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A review by chimarsh79
The Face: Strangers on a Pier by Tash Aw
4.0
“When history is that far back in time, it is safe and unthreatening. What happened thirty, forty, fifty years ago is another matter; that kind of history is more unsettling.”
— The Face: Strangers on a Pier by Tash Aw
https://a.co/2TBVdB6
Tash Aw explores the culture, history, and the country that make up not just who he is personally, but importantly that make up who Malaysians are and, intersectionally, who Chinese both on the mainland and throughout Asia are, and how they see themselves today. A short and very quick read, I want to know so much more about Aw’s thoughts on these subjects.
It is not just an ethnic-cultural reflection though. It is also a reflection on class - and how those that seek to provide a better life for their future generations often find the future offspring unrelatable - a reflection that transcends one particular group or one snapshot in time. And one that is extremely important in understanding some of the clear generational divides and outlooks here in the US (among many other societies) today.
A great introductory read for those interested in the constructs that makeup societies in Southeast Asia. I came to know about Aw through his friendship with Wduoard Louis, whose own writings discuss this gap in understanding among families divided by class. I look forward to reading more of Aw’s works in the future.
— The Face: Strangers on a Pier by Tash Aw
https://a.co/2TBVdB6
Tash Aw explores the culture, history, and the country that make up not just who he is personally, but importantly that make up who Malaysians are and, intersectionally, who Chinese both on the mainland and throughout Asia are, and how they see themselves today. A short and very quick read, I want to know so much more about Aw’s thoughts on these subjects.
It is not just an ethnic-cultural reflection though. It is also a reflection on class - and how those that seek to provide a better life for their future generations often find the future offspring unrelatable - a reflection that transcends one particular group or one snapshot in time. And one that is extremely important in understanding some of the clear generational divides and outlooks here in the US (among many other societies) today.
A great introductory read for those interested in the constructs that makeup societies in Southeast Asia. I came to know about Aw through his friendship with Wduoard Louis, whose own writings discuss this gap in understanding among families divided by class. I look forward to reading more of Aw’s works in the future.