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จินตนาคาร
รวมเรื่องสั้น 9 เรื่อง โดย คลาร่า ชาว นักเขียนชาวสิงคโปร์ ต่อยอดบทสัมภาษณ์สถาปนิก 9 คน ที่มีแนวคิดการพัฒนาเมืองและไอเดียอาคารในฝัน กลายเป็นวรรณกรรมไซไฟที่ทลายเส้นแบ่งงานเขียนเชิงสื่อสารมวลชนกับจินตนาการลงอย่างสิ้นเชิง
ห้างสรรพสินค้าที่มีวันหมดอายุ, สมาร์ตโฮมที่หลอมรวมความทรงจำกับผู้อยู่อาศัย, บ้านต้นไม้ที่กลายเป็นชุมชนเด็กกำพร้าและผู้สูงวัย, คุกลอยฟ้าที่จองจำนักโทษการเมือง ฯลฯ
เมืองในฝันของคุณเป็นอย่างไร
หากเนรมิตให้เป็นจริงได้
มันจะเปลี่ยนชีวิตผู้คนไปอย่างไร?
ห้างสรรพสินค้าที่มีวันหมดอายุ, สมาร์ตโฮมที่หลอมรวมความทรงจำกับผู้อยู่อาศัย, บ้านต้นไม้ที่กลายเป็นชุมชนเด็กกำพร้าและผู้สูงวัย, คุกลอยฟ้าที่จองจำนักโทษการเมือง ฯลฯ
เมืองในฝันของคุณเป็นอย่างไร
หากเนรมิตให้เป็นจริงได้
มันจะเปลี่ยนชีวิตผู้คนไปอย่างไร?
304 pages, Paperback
Published July 1, 2020
10 people are currently reading
142 people want to read
About the author
Clara Chow
16 books10 followersClara Chow is the author of short story collection Dream Storeys (2016). A former correspondent with The Straits Times, and contributor to the South China Morning Post, she also co-founded the literary and art journal We Are a Website.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
August 11, 2020
หนังสือที่ไม่รู้จะจัดประเภทเป็นอะไร เพราะเป็นส่วนผสมของบทสัมภาษณ์และเรื่องสั้นที่บันดาลใจจากบทสัมภาษณ์นั้นโดยมีแกนกลางคือ 'สถาปัตยกรรม' ที่พันเกี่ยวอยู่ในชีวิตของคนทุกคน
เราต่างได้รับผลกระทบจากรูปแบบ 'อาคาร' ไม่มากก็น้อย แต่สำหรับคนสิงคโปร์ อาคารคงเปรียบเสมือนชีพจรที่โลดแล่นในชีวิตประจำวัน อิฐหินปูนทรายที่ก่อแบบกลายเป็นสายสัมพันธ์อันสลับซับซ้อนกับมนุษย์จึงเป็นมิติตกสำรวจแต่น่าสนใจอย่างยิ่ง หนังสือเล่มนี้จะพาไปพินิจพิเคราะห์แง่มุมเหล่านั้นอย่างละเมียดละไมในเรื่องสั้น ในขณะที่ตรงไปตรงมาในบทสัมภาษณ์
แนะนำมากๆ ครับผม
เราต่างได้รับผลกระทบจากรูปแบบ 'อาคาร' ไม่มากก็น้อย แต่สำหรับคนสิงคโปร์ อาคารคงเปรียบเสมือนชีพจรที่โลดแล่นในชีวิตประจำวัน อิฐหินปูนทรายที่ก่อแบบกลายเป็นสายสัมพันธ์อันสลับซับซ้อนกับมนุษย์จึงเป็นมิติตกสำรวจแต่น่าสนใจอย่างยิ่ง หนังสือเล่มนี้จะพาไปพินิจพิเคราะห์แง่มุมเหล่านั้นอย่างละเมียดละไมในเรื่องสั้น ในขณะที่ตรงไปตรงมาในบทสัมภาษณ์
แนะนำมากๆ ครับผม
August 1, 2020
เป็นหนังสือที่ต้องใช้พลังงานในการอ่านในระดับนึงจริงๆ และมั่นใจว่าตัวเองไม่ได้เข้าใจสิ่งที่ทั้งผู้เขียนและเหล่าสถาปนิกเจ้าของบทสัมภาษณ์พยายามจะถ่ายทอดออกมาทั้งหมด
หนังสือรวมเรื่องสั้นที่ถ่ายทอดเรื่องราวใน concept ของชีวิตกับสิ่งปลูกสร้าง ที่เอาไอเดียหรือแก่นของแต่ละเรื่องมาจากจินตนาการอันไร้ขอบเขตของเหล่าสถาปนิกภายใต้คำถามง่ายๆ ว่าถ้ามีทรัพยากรไม่จำกัด คุณจะออกแบบสิ่งปลูกสร้างเป็นแบบไหน และเพราะอะไร
รูปแบบของแต่ละบทแต่ละเรื่องเลยออกมาเป็นบทสัมภาษณ์ของสถาปนิกตามด้วยเรื่องสั้น เป็นอย่างนี้สลับกันไปในแต่ละเรื่องจนจบทั้งเล่ม
มันยากมากเลยที่คนธรรมดาๆ จะจินตนาการการออกแบบสถาปนิกที่คิดแบบ abstract มากออกมาเป็นรูปร่าง เพราะข้อจำกัดของเราคือ เราเองก็เห็นแบบเห็นสิ่งปลูกสร้างได้มากเท่าที่เราเคยมีประสบการณ์เท่านั้น มันไปไกลกว่านั้นไม่ได้
แต่ผู้เขียนทำ ผู้เขียนเอาไอเดียนามธรรมนั้นมาเป็นแรงบันดาลใจให้กับเรื่องสั้น วาดภาพสิ่งปลูกสร้างที่จับต้องและจินตนาการตามได้ขึ้นมาจากไอเดียนามธรรมนั้น ผ่านการตีความของตัวเอง จริงอยู่ มันก็ถูกจำกัดด้วยประสบการณ์ของผู้เขียนนั่นแหละ และก็ไม่ได้การันตีว่ามันจะตรงกับสิ่งที่สถาปนิกวาดเอาไว้ในใจ แต่นั่นก็ทำให้เรื่องราวทุกอย่างง่ายขึ้นนิดนึงสำหรับคนอ่าน
ผมพบว่ามันสนุกกว่ามากที่จะอ่านเรื่องสั้นแต่ละเรื่องแยกจากไอเดียของสถาปนิกที่ให้บทสัมภาษณ์นำก่อนเข้าเรื่อง และตีความเอาเอง ตีความตามใจตัวเองว่าผู้เขียนซ่อนไอเดียอะไรไว้ในสิ่งปลูกสร้างนั้น
และมันก็สนุกไม่แพ้กันที่จะอ่านบทสัมภาษณ์โดดๆ ของเหล่าสถาปนิกโดยไม่ต้องสนใจเรื่องสั้นที่ตามมา
ต้องใช้พลัง เพราะต้องขุดหาสัญลักษณ์และไอเดียที่ซ่อนไว้ และอย่างที่บอก มันไปได้ระดับนึง ไม่สุดทางเพราะเราเองก็ถูกจำกัดจินตนาการไว้เท่าที่ประสบการณ์ของแต่ละคนจะอำนวย
หนังสือรวมเรื่องสั้นที่ถ่ายทอดเรื่องราวใน concept ของชีวิตกับสิ่งปลูกสร้าง ที่เอาไอเดียหรือแก่นของแต่ละเรื่องมาจากจินตนาการอันไร้ขอบเขตของเหล่าสถาปนิกภายใต้คำถามง่ายๆ ว่าถ้ามีทรัพยากรไม่จำกัด คุณจะออกแบบสิ่งปลูกสร้างเป็นแบบไหน และเพราะอะไร
รูปแบบของแต่ละบทแต่ละเรื่องเลยออกมาเป็นบทสัมภาษณ์ของสถาปนิกตามด้วยเรื่องสั้น เป็นอย่างนี้สลับกันไปในแต่ละเรื่องจนจบทั้งเล่ม
มันยากมากเลยที่คนธรรมดาๆ จะจินตนาการการออกแบบสถาปนิกที่คิดแบบ abstract มากออกมาเป็นรูปร่าง เพราะข้อจำกัดของเราคือ เราเองก็เห็นแบบเห็นสิ่งปลูกสร้างได้มากเท่าที่เราเคยมีประสบการณ์เท่านั้น มันไปไกลกว่านั้นไม่ได้
แต่ผู้เขียนทำ ผู้เขียนเอาไอเดียนามธรรมนั้นมาเป็นแรงบันดาลใจให้กับเรื่องสั้น วาดภาพสิ่งปลูกสร้างที่จับต้องและจินตนาการตามได้ขึ้นมาจากไอเดียนามธรรมนั้น ผ่านการตีความของตัวเอง จริงอยู่ มันก็ถูกจำกัดด้วยประสบการณ์ของผู้เขียนนั่นแหละ และก็ไม่ได้การันตีว่ามันจะตรงกับสิ่งที่สถาปนิกวาดเอาไว้ในใจ แต่นั่นก็ทำให้เรื่องราวทุกอย่างง่ายขึ้นนิดนึงสำหรับคนอ่าน
