Ronggeng Ronggeng

by Malachi Edwin Vethamani (Editor), Lee Kok Liang (Contributor), K.S. Maniam (Contributor)

Ronggeng-Ronggeng: Malaysian Short Stories brings together six decades of Malaysian short stories from 1959 till 2018. Comprising twenty-eight short stories from established and emerging writers, including Lee Kok Liang, KS Maniam, Shirley Geok-Lin Lim, Tunku Halim and Saras Manickam, it presents the varied and diverse multi-cultural voices of Malaysia. Although almost all the writers in this collection write from their ethnic position, their literary canvases rise above communalism. The stories in Ronggeng-Ronggeng are presented in a variety of styles, from social realism to the supernatural and horror sub-genres, and the tone of the stories range from serious to humourous. A collection for people interested in learning more about Malaysia and Malaysian writing, as well as for the general reader of new world literature!

Genres: Asia

326 pages, Paperback

Published November 1, 2019

Reviews

[Losh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredible collection of powerful Malaysian stories that give readers a taste of what Malaysian writing can be. Arranged chronologically, the development of themes across decades is strikingly clear, and the gradual shift of the writers’ concerns across time - wonderful. Ronggeng-Ronggeng allows readers to immerse themselves and watch the growth and evolution of Malaysian writing from 1959 to 2018.

[Ismim Putera · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars. Congratulation to the editor for compiling another collection of literary works. Ronggeng-ronggeng is a diverse collection of short stories, from both established and emerging authors.
Personally I must say the stories are good but regretfully the contributors are not "Malaysian" enough. Writers from Sabah/Sarawak or indigenous writers are not found in this collection. Examples of writers from Borneo are Heidi Munan, Lim Beng Hap & Kris Jitab.
I think works by Prof Dr Che Husna Azahari is worth to be included. Other writers with prominent short story collections include Karim Raslan, Syed Adam Aljafri, Ghulam Sarwar Yousof, Wong Ming Yook, Khoo Kheng Kor, Matthew Thomas, Sok Fong Hoo, Rumaizah Abu Bakar, Feroz Faizal Dawson etc. They should be part of this collection.
Contrary to Sea of Rainbow: Malaysian short stories by Muhammad Haji Salleh, this collection is exclusively for writers who write in English. Hence
in my opinion, it is a progressive move if selected works from Malaysian National Laureates such as A Samad Said, Shahnon Ahmad or Kris Mas to be included as well. Diversity is indeed, strength. Their works reflect Malaysian identity and have been readily translated into English by ITBM for wider readership.
Also, they are many spelling & punctuation error in this book.
Overall, this is a good effort to preserve our literary heritage. I hope to see more collections in the future.

[Geeta · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fabulous selection of writings by Malaysian authors brought to you by Malachi Edwin Vethamani in Ronggeng Ronggeng. This is a must-read and perfect for the lazy days when the rains battle with the breezy sunny weather. Highly recommended for those in need of an inspiration.

[Juliana Rosmidah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the book, varieties of Malaysians' perspective in many genre.