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Cultural Medallion #9
Trivialities About Me and Myself
Selected by Asiaweek as one of the 10 Best Chinese Novels of 2006
Winner, Singapore Literature Prize for Chinese 2008
Selected by The Business Times as one of the Best Books of 2014
Ah-hui, a journalist turned entrepreneur, possesses a split personality. He is a figure consumed by greed and sexual desire, two impulses that undermine his careers, his two marriages, and the relationship with his son. Throughout the novel, he engages in a dialogue with his other identity, the moralistic Myself, whose principled stances try but usually fail to win over his other half.
Ah-hui’s lifetime, from childhood to his dying days in a rest home, parallels the modern history of Singapore itself and its evolution from a colonised city to a consumer-oriented nation, one in which an English-language educational system and commercial interests suppress indigenous languages and traditions. While the meticulously described action takes place in the city, the real setting is within the psyche of the narrator, whose two halves are engaged in an epic struggle for dominance.
Praise:
“Translated into English for the first time, this complex and layered novel by Chinese language writer and Cultural Medallion recipient Yeng Pway Ngon centres on a protagonist whose lifelong struggles with his identity mirrors Singapore's own dilemmas.”
—Helmi Yusof, The Business Times
“Any struggle with morality and identity is a struggle with reality. Until now, the protagonist lives in me. It’s scary.”
—Anthony Waugh Koh, writer-bookseller, in “My Book of the Year”, Singapore Poetry
About the Cultural Medallionist:
Yeng Pway Ngon—Chinese language poet, novelist, playwright and critic—is one of Singapore's most prolific authors, having published over 25 volumes of poetry, essays, fiction, plays and literary criticism. His work is noted for its examination of the modern human condition, and has been translated into English, Malay and Dutch. Yeng received the National Book Development Council of Singapore's Book Award in 1988, and the Singapore Literature Prize in 2004, 2008 and 2012. He was awarded the Cultural Medallion in 2003 for his contributions to literature in Singapore, and the SEA Write Award in 2013.
About the Translator:
Howard Goldblatt was a Research Professor of Chinese at the University of Notre Dame from 2002-2011 and is a translator of numerous works of contemporary Chinese (mainland China & Taiwan) fiction, including The Taste of Apples by Huang Chunming and The Execution of Mayor Yin by Chen Ruoxi. Goldblatt has also translated works of Chinese novelist and 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature winner Mo Yan. Notably, his translation of six major novels and collections of stories by Mo Yan contributed to the Award granted without the knowledge of Chinese by the Committee members. His translation of Notes of a Desolate Man by Chu Tien-wen garnered a 2000 National Translation Award, and he was a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2009.
About the Series:
The Cultural Medallion is Singapore’s highest cultural award, given to those who have achieved artistic excellence in the areas of literature, dance, music, theatre and art. It was instituted in 1979 to recognise individuals whose artistic excellence and commitment to the arts have enriched and made a distinction to Singapore’s arts and cultural landscape. Epigram Books’ Cultural Medallion series seeks to translate the works of Cultural Medallion winners writing in Tamil, Malay and Chinese into English. Matching writers with some of the best translators working in the field today, these books are being made available to an English-language audience for the first time.
Winner, Singapore Literature Prize for Chinese 2008
Selected by The Business Times as one of the Best Books of 2014
Ah-hui, a journalist turned entrepreneur, possesses a split personality. He is a figure consumed by greed and sexual desire, two impulses that undermine his careers, his two marriages, and the relationship with his son. Throughout the novel, he engages in a dialogue with his other identity, the moralistic Myself, whose principled stances try but usually fail to win over his other half.
Ah-hui’s lifetime, from childhood to his dying days in a rest home, parallels the modern history of Singapore itself and its evolution from a colonised city to a consumer-oriented nation, one in which an English-language educational system and commercial interests suppress indigenous languages and traditions. While the meticulously described action takes place in the city, the real setting is within the psyche of the narrator, whose two halves are engaged in an epic struggle for dominance.
