Scan barcode
frhday's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
eleganthedgehogs's review against another edition
Interesting Malaysia history though book was felt to be just ok.
misspalah's review against another edition
3.0
The previous day's rain had washed thin rivers of mud on to many of the smaller roads, but we drove on regardless. This was the only way to Tanjong Ache, the point on the coast where we will catch a boat to the Seven Maidens. That was Johnny's opinion. Even I was surprised at how certain he sounded. We are now a long way from Kampar - farther, surely, than any boy can cycle. Perhaps this was where he was born, where he grew up; perhaps he did not, as we all believe, spend his youth as a labourer in Tiger Tan's famous shop. His knowledge of this place seemed
to come from some deep recess, something locked away so safely that even he may have forgotten its origin. It was at that moment that I realised, with absolute clarity, that I did not know him at all. But then again I think I have always known that intimacy between us was impossible. That was why I wanted him: he would always be alien to me. And worse, it was I who pretended otherwise. I said things I now know were untrue. 'We are kindred spirits, I told him as we held hands by the river, not a hundred yards from my parents' disapproving gaze. He looked at me with innocent eyes and believed every word I said. Then, as now, there lies an unfordable divide between us. Even Mother, in her own bizarre way, is at one with Father. She understands what he wants of her and vice versa. They each supply what the other needs. That is marriage.
- The Harmony Silk Factories by Tash Aw
.
I have read we, the survivors written by Tash Aw and loving it. Then, i decided to read his first book, The Harmony Silk Factory and ended up disliking it. Tash Aw can write and i think anyone who’ve read at least one of his books will agree with me on this. What i find lacking is the inconsistency of the character building? especially in describing Johnny Lim (the tenacious salesman versus the reserved / silent guy) and some plot were jarring - does this road tripping described by Snow in her diary even possible in the midst of world war 2. It was quite bizarre (at least for me). However, i am not here to nitpick everything - i do enjoy the historical part of it especially from Jasper’s (Johnny’s Son) Narration . Its like seeing Johnny Lim and Malaya shifted throughout certain periods side by side. Both were hardened by complex circumstances and ended up moulded into the identity that they were known today. As for Snow, Johnny’s mother - her observation of Johnny is almost contradictory with Jasper. BUT i believe this is intended by the author as to demonstrate that human characters is different depending on the environment and how perception by a person can vary. Snow felt Johnny is keeping her close but at the same time, emotionally distant with her. She married the man but she didn’t know him. She was kept out of the dark almost all the time. I usually love diary entry form in a novel but with Snow, i felt like she added nothing to the story. Her part is where i felt long winded and i wanted to finish her part ASAP. Dont get me wrong, i was rooting for Snow and Johnny - when Snow recalled her first time meeting Johnny in the rain, observing his skin tone and facial expression, you can almost felt that powerful gaze in that particulqr page. The last one, to conclude who Johnny is, we were brought into the POV of Peter, Johnny’s best friend. I was constantly guessing who is the real father of Jasper because i am sure as hell its not Johnny. It was revealed at the last chapter of the book. As for Peter, it almost like a disgruntled lover / pompous whiney old man chapter. He is insecure of Kunichiwa but he never thought loving Snow is a red flag in a friendship that he has with Johnny. Now when he’s older, he started to become like Honey, an entitled colonizer that was supposed to leave this country years ago. Overall, it was an okay book. Its not for me but i can understand why some love it.
to come from some deep recess, something locked away so safely that even he may have forgotten its origin. It was at that moment that I realised, with absolute clarity, that I did not know him at all. But then again I think I have always known that intimacy between us was impossible. That was why I wanted him: he would always be alien to me. And worse, it was I who pretended otherwise. I said things I now know were untrue. 'We are kindred spirits, I told him as we held hands by the river, not a hundred yards from my parents' disapproving gaze. He looked at me with innocent eyes and believed every word I said. Then, as now, there lies an unfordable divide between us. Even Mother, in her own bizarre way, is at one with Father. She understands what he wants of her and vice versa. They each supply what the other needs. That is marriage.
- The Harmony Silk Factories by Tash Aw
.