ผมพบว่ามันสนุกกว่ามากที่จะอ่านเรื่องสั้นแต่ละเรื่องแยกจากไอเดียของสถาปนิกที่ให้บทสัมภาษณ์นำก่อนเข้าเรื่อง และตีความเอาเอง ตีความตามใจตัวเองว่าผู้เขียนซ่อนไอเดียอะไรไว้ในสิ่งปลูกสร้างนั้น
และมันก็สนุกไม่แพ้กันที่จะอ่านบทสัมภาษณ์โดดๆ ของเหล่าสถาปนิกโดยไม่ต้องสนใจเรื่องสั้นที่ตามมา
ต้องใช้พลัง เพราะต้องขุดหาสัญลักษณ์และไอเดียที่ซ่อนไว้ และอย่างที่บอก มันไปได้ระดับนึง ไม่สุดทางเพราะเราเองก็ถูกจำกัดจินตนาการไว้เท่าที่ประสบการณ์ของแต่ละคนจะอำนวย
July 18, 2020
Dream Storeys ทลายเส้นแบ่ง Fiction กับ Nonfiction พร้อมก่อร่างบทสนทนาระหว่างเมืองกับชีวิต ถักทอความทรงจำสลับซับซ้อนไปกับจินตนาการถึงอนาคต
May 27, 2025
a new favourite singaporean collection & piece of singaporean spec fic! architecture as a speculative art and social form, paired with some genuinely fascinating settings and thought provoking dystopias. i wish i'd gotten around to this sooner
June 4, 2017
Promising concept let down by amateurish writing. It's worrying when the interviews quickly become more interesting than the short stories, which have little to nothing to do with the interesting ideas about architectural history and urban design raised by the interviewees.
January 5, 2021
อ่านรีวิวที่เราเขียนได้ที่นี่ครับ https://wayofbook.org/2021/01/04/drea...
July 15, 2022
i was super excited for this but somehow couldn't finish it :/ can't really pinpoint why so might be just me lmao
August 5, 2024
it took me 3 years to push through this, I think that's already telling of how I felt about this. some interesting concepts, but an overall lacklustre execution. I found that a lot of stories ended quite abruptly just as I was getting invested in the idea, and some stories simply never took off. the format of interviewing architects and a story based on that following is intriguing in theory, but a lot of the stories didn't have much more than a superficial connection.
favorite story - the treehouse one, had the most unique building to story pipeline by far.
least favorite story - the wheel. the alternating POVs and cluttered narrative + the whole wheel prison concept just didn't work for me. it was doing way too much and not very deftly. it's a good thing that was the last story though I seriously would have considered marking this DNF if it was placed any earlier in the book.
