequentially, it is linked. The backdrop of the novel provides a window to Malaysia’s troubled post colonial history. We saw Raju is very idealistic about his country only to be turned down few times by the Article 153, Racial Riots in 1969 and New Economic Policy (Dasar Ekonomi Baru). His bitterness and disappointment is visible and were pretty much upfront whenever Malay/Malay language/Bumiputera were mentioned. It was brutally honest especially in projecting how did Non-Malays felt towards the country at that point of time. The young nation was torn and divided along the racial lines. Overall, I am glad I persevered - the story was beautifully and compellingly written.
- Evening is the whole day by Preeta Samarasan
.
.
First of all, this book is not for everyone. If you are fan of Salman Rushdie, you might enjoy this one. There are other reviewers who likened her writing style with Kiran Desai and Arundhati Roy but i have not yet picked up Desai and Roy, hence i cannot comment on that. Second, Malaysians need to read this book. Unapologetically Malaysian Story is an understatement as Preeta Samarasan did not hold back - either in plot, character, sentiments and even dialect. A lot of Malaysian dialect is used and no glossary is given means it is a bit difficult for Non Malaysians if they wanted to read this book. Anyway, let’s get on with the review. The story is set in Ipoh in Malaysia (which is my hometown and why i am pretty excited to read this ASAP). We followed the family of Lawyer Rajasekharan (Raju/Appa) who live in the Big House located on Kingfisher Lane. He stayed in the house with his wife Vasanthi (Amma), his mother (Paati), his 3 kids - Uma, Suresh and Asha and Chellam (servant) who is the same age as Uma. The book started with a chapter that narrated what happened a week after Uma left for the US. Raju and Vasanthi were sorting things out so that they could kick Chellam (due to her unspeakable crime) out of the house. Raju’s family is wealthy given that they were able to hire drivers, bought a house from a former british resident , hired a servant but absolutely dysfunctional. Not only they are miserable to the core but they are horrible to each other and people who are outside their family. Raju is that ‘progressive’ man for marrying Vasanthi - A dark skin woman from a low class family (ignoring the major preferences of an Indian mother who always choose a fair skin woman as a daughter-in-law). He viewed himself as a protector rather than lover. He wanted a wife that will look up to him full of admiration and not someone that is deemed equal to him like his past lovers. Paati is that typical asian mother that put the son on pedestal. His son never do any wrong and his daughter in law always try to bewitched his son. Vasanthi / Amma is that envious mother who couldn’t enjoy their youth so they lashed out at their daughters. Uma is that strong headed girl until she was betrayed by her own father. The she becomes disconnected with her family that sometimes she’s barely there. Suresh is the only son but was so overlooked by his father. He enjoyed bullying and chiding Chellam in his own free time. Aasha is the youngest and possibly the clingiest in the family. Her mother ignored her, her sister did not care about her, and to think that this child resorted to talk to the ghost that live in the Big house speaks a volume that she was being neglected by her whole family. The plot conveyed a ton of abuse / beatings, toxic relationships / infidelity, incest / molestation, patriarchy, the tensions of race , class and casteism in a subtle manner but it is still uncomfortable to read. There are few chapters which readers have to read between the lines to know that Paati has to endure abuse not only from Chellam, her daughter in law (Vasanthi) and one of her granddaughters also did it. She wrote this book with the story that possessed many layers and none of them were a non-chronological manner. Treat this story like a jigsaw puzzle and you will be fine as every single chapter while not arrange sequentially, it is linked. The backdrop of the novel provides a window to Malaysia’s troubled post colonial history. We saw Raju is very idealistic about his country only to be turned down few times by the Article 153, Racial Riots in 1969 and New Economic Policy (Dasar Ekonomi Baru). His bitterness and disappointment is visible and were pretty much upfront whenever Malay/Malay language/Bumiputera were mentioned. It was brutally honest especially in projecting how did Non-Malays felt towards the country at that point of time. The young nation was torn and divided along the racial lines. Overall, I am glad I persevered - the story was beautifully and compellingly written.
irishtraveller's review against another edition
After reading rave reviews of this novel, I was just sure it was going to be fantastic.
I didn't even make it past the second chapter.
The language is beautiful, but it's written in a style that makes it difficult to understand at times. A lot of Malaysian dialect is used, which means the dialogue can be choppy when the characters are speaking. The style itself reminds me a lot of Faulkner with that same stream of consciousness flow. As I've never been a fan of Faulkner, it's not surprising that this didn't appeal to me.