I have read we, the survivors written by Tash Aw and loving it. Then, i decided to read his first book, The Harmony Silk Factory and ended up disliking it. Tash Aw can write and i think anyone who’ve read at least one of his books will agree with me on this. What i find lacking is the inconsistency of the character building? especially in describing Johnny Lim (the tenacious salesman versus the reserved / silent guy) and some plot were jarring - does this road tripping described by Snow in her diary even possible in the midst of world war 2. It was quite bizarre (at least for me). However, i am not here to nitpick everything - i do enjoy the historical part of it especially from Jasper’s (Johnny’s Son) Narration . Its like seeing Johnny Lim and Malaya shifted throughout certain periods side by side. Both were hardened by complex circumstances and ended up moulded into the identity that they were known today. As for Snow, Johnny’s mother - her observation of Johnny is almost contradictory with Jasper. BUT i believe this is intended by the author as to demonstrate that human characters is different depending on the environment and how perception by a person can vary. Snow felt Johnny is keeping her close but at the same time, emotionally distant with her. She married the man but she didn’t know him. She was kept out of the dark almost all the time. I usually love diary entry form in a novel but with Snow, i felt like she added nothing to the story. Her part is where i felt long winded and i wanted to finish her part ASAP. Dont get me wrong, i was rooting for Snow and Johnny - when Snow recalled her first time meeting Johnny in the rain, observing his skin tone and facial expression, you can almost felt that powerful gaze in that particulqr page. The last one, to conclude who Johnny is, we were brought into the POV of Peter, Johnny’s best friend. I was constantly guessing who is the real father of Jasper because i am sure as hell its not Johnny. It was revealed at the last chapter of the book. As for Peter, it almost like a disgruntled lover / pompous whiney old man chapter. He is insecure of Kunichiwa but he never thought loving Snow is a red flag in a friendship that he has with Johnny. Now when he’s older, he started to become like Honey, an entitled colonizer that was supposed to leave this country years ago. Overall, it was an okay book. Its not for me but i can understand why some love it.
margaretefg's review against another edition
3.0
Multiple narrators, none of whom seems very reliable tell versions of the same story of Johnny Lim who somehow manages to survive, thrive through the Japanese occupation of Malaysia. There's a completely improbable but fascinating deserted island survival story that's both central and almost separate... I'm still pondering.
siria's review against another edition
3.0
The Harmony Silk Factory starts out very well, and Aw's crisp prose made the first of the book's three sections hum along. I was really intrigued by its setting, about which I know little—Malaysia during and after the Second World War. I was alternately engrossed and enraged by it—the book is a page turner, but I had predicted the denouement before I'd met half of the characters and there are some very clichéd elements here. I found the second section melodramatic, and the protagonist of the third section I didn't believe in as a real person. As a first novel, this really is very good, but I enjoyed Harmony Silk Factory more for the promise Aw shows as a developing writer than for the book as a self-contained entity.
marilynsaul's review against another edition
3.0
Enjoyable, but not what I expected. In fact, it's a week since I finished it and I seem to have forgotten what it was about (not a good sign). I remember I was glad when I had finished it - perhaps a bit too tedious (and apparently, in retrospect) it didn't catch my interest. Oh, I DO remember thinking it was written in the style of "An Instance of the Fingerpost", which I loved, in that one was treated to the different perspectives of an event (or in this case, a period in time), but it was not effective. And there was no resolution to the father/son dilemma presented.
neen_mai's review against another edition
2.0
Quite a good read. I think Tash Aw wrote this for non-Malaysian readers in mind. For us Malaysians, some of the things in the book do not make sense. Maybe because it is a Fiction, Mr. Aw didn't pay that much attention to details.
Still, I am looking forward to his other books. He is a reasonably good story teller.
Still, I am looking forward to his other books. He is a reasonably good story teller.
annieg's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The cover quote if unputdownable is true - genuinely had no idea where this was going, enjoyed it but still not sure how I feel about it
hashtag_alison's review against another edition
4.0
I really like this book. It’s the story of a certain man told from the perspective of three different people in his life who knew him in vastly different ways. Except that it’s not.
I love stories that play with perspective and the idea of the unreliable narrator and this book does it well. I want to read it again immediately and reprocess it as I go with everyone’s view point in mind. This book will be a really good reread and I recommend it.
I love stories that play with perspective and the idea of the unreliable narrator and this book does it well. I want to read it again immediately and reprocess it as I go with everyone’s view point in mind. This book will be a really good reread and I recommend it.
anna2256_'s review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75