The Dictator's Eyebrow

by Cyril Wong

Shortlisted for Best Fiction Title, Singapore Book Awards 2016

This is a disturbing, poetic account of an unnamed dictator’s eyebrow whose longings, delusions of grandeur, and curious influence have shaped history in ways previously unknown—until now. Within a surreal tale about an eyebrow’s thirst for recognition and power, a love story also unexpectedly emerges.

Genres: Poetry

68 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Cyril Wong is a two-time Singapore Literature Prize-winning poet and the recipient of the Singapore National Arts Council’s Young Artist Award for Literature. His books include poetry collections Tilting Our Plates to Catch the Light (2007) and The Lover’s Inventory (2015), novels The Last Lesson of Mrs de Souza (2013) and This Side of Heaven (2020), and fiction collection Ten Things My Father Never Taught Me (2014). He completed his doctoral degree in English Literature at the National University of Singapore in 2012. His works have been featured in the Norton anthology, Language for a New Century, in Chinese Erotic Poems by Everyman’s Library, and in magazines and journals around the world. His writings have been translated into Turkish, German, Italian, French, Portuguese and Japanese.

Reviews

[bobanbang · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty okay, a short read but nothing really stood out

[CuriousBookReviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Curiosity level: Devoured the book in less than an hour!

"One eyebrow like a dazzling, inverted tick of approval." -p.27

Have you ever wondered what it's like inside the mind of a dictator? #cyrilwong composes a very charming and satirical diary-like story narrated by an obnoxious and anonymous dictator (Well, anonymous until you've figured him out...)

Warning: Citizens can be incurably tethered to the media and reliant on the local government (not that it's always a bad thing)... so reading this will probably give you a shove into an island filled with deep dark secrets... without the return tickets "Question everything questionable."

A compelling and interesting black humour prose book, cutely modelled after the rise and fall of eyebrows 👮🏻

[Julie Koh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A satirical fable-in-verse reminiscent of 'Hitler's Mustache' by Peter Davis, and equally biting, funny, moving, and surreal. It is probably more in line with the poet's 'Let Me Tell You Something About That Night' stories or fairy tales. As a verse-novella, it stands alone like an almost terrifying dream-sequence with an embedded narrative about the rise and fall of power and self-certainty.

[Eunice Sng · Rating 4 out of 5]

Subtle and intelligent criticism about a deceased political leader

[Dayna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Creative choice of medium to critique local politics and a person in particular. no prizes for guessing who he is.

[kestrelll · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Evil is a game we play when we tire / of the good, which garners little returns.”

[Ong Hui · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that it’s a poignant, and well thought out response to Singapore’s illiberal democracy