Praise:
“Translated into English for the first time, this complex and layered novel by Chinese language writer and Cultural Medallion recipient Yeng Pway Ngon centres on a protagonist whose lifelong struggles with his identity mirrors Singapore's own dilemmas.”
—Helmi Yusof, The Business Times
“Any struggle with morality and identity is a struggle with reality. Until now, the protagonist lives in me. It’s scary.”
—Anthony Waugh Koh, writer-bookseller, in “My Book of the Year”, Singapore Poetry
About the Cultural Medallionist:
Yeng Pway Ngon—Chinese language poet, novelist, playwright and critic—is one of Singapore's most prolific authors, having published over 25 volumes of poetry, essays, fiction, plays and literary criticism. His work is noted for its examination of the modern human condition, and has been translated into English, Malay and Dutch. Yeng received the National Book Development Council of Singapore's Book Award in 1988, and the Singapore Literature Prize in 2004, 2008 and 2012. He was awarded the Cultural Medallion in 2003 for his contributions to literature in Singapore, and the SEA Write Award in 2013.
About the Translator:
Howard Goldblatt was a Research Professor of Chinese at the University of Notre Dame from 2002-2011 and is a translator of numerous works of contemporary Chinese (mainland China & Taiwan) fiction, including The Taste of Apples by Huang Chunming and The Execution of Mayor Yin by Chen Ruoxi. Goldblatt has also translated works of Chinese novelist and 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature winner Mo Yan. Notably, his translation of six major novels and collections of stories by Mo Yan contributed to the Award granted without the knowledge of Chinese by the Committee members. His translation of Notes of a Desolate Man by Chu Tien-wen garnered a 2000 National Translation Award, and he was a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2009.
About the Series:
The Cultural Medallion is Singapore’s highest cultural award, given to those who have achieved artistic excellence in the areas of literature, dance, music, theatre and art. It was instituted in 1979 to recognise individuals whose artistic excellence and commitment to the arts have enriched and made a distinction to Singapore’s arts and cultural landscape. Epigram Books’ Cultural Medallion series seeks to translate the works of Cultural Medallion winners writing in Tamil, Malay and Chinese into English. Matching writers with some of the best translators working in the field today, these books are being made available to an English-language audience for the first time.
212 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2006
3 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
Yeng Pway Ngon
16 books8 followersYeng Pway Ngon 英培安—Chinese language poet, novelist, playwright and critic—is one of Singapore's most prolific authors, having published over 25 volumes of poetry, essays, fiction, plays and literary criticism. His work is noted for its examination of the modern human condition, and has been translated into English, Malay and Dutch. Yeng received the National Book Development Council of Singapore's Book Award in 1988, and the Singapore Literature Prize in 2004, 2008 and 2012. He was awarded the Cultural Medallion in 2003 for his contributions to literature in Singapore, and the SEA Write Award in 2013.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 6, 2017
《我與我自己的二三事》—rendered in English by Howard Goldblatt as Trivialities About Me and Myself is at turns funny, frustrating, nostalgic, boring, heartbreaking, and—ultimately—deeply moving. The narrative arc stretches through the triptych structure of the book like a frayed nylon clothesline: unbroken, yes, but interesting in some parts more than others. Happily, the engaging moments far outnumber their inverse counterparts. Reminiscent of John Williams's Stoner, 英培安's story of a journalist-turned-entrepreneur with a split personality—'Me' and 'Myself', or '我' 與 '我自己' in the original—resembles, like Williams's novel, a bildungsroman of sorts, although here the protagonist(s)' development/debauchery takes place within a (very) unreliable first-person narrative, whose recollections are not in strictly chronological order.
Many themes—philosophical, familial, and socio-political—pervade the novel, as this excellent review by LianHe Zaobao points out. But here I will just touch on one. The dominant thematic motif, to me, is the (philosophical) issue of the nature of personal identity. Many responses have been attempted in 'answering' or 'solving' the 'problems' concerning personal identity within analytic philosophy. But none of them, it seems to me, addresses the puzzle presented in the novel head-on: who is 'Ah-Hui'? Is it him as 'Me', or 'Myself', or both? As the LianHe Zaobao review puts it, at the heart of the novel is the perpetual tussle between two very distinct 'persons': the pragmatic, hedonistic 'Me', and the idealistic, moralistic 'Myself'. It is tempting to infer the symptoms of multiple personality disorder from Ah Hui's split personality phenomenon—but is he really? Is it possible to regard the idealistic, moralistic 'Myself' figuratively—perhaps as a metaphor for Ah Hui's moral conscience—while, at the same time, regarding the split personality phenomenon literally?
That the dominant motif seemed to me a deeply philosophical issue is unsurprising. After all, the vividly philosophical hue of the novel is hard not to miss. There are copious references to almost the entire gamut of the Western philosophical canon. The few names off the top of my head include Descartes, Heidegger, Nietzsche, and Derrida. But to regard it as a book at home in the 'genre' of philosophical fiction would be a mistake. As this insightful review points out, this is not just a story of a man's internal/psychological struggle. Rather, 英培安's genius lies in conjuring a dead-honest Singaporean allegory that reflects—with unflinching starkness—the split personality of a young nation — much like the pragmatic, materialistic half of Ah Hui who, in a profoundly heartbreaking scene, exorcises him'self' of his Self, i.e. the idealistic, morally upright 'Myself', in order to be 'free' to pursue a materially glamorous, but spiritually bankrupt, life. (And we all know how that story ends.)
So, if Stoner is, as The New Yorker puts it, The Greatest American Novel You've Never Heard Of, 英培安's Trivialities About Me and Myself might just be (One of) The Greatest Singaporean Novels You've Never Heard Of. Stick with it till the end, and prepare a box of tissues.
Many themes—philosophical, familial, and socio-political—pervade the novel, as this excellent review by LianHe Zaobao points out. But here I will just touch on one. The dominant thematic motif, to me, is the (philosophical) issue of the nature of personal identity. Many responses have been attempted in 'answering' or 'solving' the 'problems' concerning personal identity within analytic philosophy. But none of them, it seems to me, addresses the puzzle presented in the novel head-on: who is 'Ah-Hui'? Is it him as 'Me', or 'Myself', or both? As the LianHe Zaobao review puts it, at the heart of the novel is the perpetual tussle between two very distinct 'persons': the pragmatic, hedonistic 'Me', and the idealistic, moralistic 'Myself'. It is tempting to infer the symptoms of multiple personality disorder from Ah Hui's split personality phenomenon—but is he really? Is it possible to regard the idealistic, moralistic 'Myself' figuratively—perhaps as a metaphor for Ah Hui's moral conscience—while, at the same time, regarding the split personality phenomenon literally?
That the dominant motif seemed to me a deeply philosophical issue is unsurprising. After all, the vividly philosophical hue of the novel is hard not to miss. There are copious references to almost the entire gamut of the Western philosophical canon. The few names off the top of my head include Descartes, Heidegger, Nietzsche, and Derrida. But to regard it as a book at home in the 'genre' of philosophical fiction would be a mistake. As this insightful review points out, this is not just a story of a man's internal/psychological struggle. Rather, 英培安's genius lies in conjuring a dead-honest Singaporean allegory that reflects—with unflinching starkness—the split personality of a young nation — much like the pragmatic, materialistic half of Ah Hui who, in a profoundly heartbreaking scene, exorcises him'self' of his Self, i.e. the idealistic, morally upright 'Myself', in order to be 'free' to pursue a materially glamorous, but spiritually bankrupt, life. (And we all know how that story ends.)
So, if Stoner is, as The New Yorker puts it, The Greatest American Novel You've Never Heard Of, 英培安's Trivialities About Me and Myself might just be (One of) The Greatest Singaporean Novels You've Never Heard Of. Stick with it till the end, and prepare a box of tissues.
January 1, 2015
This is the first English-translated Singapore Chinese book I have ever read. Discovered the author in the short story collection published by the University of Hawai’i Press, 'Starry Island: New Writing from Singapore'. I didn't enjoy the collection much but the translations of Chinese writing which I don't understand nor can read, intrigued me enough to source this book.
& what a wonderful romp it is through the schizophrenic mind of an ambitious Chinese Singaporean man. The history of Singapore is slowly peeled through his poor but seemingly happy and simple childhood with his imaginary friend; to a fraught young adulthood as a journalist before deciding to be a successful businessman losing his moral centre -- his inner voice -- as he does so; before he is reduced to poverty seeking his one true friend.
I would highly recommend this. The translation is excellent and I enjoyed the read.
& what a wonderful romp it is through the schizophrenic mind of an ambitious Chinese Singaporean man. The history of Singapore is slowly peeled through his poor but seemingly happy and simple childhood with his imaginary friend; to a fraught young adulthood as a journalist before deciding to be a successful businessman losing his moral centre -- his inner voice -- as he does so; before he is reduced to poverty seeking his one true friend.
I would highly recommend this. The translation is excellent and I enjoyed the read.
April 12, 2015
Rather irrelevant but whatever: took a longer time to finish because of its size. (Note to self) It's a behemoth to port around, hence I'd hardly carried it with me when I'm out.
I was disappointed in this and cannot pinpoint where my grouses lie—was it my oversensitivity or prudishness to the careless sexist slurs or the uninspiring manner in which words were used and flowed? I appreciated the last bit about the sullen relationship between parent and protagonist that might have played a part in his adult psyche, had felt something magical peeking out from the facade of these roman letters yet it could not sustain and the essence of this story merely fell back incognito, utterly losing me (the reader). I'm not anyone to disparage the skills required in translation, much less critique it, but. Aargh. Perhaps I'd expected more.
Darn my bad Chinese.
I was disappointed in this and cannot pinpoint where my grouses lie—was it my oversensitivity or prudishness to the careless sexist slurs or the uninspiring manner in which words were used and flowed? I appreciated the last bit about the sullen relationship between parent and protagonist that might have played a part in his adult psyche, had felt something magical peeking out from the facade of these roman letters yet it could not sustain and the essence of this story merely fell back incognito, utterly losing me (the reader). I'm not anyone to disparage the skills required in translation, much less critique it, but. Aargh. Perhaps I'd expected more.
Darn my bad Chinese.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 27, 2019
Chronicles of a deeply flawed man. Much like life, some parts drag on too slowly, but also suddenly I'm thrown into immersive memories, visceral desires, abject wretchedness. There was a fair bit of philosophical navel gazing, but the emotional payoff exceeds my expectation so that's all worth it I guess.
Oh, I also think it's inaccurate to consider the protagonist's Self as an affectation of split personality disorder. If anything, Hui and his Self are better represented as the Id/Ego and the Superego. In the absence of the Superego, Hui's Id goes off the rails unchecked.
Note: I read this in the original Chinese text, though I've also read a few pages of the English translation. Considering how this entire book is pretty much a monologue, the Chinese version does feel more conversational.
Oh, I also think it's inaccurate to consider the protagonist's Self as an affectation of split personality disorder. If anything, Hui and his Self are better represented as the Id/Ego and the Superego. In the absence of the Superego, Hui's Id goes off the rails unchecked.
Note: I read this in the original Chinese text, though I've also read a few pages of the English translation. Considering how this entire book is pretty much a monologue, the Chinese version does feel more conversational.
May 28, 2016
Mmm. It started out promising, but I felt that it lost steam and sagged towards the middle. A lot of reflective moments, but mostly I felt frustrated. Didn't like the plodding pace. Not a book for the impatient, nor those who typically enjoy action and tight plots. Maybe I would have appreciated this more in its original Chinese form.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews