Middle and First

by Simon Tay

A collection of short stories in two groups. “First” relates closely to the Singapore of the 1990s when an old way of life loses its grip in a fast-changing society. “My Grandfather Tim” – a sequel to “My Cousin Tim” the author’s earlier story which has captured public imagination, unravels the accepted truths of a family’s history. In “Grandmother: A Horror Story”, a man exorcises the domineering spirit of his grandmother. Two women in opposite continents confront who they are expected to be in “A Sisters’ Correspondence”.

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2016

Reviews

[George Lam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Simon first book Stand Alone when I was still a NS boy in 1993 and I remembered the feeling of being able
To identify with the characters or glad that there are authors at that time who could share the young Singaporean thoughts , experience and views of the environment that we live in at that time

Thus , it is sort of dejavu as I felt the same way while
Reading this book. The characters in the middle , are characters that I could relate and probably know in real life. Singapore lawyers , teachers , upper middle
Class who have benefited from the system and the prosperity of singapore in the past decades. The characters have grown up since stand alone but the experiences and mindset of the characters are quite uniquely Singaporean.

The story on using massage palour to create a sperm
Bank is funny and probably result of some hidden fantasy of the author. Making fun of the mandarin system while recognizing the irony of it. The author is pretty much part of the system but is able to notice the potential pitfall of our system

The story on grandfather Tim is more straightforward , the accountant looks like a reflection of himself while Tim could be the rebellious , fun , daredevil , enjoy life type of character which he hopes to be and perhaps experience. The type who get all the girls and get away with it and still
Enjoy the finer things in life.

It is also serendipity that I bumped into him while reading this book. We were both collecting our car from the valet at Fullerton and I managed to speak to him. While I could not remember much of the content of Stand Alone, I could remember the feelings i had at that time, 25 years back. Feeling good that there are authors who can write about the feelings and thinking and perspective about young Singaporean through fiction.
It brought back a lot of feelings and thinking about the life I had over these years. And I realized I share many of the observations he had through his stories and I am glad he could put that into simple words .

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this collection of short stories by Simon Tay was my maiden voyage into literature from Singapore, started by my becoming interested in Singapore's Sing Lit Station http://www.singlitstation.com . Tay's book was sent to me by a friend. It was a voyage I'm glad I took. From the corporate to the medical, families and old friends, this collection had unsuspecting turns that continued to surprise me. There were moments of suspense and pace. There were pensive passages of reflecting on the deeper side of humanity through the plight of a character. Which Tim is one of the stories really about? You'll have to read it and find out.