Here and Beyond: 12 Stories

by Cyril Wong (Editor)

This is an anthology of twelve stories from twelve unique Singaporean voices: S. Rajaratnam, Yeo Wei Wei, Goh Sin Tub, Simon Tay, Stephanie Ye, Alfian Sa’at, Suchen Christine Lim, Wena Poon, O Thiam Chin, Claire Tham, Philip Jeyaretnam and Felix Cheong.

These stories chart the emotional ups and downs of protagonists who strive to find meaning against the backdrop of negotiations between the local and the global, between the past and an ever-changing, urbanised present. Rediscovering the self and the value of relationships form the focus of these tales, which range from the realistic to the surreal, with the occasional epiphany about one's mortality and the meaning of existence within the bustling city.

Here and Beyond: 12 Stories | A Study Companion is also available.

Genres: Literature, Short Stories

260 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

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

[SgJuliaKristeva · Rating 4 out of 5]

I told myself, hey I'm looking for a short story to adapt for my video production class, maybe Gloria or the story about the Judge would be a good fit. I read the stories, then I finish the script and all.

I tell myself, hey I'm done with the script. But I still need to find a social issue to campaign for for my Contemporary Social Issues module (That's a lie, we already decided on campaigning for tattoo taboo). I end up finishing the ghost story.

I end up saying "hey I have a free day today omg I can afford to not do work on the way home!" and finishing the entire book. This completely disregards the millions of things I have to start doing because they are due in January.

Conclusion: This is a great book that I couldn't tear away from. It also became an excuse for me to procrastinate my work because I happen to be able to have a free day. OOPS

[Remy · Rating 3 out of 5]

My professional relationship with this book is officially over. Unless I fuck up and have to retake the year (please, God, no. Have mercy).

So this book is my lit text. I had to read it so I could take an exam. At first I truly didn't think much of it and just thought it was a bloody bore as it dragged on and on because I had to read it over and over again. Now that the exam's over, I've come to think of this book as something like an ex-wife. And now I shall reflect:

"The Tiger" is our opening story, about a pregnant woman and her strange connection to a tiger near her village. I personally didn't find anything particularly striking about this story, but this is without a doubt an entertaining power struggle story that divides males from females, and humanity from nature.

"Here Comes the Sun" is one of my favourites (Remy your Beatles bias is showing!). It's about a lonely elderly woman who has to live in a nursing home after she breaks her hip. She has a stronger connection to animals than humans, shown in her relationship to a Beatles-singing mynah that visits her often. Its magical realism and pessimist's comfort talebecause she dies at the end , and in my opinion is one of the more memorable stories.

"The Shoes of My Sensei" is our only historical fiction story. The narrator is an ingrate to his teacher because he refuses to visit him at a POW camp in Japanese-occupied Singapore in order to save his own face. It's very short, but personally I liked the writing style, the ending, and the growth of the narrator.

"My Cousin Tim" is about our narrator's relationship to his cousin. It follows them as they grow up and drift and engage in a long list of debauchery while enraging their parents by not meeting their expectations. It is a simple premise, but its written in a nostalgic kind of tone, which I liked. Tim is very memorable, and I can personally relate to the takeaway from this story really well.

"City in C Minor" is our unexciting, anticlimactic tale about music and the East vs West clash. Nothing much happens and even though music is supposed to be a theme in this story, it isn't really touched upon. However one good point it raises is how Singapore is searching for its identity, and it was done in what I found to be an actual interesting way.

"Visitors" is our shortest story. It centers around a Malay character who tries to dissuade her parents from visiting her in New York for the fear of culture shock. It brings up pretty solid points on how Caucasians tend to oversimplify race. Its a simple story, but it manages to be endearing and memorable.

"Gloria" is probably my favourite story. Gloria's a Filipino maid who's employed by a Chinese family who see her as nothing else but an outsider they hired to cook and clean. Its a sad story, because as you read it you'll probably realise that you as the reader are probably the only person to sympathise with Gloria- or at least I did. The story left me shocked and hanging. It's a good juxtaposition and commentary about privilege too.

"The Shooting Ranch" is the darkest and most memorable of the stories. It looks fun at first with Anouk's and Cynthia's many pop culture references and quirks, but soon takes a dark descent. Henry is the fucking scum of the earth. He was so horrible that I managed to write an entire bloody essay about what a shitbag he was. I want to kick him in the face. Its well-written, engaging, and also discusses East vs West like how "City in C Minor" does, but better. Other things it brings up include misogyny, oversimplification of race, domestic abuse, and all in all, the subject of evil. And yes I do believe Cynthia should have helped them.

"Grasshoppers" is a tender, feel-good story. It's about a young boy and his single mother, and their outlook on life. The mother and son share a really good relationship; a quiet understanding. Its endearing to read, and leaves you feeling warm inside.

"The Judge" is a borderline shocker. Its written in a tone that hints that an outburst is about to happen. It's about a judge who, due to lack of evidence in a case, has no choice but to convict an innocent man guilty. He feels understandably conflicted after that, of course, to the point of (possibly) hallucinating. It discusses privilege in a very subtle way, which I liked.

"Campfire" is like a angst-filled, cynical story. I didn't like it. I found it hard to sympathise with our narrator even though the study guide said I was supposed to. I guess I sympathise that he had nowhere to go 'cept the vocational institute, but even then... what exactly is so bad about vocational education?

"True Singapore Ghost Story" is a really good commentary on material gain and how success is defined. It explores this common theme like in "My Cousin Tim", but this story does it much better. The plot hinges on Wong, our main character's mood: down, then up, then down down down into sweet sweet 'death'. Its definitely memorable and engaging.

So all in all, I mostly liked the stories in this book. Maybe its a bit hindered at some parts due to my fed-up-ness about having to reread this over and over (and wow I only read it cover to cover 5 times?) well....


edit: dear me from 2018,

congrats on graduating and not having to retake the year!
might not wanna subscribe to any newsletters though.

sincerely, me from 2020

p.s. my god, i thought i'd never be able to finish this again

[jessiah marielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

pre re-read: read this for my ‘o’ level exams in 2019, so it’s a 2.5 for now because i don’t remember much of anything about it. just someone named gloria and a creepy farm with nothing in it. and a cousin timtam. that’s it.

[Deanne Dumo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this anthology at a local bookstore last month I visited Singapore. One thing I find common among the stories is the simplicity of the writing style of each of the 12 Singaporean writers. The stories reflect Singapore's mix of cultures, and how some of the characters, from the hawker vendor family, household helper, immigrant students, a judge, or the fallen stockbroker, variedly defines life in the bustling city state. My favorite stories are The Tiger by S. Rajaratnam (I didn't know that LKY's foreign minister does creative writing!), The Shoes of My Sensei by Goh Sin Tub, Gloria by Suchen Christine Lim, My Cousin Tim by Simon Tay, and True Singapore Ghost Story by Felix Cheong.

[elly · Rating 4 out of 5]

#bookreview 📖: 'here and beyond: 12 stories', a collection of short stories edited by Cyril Wong, published by @ethosbooks. Each story is masterful and unique, uncovering the different realities of Singapore life 🇸🇬 Most of the stories bring to centre stage the great challenge of balancing seemingly self-defeatist desires and practical aspirations of being a Singaporean. ⁣
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Here are 3 of my favourite short stories from the collection that I particularly enjoyed:⁣
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✍🏽 'Campfire' by Philip Jeyaretnam highlight the intricacies of emotions - guilt interweaving with denial and hope, in facing a loss of a loved one. The narrative ends with a beautiful symbol of a sputtering campfire, an abrupt reflection on mortality. ⁣
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✍🏽 'Visitors' by Alfian Saat focuses on cultural differences that the protagonist struggles with, having moved to New York for her education. The realities heightened each time she found herself having to explain her ethnicity. Having grappled with reflections of home and her bittersweet memories, Hidayah reconciles with her identity at last, after a visit by her parents. ⁣
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✍🏽 'Grasshoppers' by O Thiam Chin tells an optimistic tale of a mother-and-son's relationship. The narrator recounts life-affirming lessons that remain profound in present day. Similar to several other stories in the collection, 'Grasshoppers' reinforce the importance of relationships that bring about lifelong meaning.⁣
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💭 I definitely enjoyed reading this collection back in 2014 as I was undergoing my teacher training. And I appreciate it even more now, as I reread it. It provided comfort and warmth for me, to say the least, underpinning the importance of reading and supporting local voices in literature. I highly recommend this to all 📚⁣ ⁣

[Jericho Eames · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a great collection that has authors new and old and it's a joy to read! Some of the stories are heartbreaking and though provoking. I especially liked "Gloria" because it tells the story of a domestic helper in Singapore which is a very common sight to have in Singapore. A lot of times we see them as a maid and nothing else, another pair of hands in the house, we employ their help and yet we doubt them. We expect them to help out and yet we restrict them. In the story, it applies flesh and bones to Gloria, and we see that she has a family and she is a person. The story brings humanity to a person that we always see but never know.

[Jen Han · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute but fuck hdb void decks, coffee shops, singaporean dream vs american dream, the 5Cs. please singapore please write something more imaginative. shares the same achilles heel with almost every other piece of Singaporean literature, & that is without the lens of local nostalgia it is largely shallow & pretentious. i found myself having to write in exceptionally flowery and dramatic language when dissecting the book to make up for the lack(or repetitiveness) of substance

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this up for work (some of my students are doing this at school) but found it fairly enjoyable. The stories provide a nice mix of social issues to talk about, and some are quite lyrical, but there's something a bit strange about elite authors pretending to be from ITE and other attempts at creating narrative diversity.

[Breadfly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved 6 of these stories!

[Michelle Chan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book shrouded with mystery and interpretation

[Aurora Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not a big fan of short stories, but this was an exception. The stories in the book are short, sweet and somewhat relatable. Great read!