My kid is thisclose to being able to actually swim independently enough that I don’t need to be hovering nearby in case the lifeguards are not at their most attentive, and I might actually be able to spend some time on a lounger with a good book, which feels like an appropriate occasion to write this long overdue post about a book that would be great for poolside reading. It’s the perfect balance of twisty-plot and just-enough character depth, without being too mentally demanding — yet giving you some nice little historical tidbits that make you feel like you’re reading something edifying, heh heh.
The novel reimagines Somerset Maugham’s time in Malaysia, juxtaposing his illicit affair with a male lover and the story of a scandalous murder trial, with some flashbacks to Sun Yat Sen’s visit to fundraise for the revolution thrown in. The character that brings together these three plot lines is the wife of Maugham’s friend, who is hosting the writer during his stay, and whose own story gradually moves to the center, as Maugham comes to realize she is far more intriguing than she had initially seemed.
An added pleasure, once you’ve finished reading, is to get your hands on a copy of some of Maugham’s short stories, particularly one called “The Letter,” and then ask the internet about the actual historical trial narrated in the book, so as to see how Tan Twan Eng has playfully reworked Maugham’s reworking of historical events. It’s quite brilliant, and only heightens one’s admiration for the novel’s deft and assured manipulation of history. I don’t often read historical novels, and was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this one.
Kasia Reads 