Breaking the Tongue

by Vyvyane Loh

This brilliant novel chronicles the fall of Singapore to the Japanese in World War II. Central to the story is one Chinese family: Claude, raised to be more British than the British and ashamed of his own heritage; his father, Humphrey, whose Anglophilia blinds him to possible defeat and his wife's dalliances; and the redoubtable Grandma Siok, whose sage advice falls on deaf ears. Expatriates, spies, fifth columnists, and nationalists—including the elusive young woman Ling-Li—mingle in this exotic culture as the Japanese threat looms. Beset by the horror of war and betrayal and, finally, torture, Claude must embrace his true heritage. In the extraordinary final paragraphs of the novel, the language itself breaks into Chinese. With penetrating observation, Vyvyane Loh unfolds the coming-of-age story of a young man and a nation, a story that deals with myth, race, and class, with the ways language shapes perceptions, and with the intrigue and suffering of war. Reading group guide included.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Asia, Historical, World War II, Novels, Literature

489 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2004

About the author

Vyvyane Loh was born in Ipoh, Malaysia and moved to Singapore with her family when she was five. Besides her rigourous schooling in Singapore, she studied ballet (Royal Academy of Dance syllabus and exams) , the piano (Royal Academy of Music), and Speech/Drama (Trinity College). She spent a brief period in Canterbury, Kent, before starting college at Boston University where she double-majored in Biology and Classics. While in college, she developed an interest in creative writing and began writing poetry. A highlight of her college years was her summer in Sligo, Ireland at the International Yeats School where she was honoured and delighted to meet and be in a workshop led by Seamus Heaney.

She currently writes, choreographs and moonlights as a physician. Breaking the Tongue, a historical novel set in Singapore during WW II.

Reviews

[Atikah Wahid · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's pretty telling when an entire class of students, including the lecturer who assigned the text as a reading requirement in the first place, decides to drop this novel from the course because nobody wants to go through with it. To be fair, we had gone through a number of novels dealing with Malaysian and Singaporean literature during the early days of independence so we may have been slightly less forgiving.

There are so many issues in this book that reading it was actually infuriating! Before I got a copy, I read reviews saying that it has a complex plot, rich narration and an experimental style. It's even compared to Jonathan Safran Foer's "Everything is Illuminated" which is one of my all-time favourite novels. I was definitely pumped to dive into this book. However, everything that has been described as its plus points are so badly executed. Complex plot? More like a convoluted storyline with about seven main characters. There are two main "main" characters but even the most minor character has a moment in the spotlight for some reason. And the author decides to do this by dividing each page of the novel with POVs from multiple characters. So, a paragraph about Claude, the main protagonist, then another paragraph for another character, then another ... It's a complete mess. I don't enjoy being mentally thrown around to several different characters at once. I have no idea why anyone would think this is a good idea. If anything, it makes you indifferent as none of the characters are engaging enough for you to care. So, when there's a big reveal, like a character turns out to be a spy for the Japanese all along, there is no big pay off because you forgot who that character is! The only character that I find interesting is Ling-Li and it is a shame that the book is not focusing entirely on her.

Also, one of the major flaws of this book for me is that it is written for Western audiences in mind. Although I am Malaysian, Singapore and Malaysia have very similar socio-political issues especially during the Japanese occupation. Basically, I didn't need to be hand held to understand what is going on. However, since this book is written for Western audiences, a lot of nuances regarding the politics of that time have been replaced with rather simplistic portrayals. Race issues are handled pretty much on the surface as though the author fears people would not understand what is going on or what is at stake. It results in a rather dull portrayal of the problems at the time, leaving you to mentally go, "Well duh". Cliches abound. Some characters and scenes are represented to showcase obvious stance in some issue or other. It is not very enlightening.

I gave up reading this book halfway because I really couldn't bring myself to care. To be honest, I probably would not have been so dismissive if it is not composed in the way that it is. I only started to enjoy the book when there are longer parts that focus on only one character only rather than a patchwork of 5 different characters. I do not recommend this novel.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this one a few days ago, but had to give myself a few days to sift through everything, try to figure out how I could possibly explain this book in a way that would do it justice.

The Lims - father Humphrey, mother Cynthia, Grandma Soik, teenaged Claude, and little sister Lucy - are an English-speaking Chinese family living in British-ruled Singapore during WWII. None of them, save Grandma Soik, speaks or understands Chinese. They all enjoy the upper-class life Humphrey's bank job buys and seem to be a perfect family, but only till you get to know them. Humphrey's unquestioning adoration of all things British drives Cynthia into a clandestine cycle of self-destructive behavior. Grandma Soik reads all the time from *The Art of War* and tries (with no great success - one session ended with the children covered in fire ants)
to teach the children life strategy lessons. Lucy - well, it's hard to say what Lucy's struggle was, as she was a mostly peripheral character til the very end of the book.

Our main focus, though, is Claude. Claude, he never knew where or how he fit in. He was Chinese, raised in British-ruled Thailand, by an Angophile father. He found the "natives" distasteful, but at the same time, the British considered {i}him{/i} an English-speaking, well-mannered "native", and treated him accordingly. Claude deals by withdrawing and detaching, acting out passiv-aggressively when he's forced to entertain Jack, a British family aquaintance. Shortly after, Japan invades, and Britan loses her nerve. The Lims' cushy ride is over. This crisis throws Claude in closer than he ever wanted to be with Jack, but it also crosses his path with Ling-Li, who is a spy. As Singapore falls, the triangle of Claude, Ling-Li, and Jack is formed.

*Breaking the Tongue* burrows through layer upon layer of uncomfortable racial ickyness till it gets to the core of Claude's identity. He's dual-natured, his upbringing conflicting with his heritage to the very end of the book. It's a gorgeous, visceral, heartbreaking story. The only downfall was the format - it was so segmented, it was like a toddler's attention span. Seriously. Page-breaks all over the place, characters dropping in and out, plot threads running everywhere. The best word I can think of to describe it is kalidescopic. Or maybe fragmented. Anyway. Four stars.

[Louisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this one up at the local library after reading Lazy River last week and wanting to delve a bit further into the Singapore of the Japanese occupation. Found this 2006 Guardian review, written coincidentally by one of the translators of the Eileen Chang collection I'm reading at the moment:

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2006...


Only a quarter of the way through, the only thing that is sustaining my interest in reading this novel is the anticipation of the bigger picture coming together and giving me space to ruminate on the post-colonial identity crises. The fragmented storytelling is not quite allowing me to engage enough with the characters to care about them and their stories. As I read this I am making a direct comparison with Lazy River, which had a more focused writing style and felt more evocative and authentic (that elusive notion!).

Now that I'm finished, the novel really comes together in the last third, the various narratives start to fit into a whole. I feel like some of the examination of cultural identity and racial identity and how that fitted into the colonial society was a bit crude while I was reading it. But, on reflection, as I step back and look at the whole picture, I can see and appreciate the intelligence behind the story. I also feel that the main characters have now been fleshed out into distinct characters with lives of their own, that could walk beyond the novel's pages; even if they didn't quite develop the nuances I wanted to see.

[Suzanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is brilliantly written. I have been trying to think of how to describe her style; structurally, she in some ways reminds me of Amy Tan, and in some ways reminds me of T.S. Eliot. Regardless, throughout the book I was enthralled. I think readers who enjoy a novel strictly for entertainment would be pleased, if they like the subject matter. I also feel that those who enjoy delving deeper into a novel - picking apart symbolism, allusions, that sort of thing - will love this layer cake.

I noticed a few of the other Goodreads folks felt either incomplete or bothered in some way by the small section at the end which is written in Chinese. I would not be daunted by this; it is a very small portion of the book, and although it is at the end and during an important part, the author gives those of us who do not read Chinese plenty of interspersed, English stepping stones. There is just enough information that honestly, I think I would have been bothered by more. I can't say why without a spoiler (I don't do spoilers!) so I will simply say it was sufficient, and I could put two and two together.

If you are looking for a change of pace and enjoy historical fiction, particularly the period of WWII, I recommend this book. Also, those who have read and appreciated The Rape of Nanking would get a lot out of this book. I *loved* this book!

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost impossible to describe. The story flows from the tortured body of the protagonist, but jumps to other characters viewpoints as well. This seems confusing at first, but gradually develops into a beautiful prose.
The viewpoint was, for me, completely original. I have never read a story from a Chinese frame of mind about the brutal invasion of Malaysia and China. To see it from their eyes is so refreshing. The horror that they endured has been well documented, but the overbearing rule and then completely ineffectual defense from the British Empire, sees very little light of day.

[Eric Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just reread ""Breaking the Tongue"" and I have increased my rating to five stars from 4 1/2. I might even read it a third time! I highly recommend this novel. I had the pleasure of meeting the author, Vyvyane Loh and bringing her to Philadelphia to lecture. She was amazing, her struggles to get the book written and published were epic. Talking to her about that process and about the book's content was just a total pleasure.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story follows Claude, a spoiled and oblivious Chinese boy living in Singapore under the British rule. He and his family are - for a lack of a more concise term - total Uncle Toms. They fully believe in their own culture's inferiority, and cheerfully surrender all identity and loyalty to the British. That is, until WWII comes knocking with a major reality check, with white English rule swiftly collapsing into what would be years of brutal Japanese occupation.

This is a merciless coming of age story about colonisation, class, race, and most importantly identity. I learned a great deal about Singapore from it, and I can see echoes of my own community's struggles within it. A worthy read, but a challenging and painful one.

[Mindy McAdams · Rating 3 out of 5]

When the Japanese invaded Malaya, they walked and bicycled south from Thailand, and the British (who had occupied the peninsula for quite some time) fled before them like rats deserting the proverbial sinking ship.

In Singapore, a largely ethnic Chinese population watched the colonial overlords -- who had long banned the Chinese from their posh "whites-only" clubs and cricket fields -- first pour in from across the Johor Strait and later abandon the coveted port altogether, surrendering ignobly in February 1942.

This surprising turn of events was a particular shock to middle- and upper-class Chinese who had embraced British ways and customs. Such was the family of teenage Claude Lim, so Anglicized he does not have a Chinese name or understand Mandarin (or Hokkien either).

While this is a story of Singapore at a very notable time in its history, it is also the story of a person whose culture fails him. Claude encounters a variety of characters (both Chinese and British, but almost no Malays) who inspire him to question everything he thought to be true in the world.

I found this book to be annoying at first, but I must not have been in the right mood for it. I set it aside for a couple of weeks, and when I went back to it, I enjoyed it a lot and finished it quickly.

[Alesa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Claude is a young Chinese Singaporean, preparing to enter Oxford, when WWII comes along. His father is a total Anglophile -- so that Claude did not even learn Chinese growing up. This puts him in a perspective to give us a very unique view of Singapore, namely of the Chinese who identified with their colonizers, and could not believe that the British Empire could ever fall.

This novel is a deft work of art. It switches back and forth in time, in ways that are sometimes confusing. We get to know the Singaporeans who supported the revolution in China, who always saw China as their real (not just cultural) home. We meet Brits who were sympathetic to locals (sort of), a Brit who was one of the most notorious spies of WWII, and Brits who despised locals. We watch Australian soldiers becoming drunken mobs, and then deserters.

This is not an easy book to read, because the voices are harsh and conflicted. The subject is a brutal one -- both during colonial times, and then under the Japanese occupation. However, it shows a side of Singaporean history that you won't easily forget. And you'll understand much better why Chinese Singaporeans are so (justifiably) proud of the nation they have created out of the ruins of a war.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book and will keep it for re-reading at some point in the future. Having recently read some non-fiction accounts of this period, it was very interesting to have it brought to life in fiction, and to experience the complex dynamics of the fall of Singapore through this small group of characters. It's the first historical novel I have read that is set in Singapore, and it was fascinating to visit places familiar to me, and to reconstruct life in locations I have seen in old photos from that era. For me, the most compelling aspect of the story was the all-pervading struggle with language, culture, power and identity. It has helped me think about the kind of questions that still hover today in society here in Singapore, over race, class, language and imperialism, and what it means to belong in a place, especially such a diverse place as this.

[James Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an amazing work of historical fiction from the pen of Vyvyane Loh. She has created believable characters, particularly the young hero Claude Lim, and put them in an historical setting that is brought alive in this intelligent novel. We see the Chinese family trying to emulate their British colonial masters and watch as their society crumbles in the face of the Japanese invasion of December, 1942. But mostly this is Claude's story as he learns from his Grandmother Siok, befriends the Englishman Jack Winchester and in turn is befriended by the Chinese nurse Han Ling-Li. Slowly Claude matures and becomes reconciled with his Chinese ethnicity. This novel seamlessly blends the personal stories with the turmoil of invasion. One more for my list of great historical novels.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting perspectives and great reading group book. I enjoyed it a lot.

[Lucía · Rating 3 out of 5]

The rich historical background added a sense of discovery to this narrative of colonisation, since I am almost completely ignorant of Singapore's history. Extremely well-written for a first novel.

[Paula Margulies · Rating 4 out of 5]

A challenging read, yet difficult to put down. Great for those who love historicals, especially if interested in the fall of Singapore to the Japanese during WWII.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now I want to learn more about the Japanese invasion of Singapore. Asian history, modern and ancient, is not something we covered in any World History class I've ever taken.

[Tilon Sagulu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not an easy read, but I enjoyed it. An ambitious novel with complex plot, rich with racial tensions in Singapore during WWII.

[Ronnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

While its distinct organization may seem too convoluted for some, Breaking the Tongue presents a unique plot noteworthy of much more than simply progressing the storyline. Representative of Singapore’s diversity, the novel is presented through short passages that illustrate the eclectic personalities and perspectives of the characters. As a coming of age story, the novel’s layout also emphasizes the uncertainties that came with the Japanese invasion of Singapore during WWII and important revelations presented before the main character, Claude, in a format reminiscent to a stream of consciousness. Consistent with Claude’s growth, the novel does not develop in a linear fashion. Instead, it serves as an interpretation of how an individual’s current situation, reflections of the past, and expectations for the future lead to natural development.

Aside from the novel’s layout, the story is centered on Claude’s journey towards self-discovery in terms of his culture and outlook on others. Since a young age and as a result of his father’s lecturing, Claude is steered into living a “British” lifestyle and completely abandons his Chinese heritage. As Claude interacts with Ling-li, he begins to recognize the beauty of the “Chinese” lifestyle and obtains an newfound sense of admiration for his experiences with his grandmother. As an example, grinding ink for practicing written Chinese is no longer recognized as a tedious task and is instead an honorable necessity. To explain why I use quotation marks when describing these lifestyles, Claude eventually recognizes how he does not fit only one mold and instead possesses beliefs that stem from both British and Chinese.

Without providing spoilers, I highly recommend this novel for its unique presentation of historical events and intriguing development of characters. In my experience, the short passages made the novel an easy read as long as you are patient to learn more about the various setting/time skips. In addition, I would like to caution that some segments of the novel might not be appropriate for younger audiences since they describe very graphic content.

I happily give this novel 5 stars and hope to one day be able to read the parts written in Chinese without needing a translator! :)

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

"this is the end of the British Empire...in a moment, he too will beak down, his reserve crumbling like the world around him."

this book has such a strong atmosphere and set-up which is what kept me reading. unfortunately, i didn't really connect with it due to the sluggish plot and character arcs. i waited almost 500 pages for the well-established, complex relationships among characters to coalesce into something resembling a plot (i.e., characters make choices, which causes things to happen, which causes them to make more choices), but we were pretty much stuck in set dressing until the climax which occurs as a result of the sino-japanese war instead of internal, character-driven forces. rather than claude developing because of his own actions, the sweeping strokes of geopolitical conflict push him through the pages until the denouement. sometimes the meditative, no plot thing really works for me, but this wasn't one of those times.

i'm always fascinated by the way authors from the global south who've since immigrated to europe/USA balance critiquing the occidental world and appealing to western publishers, critics, and commercial audiences. essentially, this book is a treatise on the way in which orientalism destroys the self-image of the colonized subject, our protagonist. certainly a worthy topic. in my opinion, though, the book still renders Singapore and its myriad asian inhabitants, most notably the female secondary characters (cynthia and ling-li), into exotic ornaments through lushly purple prose that prioritizes style over substantive characterization. a good book to write an essay on.

[Baljit · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this novel gives a v interesting perspective on colonialism. It is is set during the British rule of Singapore, during the Second World War and it builds up towards the fall of Singapore, which was an event unimaginable to the British and the locals.
While some locals were involved in underground activities to oust the British and demand self rule, majority saw the English as a superior race.

At one point Claude is shocked when Jack reveals that his life in England was v ordinary, bereft of servants and country clubs. It's a v telling revelation of the farce of the English men in the colonies. I should not reveal the encounter between Claude and Jack after Singapore has fallen.

My only regret is not being able to read this novel with less interruptions as able to savor it better.

[Mililani · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel is another view of Singapore...a far difference from the Crazy Rich Americans. Taking place during World War II, we get a glimpse of "up and coming" Chinese who want to keep up with the Brits. Trying to be a Brit in an Asian body means that Chinese is forbidden to be spoken in the house. Thus Claude Lim grows up as an outsider in his own community. We see how the various ethnic groups intermingle in the Singapore culture, the Thai, the Indians, the Chinese, the Brits, the Americans, and a mix of Europeans. The unbelievable occurs when the Japanese forces take over the small island. Many people leave. Some continue to fight it out. Some lose and some "win" but at what cost?

This novel reaffirms the need to be multilingual in order to survive. It also makes commentary on how one's native language can carry on the cultural mores of the people.

[Cori Greer-Banks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was difficult to finish; the disjointed narrative structure, the sudden change in narrators, and the sometimes slow pace made me put down the book in frustration, but I’d come back to it, determined to complete it.

The end was satisfying- a story of WWII told from the perspective of a people caught in between two imperialist forces- no good guys, no bad guys, just shifting victims in an endless battle. I knew little of how Singapore was involved in the war, and more literature needs to be published that sheds light on how both the Allies and the Axis powers took advantage of a whole world.

[dafoodiemonster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vyvyane Loh's novel demands a novel way from readers to approach the spell-binding tapestry of her work. Weaving, maneuvering through the varied perspectives of her characters, the book's main goal is hence distracted from the concrete storylines of war and loss, to spin a tale that delves into the abstract and into the fabric of heritage and history. Though a mesmerizing tale, readers are required unusual patience to digest the complexity of the novel, and the novel could have done more to guide readers more closely through the abstraction of the plot.

[Nichole Fraizer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fall of Singapore to Japan——something I knew very little about. The story is a little challenging to get into, but once you figure out who the characters are you are pulled into a fascinating, sometimes terrifying, multi-dimensional historical novel. Claude seems to abhor his Chinese heritage at the beginning of the novel—-eventually he yearns to understand the language(s) and traditions of his people. Ling Li is a fabulous lead female heroine/spy. Great book!

[Stephen Rowland · Rating 2 out of 5]

Requires much patience and time but gives you very little in return.

[Ray Tang · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story may start out confusing as it shifts between different timelines but the ending makes it worthwhile

[Concetta Kellough · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had no knowledge of Singapore. I found this novel extremely interesting from a historical standpoint but also with its characters.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before the story begins, there is a page of this book that talks about the dangers of being deculturalized. Interestingly enough, the book seemed to argue the opposite to me. Each time a character named a race or culture (e.g., British, Japanese, Chinese, etc), it had such a negative connection to it that it almost seemed derogatory. This is quite powerful, as I can only remember one truly derogatory racial term in the entire book. As the characters focused so much on race and culture, all I could see was the need to become “color blind”, not the need to focus on the culture assigned to one’s race. I’m not sure if the author intended this, but I actually preferred the message I found over the one I was expecting.

I absolutely loved this book. It was so well written, giving small snapshots of so many characters’ points of view in order to create the story. I loved watching Claude’s transformation. It was not obvious, but was clearly happening behind the scenes, as it does in real life. Honestly, it wasn’t until he was reunited with his family that I even noticed how much he had changed from the boy at the beginning of the story.

The author also transitioned the characters throughout the stages of war so well. Almost all of the characters started out clinging to the belief that it will never affect them, thinking they were invincible. Mid-war, when they had no other choice, they began to struggle to accept their new reality – they were not powerful anymore, their wealth really meant nothing anymore, and they were all just trying to survive. By the end, they had accepted their new reality and had begun their new lives. In moving through these stages, nothing felt forced or fake. Each character moved through these stages on their own accord in a way that matched their personality, right down to Humphrey’s proud denial of what was plainly in front of him.

Each character was necessary in his or her own way, which often wasn’t realized until at least halfway through the book. This made me keep wanting to turn the page in the hopes that the next key clue would be hidden on the following page. This was, however, a bit confusing in the beginning of the book, as so many characters were slowly being introduced - I must admit that I struggled during the first several pages to determine who was going to be the protagonist of the story.

This book does have one big downfall for me: a significant portion of the revelation of Ling-Li’s end was in Chinese. I was hoping that at the end of the book, I would be directed somewhere where I could read the translation of the Chinese text, but I was sorely disappointed. While I understand the author’s decision to leave this text untranslated within the story, I feel that there should have been a resource for readers to discover what this part of the story actually said.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

'"Chinese," she says, "has no strict sense of of tense. It traverses time and history, intrudes upon the present."' To the Chinese, we are told, the Other are invisible. Invisible and barbarian. Europeans eat and talk and presumably shit, but do not exist.No matter how Europeans oppress the Chinese it is the Europeans who are no one, no person. When eventually the Japanese sweep through and annihilate the European presence, send its remnant marching to Changi, it makes in one sense no difference to the universe, for they never existed. The novel begins in the middle which is near the end, for Chinese has no strict sense of tense, and if the Europeans were here, will be here, are here, it makes no difference. And the Japanese may tear out, break and tear out the tongue - whose tongue? - but it makes no difference, for the story has been told, will be told, is being told.

This is a remarkable novel, brutal to read. Loh writes beautifully, but traverses time schemes with such fluency that for many pages it is the surreal that dominates. Yet then, suddenly, Singapore which nonchalantly was not going to fall has fallen and there is no time for pretense. The unglamorous Australians and the rather pathos-laden British are gone, and the Chinese whose lives were sublimated under the rule of a people who do not exists are left to survive a new oppression, and that doesn't matter either because ... time. And throughout the tale the central figure slowly grows into an understanding of what it means to be timeless, to be guided, to know what he is not (European), to so that he has seen heroism and defeat and life and death but why?

And what does it all mean? It is a chilling novel, but strangely comforting, for in the end perhaps we are all the myrmidons, crossing, in an indirect path, the horizons. This reviewer cannot tell the tale, but stands in awe of the author who tantalized and told so much about indomitable human spirit and meaninglessness of oppression.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Breaking the Tongue may not be the easiest book on your to-read list but it is strangely absorbing. Author Vyvyane Loh weaves an emotional story of human failings and human strength right on this little island, Singapore.

This book is neither nationalistic nor biased in its story telling. Instead, it is a recount of a history we ought to have known, but perhaps never really did.

There is Claude Lim, a Chinese boy of an Anglophile family stuck between two cultures – an inability to fit with the British and a failure to understand his own language and culture. Jack Winchester is a British family friend, who is admired in Singapore for his skin colour. Yet, in Britain, he is nothing more than a barely surviving, common man on the street. Aiding them during the Japanese invasion is Han Ling-li, a Chinese nurse who is passionately worried about the future of her country.

The story weaves in and out of the lives of these characters and the musings of a Body; whom we learn is the captured Claude, tortured to confusion. Added to the mix are expatriates who believe that they are upper class citizens as well as nationalists and fifth columnists (Japanese spies), all mingling as the Japanese advanced towards Singapore.

To complete the candid story of a history I thought I knew and Claude’s ultimate appreciation for his true heritage, Loh finished with a Chinese passage – of Claude describing Ling-li’s torture ordeal.

Perhaps the most appealing draw of Breaking the Tongue is the light it sheds on precious moments of humanity. Are the Brits that mighty? Are the Japanese troops really saviours?

Nothing is infallible, and nothing is completely evil.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. It's really good for a debut novel and the author writes beautifully, really beautifully. It was interesting to look at the war and Singapore under colonisation from various perspectives (portrays the multiplicity of history and our social fabric). I like how the character, Flory, from Orwell's "Burmese Days", was incorporated into Jack's characterisation. Nonetheless, I was immensely irked by the analogy of the tongue that seemed almost entirely ripped from Coetzee's "Foe"- the idea of how losing the tongue and speaking in one's own language allows for freedom and autonomy (from the colonisers). I feel bothered as well because I confused Ling-Li with the Fifth Columnist and only realised that they were two different characters nearing the end, perhaps bad characterisation on the part of the author. Also, I felt that the scene where Claude, Ling-Li and her uncle were digging graves for the dead was really unrealistic. Who can actually be bothered to bury dead bodies of people during a war? You'd most probably be preoccupied with preserving you and your loved ones' lives, and the truly altruistic would probably be trying to save those severely injured. (To be continued)