What do you think?
Rate this book
This is Where I Won't Be Alone
A pair of twins tries desperately to survive their education. A sentient oyster ponders the concept of making time. An unemployed man devises a social experiment with ants. A runaway sees a vision. From the 1990’s to a future where people access information through chips implanted in their heads, from the Singaporean heartland to London, San Francisco and the moon, these stories hold in tension the strangeness of displacement and a deep yearning for connection in their relentless search for who and what to call home.
- GenresFictionShort Stories
168 pages, Paperback
Published September 1, 2018
13 people are currently reading
235 people want to read
About the author
Inez Tan
10 books14 followersInez Tan is the author of This Is Where I Won't Be Alone, a debut short story collection published in 2018 by Epigram Books. She holds an MFA in fiction from the University of Michigan and an MFA in poetry at the University of California, Irvine. Her work has appeared in Best New Singaporean Short Stories: Volume 4, Rattle, The Collagist, Fairy Tale Review, Quarterly Literary Review Singapore and the anthology A Luxury We Must Afford.
https://ineztan.com/
Amazon Kindle eBook: https://www.amazon.com/This-Where-Won...
https://ineztan.com/
Amazon Kindle eBook: https://www.amazon.com/This-Where-Won...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
January 4, 2023
Disclaimer: I receive a free copy of this book.
"Curie decided not to tell anyone about Edison's cutting. She didn't wish to expose her brother, she thought. Nor did she want to end his pain."
I don't read a lot of Singlit, and while I always try to support my local authors, I find it hard to read them sometimes; nothing wrong with the writing, but it's just my preference.
I've been nicely sent This Is Where I Won't Be Alone for TEXTURES 2023.
I enjoyed that it was a collection of short stories, there was not so much pressure and commitment for me to read.
The first read came in unexpectedly, and I wasn't ready for that.
I do wish there was a trigger warning, for some who could at least be prepared for what they would read.
We do not know what people go through and don't want to trigger them with memories, trauma and the situation they went through.
The writing wasn't bad, but the stories I enjoyed were Edison and Curie, Talking To Strangers and Home.
Edison and Curie was the first story, and it shocked me. It is a story I could relate to the most, the struggle and trauma I faced during my childhood with school, education, pressure and the standard the Singapore system set.
The rest of the stories were short reads and gave different characters stories of their relations with finding a place called home or belonging to a place, people or even a memory.
"Where does a sense of belonging come from? A place? Who you were there, and who you were with? All the people I love and leave leave holes in my body, empty sites. You were the one who told me that home is something we have to make for ourselves. I picture myself looking into old buildings that aren't there anymore. I can see us inside. A place we never were, as easy to imagine as a place we'll never be."
"Curie decided not to tell anyone about Edison's cutting. She didn't wish to expose her brother, she thought. Nor did she want to end his pain."
I don't read a lot of Singlit, and while I always try to support my local authors, I find it hard to read them sometimes; nothing wrong with the writing, but it's just my preference.
I've been nicely sent This Is Where I Won't Be Alone for TEXTURES 2023.
I enjoyed that it was a collection of short stories, there was not so much pressure and commitment for me to read.
The first read came in unexpectedly, and I wasn't ready for that.
I do wish there was a trigger warning, for some who could at least be prepared for what they would read.
We do not know what people go through and don't want to trigger them with memories, trauma and the situation they went through.
The writing wasn't bad, but the stories I enjoyed were Edison and Curie, Talking To Strangers and Home.
Edison and Curie was the first story, and it shocked me. It is a story I could relate to the most, the struggle and trauma I faced during my childhood with school, education, pressure and the standard the Singapore system set.
The rest of the stories were short reads and gave different characters stories of their relations with finding a place called home or belonging to a place, people or even a memory.
"Where does a sense of belonging come from? A place? Who you were there, and who you were with? All the people I love and leave leave holes in my body, empty sites. You were the one who told me that home is something we have to make for ourselves. I picture myself looking into old buildings that aren't there anymore. I can see us inside. A place we never were, as easy to imagine as a place we'll never be."
October 3, 2018
Best appreciated by outward looking Singaporeans, because it’s littered with little winks and nudges from the author as she offers her view on what being Singaporean means. She plays with her words and the result of that is beautiful poetic prose that makes the heart leap
Themes that resonated with me: insecurity of identity (personal and national), familial ties and obligations, love and longing.
My favourite line: “A beaver damming itself with the tragic debris of hubris.”
Themes that resonated with me: insecurity of identity (personal and national), familial ties and obligations, love and longing.
My favourite line: “A beaver damming itself with the tragic debris of hubris.”
December 31, 2022
the first few stories felt like they were warming up for the second half, which swept me away on an unexpected current that was deliciously sardonic, plaintively melancholic, and heartbreakingly hopeful. i especially loved "tragic flaws," "reproduction," and "dear famous poet"! (honorable mention to "single." funny how i just wrote a short story that is, like, "single" but from the other point of view. did it hit more than it should? :clown:)
and with that, my last read of 2022! feeling very full.
and with that, my last read of 2022! feeling very full.
April 15, 2022
Hovering between 3-3.5 stars for this (still lamenting why Goodreads doesn’t have a half star system) bur this is a breezy day read and has some of the traits of short stories that I enjoy - some novel situations and characters and the personal presentation of universal truths. As with most short story collections, the enjoyment and range can vary, while I enjoyed the parts of the story that ring close to the Singaporean experience (“Edison and Curie” the opening story that touches on a cut-throat education system), I find myself warming up a lot more to the charming tenderness of other stories, in particular “Talking to Strangers” and “Dear Famous Poet” which focused on the tenuous but moving trajectory of relationships. I gather from the reviews they’re not really the ones people liked as much.
But I think those stories just more my cup of tea too. Romantic, a little meandery, with personal revelations. These two were also stories, not so obviously set in local shores or possessing identifiably Singapore markers, and maybe, I enjoyed the stories better when Singapore wasn’t always the protagonist. Home can always be evoked in many ways that need not be so obvious. In a collection about ways of belonging, I think I enjoyed most the stories when Singapore is referenced in passing, like something in your system that comes up every now and then, but need not be declared formally.
But I think those stories just more my cup of tea too. Romantic, a little meandery, with personal revelations. These two were also stories, not so obviously set in local shores or possessing identifiably Singapore markers, and maybe, I enjoyed the stories better when Singapore wasn’t always the protagonist. Home can always be evoked in many ways that need not be so obvious. In a collection about ways of belonging, I think I enjoyed most the stories when Singapore is referenced in passing, like something in your system that comes up every now and then, but need not be declared formally.
February 23, 2022
not all stories were made equal and this collection (anthology?) proves that… had its gems (edison and curie, lee kuan yew is not always the answer, tragic flaws, talking to strangers, dear famous poet) but the rest were average at best. honestly edison and curie wasn’t even that good, i just thought the Classic Stamford Junior College Student’s Struggle was unnecessarily relatable
December 26, 2018
Kind of a mixed bag for me. Singapore, in this collection, is presented in a new way, in which we're introduced to it in futuristic settings, through the eyes of a collection of different people, and through commentary about how we live. This was also very easy to read.
It's very subtle in emotion, or at times has no emotion at all. Some of the stories and its characters just went over my head. I found myself not being able to sense real connections to these stories, save for a select few. "Edison and Curie" for example, is one of the best I've seen this year.
It's very subtle in emotion, or at times has no emotion at all. Some of the stories and its characters just went over my head. I found myself not being able to sense real connections to these stories, save for a select few. "Edison and Curie" for example, is one of the best I've seen this year.
February 25, 2020
DNF @ 50%
It’s really regrettable that I had to abandon this book, as it was causing drag to my reading time, making me feel dread every time I had to pick it up. The stories were so very familiar, with these highly recognisable local sights and experience and I really desperately wanted to like them, but they felt like they were always on the cusp of some revelatory message or idea. The music always seemed to edge the chorus, but stopped short of it at the last word of every story (so far).
It’s really regrettable that I had to abandon this book, as it was causing drag to my reading time, making me feel dread every time I had to pick it up. The stories were so very familiar, with these highly recognisable local sights and experience and I really desperately wanted to like them, but they felt like they were always on the cusp of some revelatory message or idea. The music always seemed to edge the chorus, but stopped short of it at the last word of every story (so far).
December 22, 2021
one of the stories about the ants made me feel smth idk what tho just like.... unsettling... but good writing. illuminating discussions about societal problems in SG (or maybe just the first story lol) also +stars just because she is an NYGH alumnus.
March 2, 2019
I hate that Singaporean writers are always banging on about identity, loss and belonging in the same old tired setting with the same old tired accents - against a public housing backdrop, colloquialisms etc. That said, this book’s short stories didn’t have the “Singapore-template” slapped on for every one of them. Thank god.
Needless to say, the ones I enjoyed most were Oyster, The Princess and the Dragon, and On the Moon. These stories really transported me to another world and I could *almost imagine* these other worlds the characters are in. I say “almost” because it is a short story and there’s only so much world-building that can be done. So no fault on the author there.
Would I spend money to buy this book? The answer is no. Much as I want to support local talent, why spend money when there’s nothing new or different to this reading experience from my lived experience. Maybe it’s written for Singaporeans who’ve lived for an extended period overseas or for non-Singaporeans, and I’m not the target reader.
Overall it isn’t a terrible collection of stories, but there’s nothing outstanding either. A passable 2.5 out of 5 stars.
Needless to say, the ones I enjoyed most were Oyster, The Princess and the Dragon, and On the Moon. These stories really transported me to another world and I could *almost imagine* these other worlds the characters are in. I say “almost” because it is a short story and there’s only so much world-building that can be done. So no fault on the author there.
Would I spend money to buy this book? The answer is no. Much as I want to support local talent, why spend money when there’s nothing new or different to this reading experience from my lived experience. Maybe it’s written for Singaporeans who’ve lived for an extended period overseas or for non-Singaporeans, and I’m not the target reader.
Overall it isn’t a terrible collection of stories, but there’s nothing outstanding either. A passable 2.5 out of 5 stars.
May 6, 2019
I will say that it's a great feeling to read Singaporean literature. Being able to read a book and understand its cultural context simply from lived experience, and not the broken telephone of popular Western media was a refreshing change. In particular, the first story was extremely relatable for me- I am a student in the education system. I am in the school that's being satirized, and I have had some of the thoughts which Curie and Edison both seem to have experienced, especially with regards to the rampant insecurities fostered among the youth by constant comparisons. As such, the crisis of identity, which I find to be a recurring theme throughout the book (actually, plenty of literature), is deeply personal.
The book hooked me in. I finished most of it in two sittings, because I found it a really fascinating read. The pacing of the book is superb, with short, 2-3 page stories being interspersed throughout. Yes, the disparate natures of the stories may cause the book to not feel very cohesive on the whole, but I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing.
I think I need to reread the last story though- finished it too quickly, and I don't feel I properly absorbed it.
The book hooked me in. I finished most of it in two sittings, because I found it a really fascinating read. The pacing of the book is superb, with short, 2-3 page stories being interspersed throughout. Yes, the disparate natures of the stories may cause the book to not feel very cohesive on the whole, but I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing.
I think I need to reread the last story though- finished it too quickly, and I don't feel I properly absorbed it.
July 1, 2025
There were some stories that I loved and some that fell flat for me.
I have been curious about Singapore because it seems so opposite to the US-- a small country/ city-state where moving/studying abroad is so normal. I loved getting a glimpse into different aspects of the Singaporean mindset and upbringing.
The Princess and the Dragon was probably my favorite story. The internal debate about whether to choose a more traditional life (find a partner, have kids, settle down) versus go as far as you can and see what you can do is universal, but I can imagine it is compounded when you are born in a country so small that it seems to be squeezing and weeding you out.
I also liked Edison and Curie and the story about the guy who fell in love with the girl at the debate tournament.
The oyster story confused me. And the ants made my skin crawl a little.
I have been curious about Singapore because it seems so opposite to the US-- a small country/ city-state where moving/studying abroad is so normal. I loved getting a glimpse into different aspects of the Singaporean mindset and upbringing.
The Princess and the Dragon was probably my favorite story. The internal debate about whether to choose a more traditional life (find a partner, have kids, settle down) versus go as far as you can and see what you can do is universal, but I can imagine it is compounded when you are born in a country so small that it seems to be squeezing and weeding you out.
I also liked Edison and Curie and the story about the guy who fell in love with the girl at the debate tournament.
The oyster story confused me. And the ants made my skin crawl a little.
January 19, 2021
One of my goals this year is to read more SingLit whether subjectively good or bad, and this was a book that I never expected to be on the list. But one of the perks of working in a local publishing house is that you can pick up any of their books and read it for free. Like many others, I found myself riveted by the first few stories, which were more “Singaporean” in nature. My favourites were Edison and Curie, Lee Kuan Yew is Not The Answer (how well she captured those schoolgirl antics!) and Oyster. Conversely, I didn’t quite like the later stories, where things got a little too esoteric and out of hand. Nonetheless, a good debut for an author whose experience is more in poetry, I hear.
August 27, 2021
What I like from this book :
1. Edison and Curie story. This is the most relatable story among people in general. I can relate to the pressure and struggling both Eddie and Currie face. And the ending is lovely.
2. Oyster give me another experience reading a story from animal perspective.
3. The Princess and The Dragon (cmiiw), a sweet and lovely ending.
The rest of the story are boring, repetitive, regretful and waste my time. I couldn't sense the connection between me and the stories. They're just flat.
1. Edison and Curie story. This is the most relatable story among people in general. I can relate to the pressure and struggling both Eddie and Currie face. And the ending is lovely.
2. Oyster give me another experience reading a story from animal perspective.
3. The Princess and The Dragon (cmiiw), a sweet and lovely ending.
The rest of the story are boring, repetitive, regretful and waste my time. I couldn't sense the connection between me and the stories. They're just flat.
March 3, 2023
The first of 3 books I picked up from the local authors section in a Singapore book store. (Been on the big Asia wave since having just been over there).
This book was basically a collection of short stories. It kind of reminded me of The Midnight Library but the stories don’t relate to each other and there’s no library, but I thought the tone and writing style was similar.
It was a cute, quick read. Author has some really creative scenarios too and good variety between the stories, the common thread being many of the characters are from Singapore. Would probably give it 3.5/5
This book was basically a collection of short stories. It kind of reminded me of The Midnight Library but the stories don’t relate to each other and there’s no library, but I thought the tone and writing style was similar.
It was a cute, quick read. Author has some really creative scenarios too and good variety between the stories, the common thread being many of the characters are from Singapore. Would probably give it 3.5/5
December 16, 2018
Strictly speaking a 3.5, though I'd be a bit harsher here, as I look forward to more taunt works by the author in the future.
The collection's pieces have the unifying theme of home and belonging, and they span a very interesting diverse range of genre and prose, some of which are very brilliant and touching short stories. However, this also becomes a weakness of sorts, and it gives this collection a feeling of "looseness", which comprises the reader's overall impression of this book.
The collection's pieces have the unifying theme of home and belonging, and they span a very interesting diverse range of genre and prose, some of which are very brilliant and touching short stories. However, this also becomes a weakness of sorts, and it gives this collection a feeling of "looseness", which comprises the reader's overall impression of this book.
December 12, 2019
One of the best short story collections (Sing Lit or otherwise) I’ve read this year. My favourite stories were Oyster and Lee Kuan Yee Is Not Always the Answer and The Princess and the Dragon. I feel like Inez Tan just peeled back my skin and peered into my head and I will definitely be checking out her other stuff in the future.
January 11, 2020
As a Singaporean, I was really hoping to enjoy this book. Well, it was still a good read for the first three short stories. That warranted 2 stars. Didn't enjoy the rest of the stories. Too esoteric, and though I've stayed overseas for some time, those just didn't resonate. The style used was also... the typical chichi-literary-type.
September 25, 2020
I enjoyed most of the stories, and the book (for me) offered a personal experience of visiting a museum of curated personal journals. The stories had a dimensionality to them and are warmly welcoming to interpretations, as opposed to straightforward preachings that were very much appreciated and missing from other collections of stories I have previously read.
Read
August 21, 2021tan does her best work when she's trying to depict singaporean culture in a way that feels v/ much from an insider's view... without recourse to tired tropes. love the speculative touches of her work, "edison and curie" was heartbreaking but emotionally honest.... would love to see tan take on a novel length work
May 20, 2022
Overall, not a bad debut book. I just felt that stories from one to another can be abit disjointed. The writing was well done and the stories were novel but I just couldn’t really connect with the author’s head space - for me some stories were too foreign and bizarre to make sense and did not have a clear plot or proper finish to it; funny the book would be about home.
March 18, 2023
Perhaps sped through this too fast to really let the thoughts linger, but enjoyed this somewhat bittersweet collection of short stories, where Singapore is at times briefly mentioned but otherwise isn't as obvious as I thought it would be (other than the first) and again, I think there's something to that.
May 13, 2024
my first singaporean author's book & it was quite fun. this book feels like reading someone’s journal, it’s so raw but so on point. each of the stories has different themes but gives similar ideas, like how Singaporeans deal with their family or how they perceive their nationality.
overall a nice book to open my journey to southeast Asian writers🫶🏼
overall a nice book to open my journey to southeast Asian writers🫶🏼
October 30, 2019
Tan's literary prowess and versatility is impressive. Love how the limits of empathy and connection are explored in so many different ways. Some of these stories remind of A. Sa'at's and even Jhumpar Lahiri.
December 20, 2019
This book definitely gave me better insight into the psyche of Singaporeans, which was the goal in selecting it. I particularly enjoyed the longer short stories. Much of the author's writing reads like poetry.
May 2, 2020
I think my favourite stories were - Edison and Curie, The Colony, The Princess and the Dragon. My classmate read aloud Edison and Curie during a writing class and the relatability of the tale made me gasp and tear. Really enjoyed the read!
February 21, 2023
SO GOOD. actually all these short stories kinda SLAPPEDDDD teehee // and i am so happy to read a singaporean author and support local!!!! had some fave stories but generally all were good to me!! except maybe the dragon one bc that flew over my head
July 3, 2024
Read on impulse cause free. SO GLAD I DID. Thought after the first one I would hate it but BEAUTIFUL WORDS AND GORGEOUS STORIES.
Of my favorites was the “Dear Famous Poet” piece
But of course one on the moon also was excellent.
Highly recommend.
Of my favorites was the “Dear Famous Poet” piece
But of course one on the moon also was excellent.
Highly recommend.
January 14, 2020
Experimental, varied, but always human.
October 16, 2020
3.25 stars*
August 9, 2021
A fun and refreshing short story collection that is a lovely addition to Singapore literature! At times thought provoking, absurdly funny and poignant.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews