Stand Alone

by Simon Tay

A thought-provoking and sometimes startling anthology which explores issues challenging Singaporeans: identity, emigration, education, infidelity, cultural differences, class divisions, heritage, individualism..

Each story experiments with elements of fiction, building on Simon Tay's eloquent and and poetic voice to achieve a vivid style. His well-crafted writing makes this a memorable collection.

268 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[Bagus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I mainly know Simon Tay in his professional capacity as a legal academic who has published numerous writings in international law. It was by chance that I discovered he had also published fictional works, namely this anthology, among others. One thing I immediately felt when I began reading this anthology was the way the Singaporean accent appeared in my mind as it voiced the words in the prose (and the poems). The choice of words that Simon Tay handpicked for his fiction reflects the colloquial English spoken by Singaporeans, with a heavy mixture of vernaculars spoken there (predominantly Malay, Tamil, and a number of Chinese dialects). I got a similar sense from reading Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan’s Sarong Party Girls. The words bring some nuance of identity to the city-state, that it wasn’t just an artificial state without any identity attached to it. The very fact that Singapore is a melting pot of different cultures from East, South and Southeast Asia (and sometimes, Eurasian) is depicted clearly in this anthology.

The first short story in this anthology, Cousin Tim, particularly highlights the difference between two cousins who both grew up in Singapore, yet one of them is Malaysian. Tim has a different taste in food compared to the main character Eddie, preferring for example the asam laksa from his hometown Penang instead of the Singaporean laksa. He also has no problems going straight to university after finishing high school, instead of being required to serve a period of active duty military service as happens to all qualified male Singaporean citizens. Besides that, I also truly enjoyed A History of Tea and the titular Stand Alone. Simon Tay’s stories bring insightful portrayals of Singaporean society and it is enjoyable to witness his ability to weave together multiple storylines into a cohesive narrative. I find that despite the fact that 30 years have passed since the first publication of this anthology, the stories still resonate with today’s generation, particularly those grappling with the question of belonging, identity and self-navigating in the dynamic modern world.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked ‘a history of tea’ but some of the other stories were a bit contrived/the pacing was a bit strange. However, I enjoyed the collection overall despite not usually being a fan of short stories!

[George Lam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book 25 years ago and was really happy then that there are authors who can write from a young middle
Class Singaporean point of views