I really believe there's a great story here. But you have to dig to find it. It's the kind of book your high school English teacher assigns you to read, and day-to-day life is stressful enough without reading about someone else's troubles. Immediately, the book struck me as dark and brooding. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for this particular book. Overall, the concept is certainly interesting. It follows a Malaysian family as one daughter moves to New York City and a servant is sent away for a "crime" we know nothing about. The smallest child is six and sees ghosts. However, I found the book slow to start and even slower to read. I rarely put a book down once I start it, but this one just wasn't happening for me.
I'm filing this on my "never read again" shelf.
I didn't even make it past the second chapter.
The language is beautiful, but it's written in a style that makes it difficult to understand at times. A lot of Malaysian dialect is used, which means the dialogue can be choppy when the characters are speaking. The style itself reminds me a lot of Faulkner with that same stream of consciousness flow. As I've never been a fan of Faulkner, it's not surprising that this didn't appeal to me.
I really believe there's a great story here. But you have to dig to find it. It's the kind of book your high school English teacher assigns you to read, and day-to-day life is stressful enough without reading about someone else's troubles. Immediately, the book struck me as dark and brooding. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for this particular book. Overall, the concept is certainly interesting. It follows a Malaysian family as one daughter moves to New York City and a servant is sent away for a "crime" we know nothing about. The smallest child is six and sees ghosts. However, I found the book slow to start and even slower to read. I rarely put a book down once I start it, but this one just wasn't happening for me.
I'm filing this on my "never read again" shelf.
mjsteimle's review against another edition
2.0
I understand why many people rate this book so highly: it is well written, there is lots of local color, the characters are extremely nuanced. It has all of the elements of a great book, but I just didn't enjoy it. I could feel sympathy for all of the characters, but I don't know that I really liked any of them. It had all of the sadness and loss of a tragedy without any of the beauty or redemption.
redroofcolleen's review against another edition
2.0
If the story had been as beautiful and well developed as the prose, I would have been set. As it was, I found the characters and story rather one-dimensional. Bummer, because the opening page is one of the most gorgeously evocative I have ever read.
alcyon_alcyon's review against another edition
5.0
Unfolds like a good mystery, and has multiple characters who each are well drawn and have a real point of view. The detail of time and exotic place is just right. Comparisons to Russian novels are unfair because the tone of this is not really that dire or dark, although everyone behaves badly to one degree or another. There's a compassion for the difficulties of being a human being that shines through, at least for me.
momey's review against another edition
5.0
I thought the writing of this was superb. I loved the 'voice'--so evocative of southeast asia. I could almost see the physical gestures as the individuals talked. In addition I just loved the physical descriptions. I did find it very emotionally hard to read this book. I dont have a way to describe it other than to call it 'mean girl' although its more than that--its a cultural feature that I find very hard to take. Its depicted in a comic way in the book/movie 'Crazy Rich Asians'--anyway I find it very hard! That aside, I loved the poetic writing and Tamil characterizations and cultural depictions (I have big plans for curd rice later this week!). I so hope the author writes more!
_honeydelarose's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
sophia608's review against another edition
3.0
2.5
I see how someone would love this book, it simply wasn’t for me. An interesting story about a family, told non-chronologically — each chapter is a different point in time, and the jumbled timeline adds a sense of mystery to the story. It was cleverly written to be jumbled without being confusing; at times I felt like parts didn’t make sense, only to reconnect with them a couple chapters later. It explores the dynamics of a family and their intersections with poverty, privilege, and power. There’s also a supernatural element and a mystery in the chilly interactions between the three children of the family, the servant, and an ailing grandmother. Even though I didn’t love this book, I would recommend it! It was good and many people would love it.
I see how someone would love this book, it simply wasn’t for me. An interesting story about a family, told non-chronologically — each chapter is a different point in time, and the jumbled timeline adds a sense of mystery to the story. It was cleverly written to be jumbled without being confusing; at times I felt like parts didn’t make sense, only to reconnect with them a couple chapters later. It explores the dynamics of a family and their intersections with poverty, privilege, and power. There’s also a supernatural element and a mystery in the chilly interactions between the three children of the family, the servant, and an ailing grandmother. Even though I didn’t love this book, I would recommend it! It was good and many people would love it.
natnatcidcid's review against another edition
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
meltedgh0st's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Didn’t think I would like this book but it made me feel things and I would recommend it to everyone