I really wanted to like this book, especially because it's about urban planning and social hierarchy in a Singaporean context but a lot of these stories are centered on 'racial majority' experiences that I don't relate to. the meager attempts to diversify the cast of this book fell flat on its face.
favorite story - the treehouse one, had the most unique building to story pipeline by far.
least favorite story - the wheel. the alternating POVs and cluttered narrative + the whole wheel prison concept just didn't work for me. it was doing way too much and not very deftly. it's a good thing that was the last story though I seriously would have considered marking this DNF if it was placed any earlier in the book.
I really wanted to like this book, especially because it's about urban planning and social hierarchy in a Singaporean context but a lot of these stories are centered on 'racial majority' experiences that I don't relate to. the meager attempts to diversify the cast of this book fell flat on its face.
November 15, 2017
Had the privilege of meeting Clara Chow during the Singapore Writers Festival 2017 and even got her to sign my copy of this book. From the short conversation we had, I was heartened to find out that she is someone who is wonderfully open to ideas.
What I love about this book is the idea of the decaying life stuck in the physical building, or the concept of the building. More than just a "Singapore" story/experience, the book goes beyond depicting conflicts we have often seen in Singapore literature, but actually examining the struggle between the physical body and the "essence" or soul of a person. Physical bodies are often discarded, neglected or destroyed in the stories, leaving the physical building to house the soul of the characters.
It's an easy book to read, but not an easy book to understand and digest. Take it however you want, but I live for such books.
What I love about this book is the idea of the decaying life stuck in the physical building, or the concept of the building. More than just a "Singapore" story/experience, the book goes beyond depicting conflicts we have often seen in Singapore literature, but actually examining the struggle between the physical body and the "essence" or soul of a person. Physical bodies are often discarded, neglected or destroyed in the stories, leaving the physical building to house the soul of the characters.
It's an easy book to read, but not an easy book to understand and digest. Take it however you want, but I live for such books.
January 5, 2022
The book uses a really creative format (alternating interviews with short stories). The stories themselves were a bit hit or miss for me.
July 27, 2025
Ok book
Author interviews architects. Based on the interview, she imagines a short story. But the stories tend to be based more on human elements than place elements.
To be honest, I thought the architects' interviews were more interesting.
I liked Joshua Comaroff's interview the most:
And, answering the question of "How much ownership would you claim over a dream building, such as one that appears in this collection of stories?
from Tan Kok Hiang, answering "But wouldn't you say that Singapore's problems are often precisely because of crowding, of too little space, of personal space being encroached upon?"
Favourite concept: Treehouse - groups of three people stay together as a found family: one old person, one young child, one preteen. The execution and ending was weird though; it might have been better as a long novel: there are scenes of the young child wandering through all the rooms, which was great from a "this is a cool place, let me explore" but felt very fluffy in the "narrative / drive a plot forward" sense. The ending has
Worst story: The Wheel, at the end. Skip it.
Author interviews architects. Based on the interview, she imagines a short story. But the stories tend to be based more on human elements than place elements.
To be honest, I thought the architects' interviews were more interesting.
I liked Joshua Comaroff's interview the most:
Architecture here is really very much on the side of pragmatism, as with many other places. I've always felt there needs to be a domain of madness, which cannot exist here because the market is too inflated. With rents going super high, nobody is trying anything crazy any more. It's a process of 'boring-fication'. There is no land, no room, for the strange.
If you look at really creative places: Detroit, New Orleans, places in Japan that have been destroyed by economic deflation. Those are places taking big risks with their environment because they can.
...
Go around and look at what people do in HDB interior, and in those little spaces, corridors and gardens that don't belong to them. That seizure of land. People take those spaces and they're going to do what they want with it until an HDB officer tells them to stop or tries to rip it up. You don't see it with young people as much, but you see it with old people. There's a spirit there that's very hard to dominate.
And, answering the question of "How much ownership would you claim over a dream building, such as one that appears in this collection of stories?
I don't believe you ever own a building. THere's a crazy emphasis on ownership that Americans - and, now, Singaporeans - have. It's like a disease.
I once did a dissection on ghosts and haunted building sites: Why do people pay mediums to perform expensive ceremonies in buildings, at construction sites? When you talk to mediums, they say: "You can buy a site, but that doesn't mean you won it. It's always owned by someone before you. It was owned by a forest, or someone who loved it because they had their first child there..."
You need to take monetary ownership and turn it into real ownership. The spiritual world has it own contracts and rules. The master medium I spoke to makes ghost passports and plane tickets, so that the ghosts trapped in a particular place can leave and go where they want to go.
from Tan Kok Hiang, answering "But wouldn't you say that Singapore's problems are often precisely because of crowding, of too little space, of personal space being encroached upon?"
In Tokyo, the population density is so much higher than in Singapore. They have shoji screens, paper thin, and you can hear what's going on in the bedroom, in the kitchen, with your neighbour. But the Japanese mind traditionally is about consciousness and attention. So when you're in your own space, you don't mind what's going on. You're able to control your attention. when you can't do that, then you have a problem.
Favourite concept: Treehouse - groups of three people stay together as a found family: one old person, one young child, one preteen. The execution and ending was weird though; it might have been better as a long novel: there are scenes of the young child wandering through all the rooms, which was great from a "this is a cool place, let me explore" but felt very fluffy in the "narrative / drive a plot forward" sense. The ending has
Worst story: The Wheel, at the end. Skip it.
July 23, 2023
Imaginative, curious, challenging, humorous and moving.
The structure is beautiful - alternating between interviews with architects, followed by a short story that is loosely inspired by the interview or architects ideas. I think this is a great way to add a sense of cohesion to the stories (which do in fact also reference each other at times, subtly).
To try and whet your appetitive:
- The Mall - how would we feel if the places we spend so much time in were deliberately designed to expire before our eyes?
- The Mountain - elements of magical fiction, a sense of fear and anger
- Cave Man - loss, hope, regret
- Bare Bones - struggling with the inevitable, hints of desire love and sadness
- The Car Park - the complex relationship between a child and parent - using a car park as the link [takes a good author to make this work I think!]
- Dream Storeys - perhaps a wry look at the government, but also our own often arbitrary
desires dictated by our culture - I was reminded of a quote from Vonnegut's "Player Piano" that made me laugh - "Three thousand dream houses for three thousand families with presumably identical dreams" there is a lovely gentle comedy here
- Archive House - Aging and fear, anger at the unfairness of life, love and loss
- Tree House - Utterly beautiful - compassion and love between children and grandparents, grief and anger, shame and growth
- Want Less - a short story collection in a short story, clever, wry, made me laugh, paced perfectly
- The Wheel - political prisoners and their battle in a frighteningly oppressive state
Archive House and Tree House in particular I found very moving, I was brought to tears as it brought back some of my own experiences of loss and grief.
There were genuine elements of Vonnegut - these very wry, acerbic observations on materialism and the state.
Don't come to the book expecting stories about buildings in Singapore, come with an open mind and be ready to explore emotional and personal stories framed in a fascinating environments.
I noticed a comment from another user that said the writing was 'amateurish', which I very much disagree with. I tend to struggle with short stories - little time to develop characters or ideas, concepts are often only touched on superficially, sometimes feels like just an opportunity to play with a single idea only. These short stories however really gripped me. I don't normally write reviews but wanted to drop some notes to encourage others to explore this wonderful book.
The structure is beautiful - alternating between interviews with architects, followed by a short story that is loosely inspired by the interview or architects ideas. I think this is a great way to add a sense of cohesion to the stories (which do in fact also reference each other at times, subtly).
To try and whet your appetitive:
- The Mall - how would we feel if the places we spend so much time in were deliberately designed to expire before our eyes?
- The Mountain - elements of magical fiction, a sense of fear and anger
- Cave Man - loss, hope, regret
- Bare Bones - struggling with the inevitable, hints of desire love and sadness
- The Car Park - the complex relationship between a child and parent - using a car park as the link [takes a good author to make this work I think!]
- Dream Storeys - perhaps a wry look at the government, but also our own often arbitrary
desires dictated by our culture - I was reminded of a quote from Vonnegut's "Player Piano" that made me laugh - "Three thousand dream houses for three thousand families with presumably identical dreams" there is a lovely gentle comedy here
- Archive House - Aging and fear, anger at the unfairness of life, love and loss
- Tree House - Utterly beautiful - compassion and love between children and grandparents, grief and anger, shame and growth
- Want Less - a short story collection in a short story, clever, wry, made me laugh, paced perfectly
- The Wheel - political prisoners and their battle in a frighteningly oppressive state
Archive House and Tree House in particular I found very moving, I was brought to tears as it brought back some of my own experiences of loss and grief.
There were genuine elements of Vonnegut - these very wry, acerbic observations on materialism and the state.
Don't come to the book expecting stories about buildings in Singapore, come with an open mind and be ready to explore emotional and personal stories framed in a fascinating environments.
I noticed a comment from another user that said the writing was 'amateurish', which I very much disagree with. I tend to struggle with short stories - little time to develop characters or ideas, concepts are often only touched on superficially, sometimes feels like just an opportunity to play with a single idea only. These short stories however really gripped me. I don't normally write reviews but wanted to drop some notes to encourage others to explore this wonderful book.
March 24, 2020
disclaimer: i could be biased because my friend, who recommended this book to me, was its editor (how cool is that??) but also because it's been a while since i finished this so my memories of it aren't fresh in my mind anymore.
3.5 stars
this was a fascinating concept for a collection of short stories: the author interviews architects in singapore to learn about their "dream buildings" - a pet project they would build if not limited by physics, gravity and other logistical constraints. she then takes those ideas and incorporates each of them into its own work of fiction, featuring the idea as the setting, or the theme.
what i found most interesting to read were the architects' thought processes behind their dream buildings. the interviews are included and precede each inspired short story. i guess as a civil engineer i've mostly been exposed to different ways of problem-solving in structural design, but these conversations showed the more artistic, conceptual aspect of design i'd kind of forgotten existed. what surprised me was that most of the architects' visions of a building focused on the wider concept of how that building would fit into, or change the culture of its local environment, rather than any specific aspect of the building itself. a community home for the happy coexistence of young and old? houses tailored to the specific personalities of their occupants (and how that could be exploited/go wrong)? a carpark that blended so seamlessly into the surrounding natural environment that it was a destination in itself?
the directions each of these stories took from the original ideas varied pretty wildly from dreamer to dreamer, and it was cool how each interview concluded with a question to the architect on the ownership of these tales - the person who inspired it, the person who wrote it, or the person who reads it? some of the stories were moving, some mind-blowing, some confusing, and some thought-provoking. some made me wonder if i needed to be a better literature student to understand them or whether they were just weird. some were character studies, some were studies of singapore society in hypothetical scenarios.
overall result is a mixed read, but would recommend regardless because of the unique structure.
3.5 stars
this was a fascinating concept for a collection of short stories: the author interviews architects in singapore to learn about their "dream buildings" - a pet project they would build if not limited by physics, gravity and other logistical constraints. she then takes those ideas and incorporates each of them into its own work of fiction, featuring the idea as the setting, or the theme.
what i found most interesting to read were the architects' thought processes behind their dream buildings. the interviews are included and precede each inspired short story. i guess as a civil engineer i've mostly been exposed to different ways of problem-solving in structural design, but these conversations showed the more artistic, conceptual aspect of design i'd kind of forgotten existed. what surprised me was that most of the architects' visions of a building focused on the wider concept of how that building would fit into, or change the culture of its local environment, rather than any specific aspect of the building itself. a community home for the happy coexistence of young and old? houses tailored to the specific personalities of their occupants (and how that could be exploited/go wrong)? a carpark that blended so seamlessly into the surrounding natural environment that it was a destination in itself?
the directions each of these stories took from the original ideas varied pretty wildly from dreamer to dreamer, and it was cool how each interview concluded with a question to the architect on the ownership of these tales - the person who inspired it, the person who wrote it, or the person who reads it? some of the stories were moving, some mind-blowing, some confusing, and some thought-provoking. some made me wonder if i needed to be a better literature student to understand them or whether they were just weird. some were character studies, some were studies of singapore society in hypothetical scenarios.
overall result is a mixed read, but would recommend regardless because of the unique structure.
May 22, 2017
I am sure that Ms Clara Chow’s name sounds familiar. Yes, you may have seen it earlier on in this issue as she contributed an article but you may have also seen it in The Straits Times as she used to be an Arts journalist with them.
I applaud Ms Chow for taking the brave step to getting down to writing her very first book. When I first received a copy of the book, I wondered what inspired her. I wondered no more as I read about that fateful conversation that led up to her putting together her first book titled Dream Storeys.
In a nutshell, I found this book rather fascinating and unique. Each chapter begins with an interview with an architect where she asks them to think of their dream building especially when there is no limit in terms of budget or space. Based on the replies she gets from her questions, Ms Chow creates fictional stories based on their descriptions.
I have always enjoyed Ms Chow’s writing when she was a journalist with The Straits Times. With Dream Storeys, I feel Ms Chow has worked out her creative juices even further as the stories covered numerous genres and each one were enjoyable. Some stories had hints of science-fiction in them, whilst others felt character-oriented.
There were many more interviews but some of them did not come to fruition as fiction tales. However, all the interviews with the said architects did help her learn and see things in different lights.
Some stories came pouring out of her, while others took a little while to develop. In my humble opinion, I felt that her style of story-telling was a rather refreshing change to what I usually read.
I admit, on one hand I was curious about Ms Chow’s book and on the other, I was hopeful that it would be good so that I could write a good review and not a scathing one. Thank goodness it is the former.
This is a recommended read for everyone, however, if you know of an architect, aspiring or otherwise, get him/her a copy because I think they will particularly enjoy it.
I applaud Ms Chow for taking the brave step to getting down to writing her very first book. When I first received a copy of the book, I wondered what inspired her. I wondered no more as I read about that fateful conversation that led up to her putting together her first book titled Dream Storeys.
In a nutshell, I found this book rather fascinating and unique. Each chapter begins with an interview with an architect where she asks them to think of their dream building especially when there is no limit in terms of budget or space. Based on the replies she gets from her questions, Ms Chow creates fictional stories based on their descriptions.
I have always enjoyed Ms Chow’s writing when she was a journalist with The Straits Times. With Dream Storeys, I feel Ms Chow has worked out her creative juices even further as the stories covered numerous genres and each one were enjoyable. Some stories had hints of science-fiction in them, whilst others felt character-oriented.
There were many more interviews but some of them did not come to fruition as fiction tales. However, all the interviews with the said architects did help her learn and see things in different lights.
Some stories came pouring out of her, while others took a little while to develop. In my humble opinion, I felt that her style of story-telling was a rather refreshing change to what I usually read.
I admit, on one hand I was curious about Ms Chow’s book and on the other, I was hopeful that it would be good so that I could write a good review and not a scathing one. Thank goodness it is the former.
This is a recommended read for everyone, however, if you know of an architect, aspiring or otherwise, get him/her a copy because I think they will particularly enjoy it.
August 20, 2020
How would the future look like?
In Clara Chow’s short story collection, ‘Dream Storeys’, there’s a weird comfort in knowing that even with all the progresses future Singapore has, you, still, can only get your own “affordable” space at 35 if you’re single.
What made this short story collection stand out was how Chow managed to blur the lines between reality and fiction by having interviews with various architects side-by-side with the stories the interviews influenced. On a personal level, getting a glimpse of how architects envision and would like to shape the world around them – time-and-space-wise – ranks high in my curiosity. Having lived in the city all my life, it’s almost impossible to try and separate your life from the architecture of buildings and in turn, the architecture of how cities and towns shape societies.
An example that particularly stuck with me was the interview that accompanied the story, “Tree House”, where there’s talk about how the concept of ownership and land is more complex than we’d like it to be. The land you “own” might monetarily belong to you, but spiritually, it belongs to the owner before you, the couple who had their first child there, the forests before they were cleared to make way for the land, etc…
“Wheel” is something I’d want to reread as well, especially with the subtle ‘mentor-mentee’ perspectives and relationship throughout the story – something I grew to love as a reader.
That said, ‘Dream Storeys’ is an experience and perhaps, a glimpse into the future of urban living. A word of warning (and recommendation) – read “Want Less” more than once. Carefully, slowly, with discernment. You’re going to need these three to prepare for hidden easter eggs and umm… endings? ~ Jo
In Clara Chow’s short story collection, ‘Dream Storeys’, there’s a weird comfort in knowing that even with all the progresses future Singapore has, you, still, can only get your own “affordable” space at 35 if you’re single.
What made this short story collection stand out was how Chow managed to blur the lines between reality and fiction by having interviews with various architects side-by-side with the stories the interviews influenced. On a personal level, getting a glimpse of how architects envision and would like to shape the world around them – time-and-space-wise – ranks high in my curiosity. Having lived in the city all my life, it’s almost impossible to try and separate your life from the architecture of buildings and in turn, the architecture of how cities and towns shape societies.
An example that particularly stuck with me was the interview that accompanied the story, “Tree House”, where there’s talk about how the concept of ownership and land is more complex than we’d like it to be. The land you “own” might monetarily belong to you, but spiritually, it belongs to the owner before you, the couple who had their first child there, the forests before they were cleared to make way for the land, etc…
“Wheel” is something I’d want to reread as well, especially with the subtle ‘mentor-mentee’ perspectives and relationship throughout the story – something I grew to love as a reader.
That said, ‘Dream Storeys’ is an experience and perhaps, a glimpse into the future of urban living. A word of warning (and recommendation) – read “Want Less” more than once. Carefully, slowly, with discernment. You’re going to need these three to prepare for hidden easter eggs and umm… endings? ~ Jo
December 24, 2020
เจ๋งดี เจ๋งตรงบทสัมภาษณ์ในตอนแรกที่ให้สถาปนิกเล่าไอเดียเกี่ยวกับอาคารในจินตนาการของตัวเอง ไอเดียช่างดูบรรเจิดมากเมื่ออยู่ในพิมพ์เขียวทางความคิด แต่พอผู้เขียนเอาไอเดียนั้นมาเขียนเป็นเรื่องสั้น (เอามา "สร้าง" จริง แต่สร้างผ่านความเป็นเรื่องแต่ง) เรื่องสั้นนั้นกลับเป็นการวิพากษ์ต่อไอเดียนั้นเสียเองว่าพอเอาอาคารแบบนั้นมาสร้างจริงแล้วมันไม่ได้สวยหรูหรือมีคุณค่าทางสังคมอย่างที่สถาปนิกจินตนาการไว้ แต่มันมีช่องโหว่ ต้นทุนทางสังคมที่ต้องจ่าย และด้านมืดอีกหลายอย่างผุดขึ้นเป็นเงาตามตัว พูดง่ายๆ ว่าถ้าในไอเดียของสถาปนิกคือยูโทเปีย สิ่งที่ถูกเล่าในเรื่องสั้นก็คือดิสโทเปียอันเกิดจากยูโทเปียที่ล่มสลายนั้น
อ่านแล้วอดนึกเปรียบเทียบกับ Invisible Cities ของ Calvino ไม่ได้ มันเป็นการเล่าเรื่อง “เมืองในจินตนาการ” เหมือนกัน แต่ความต่างที่น่าสนใจคือ ในขณะที่ Dream Storeys มีไอเดียทางสถาปัตยกรรมรองรับอย่างเป็นรูปธรรม มีความไซไฟ มีความดิสโทเปียอย่างชัดเจน มีความเย้ยหยันและวิพากษ์จินตนาการและความไร้เดียงสาของสถาปนิก แต่ใน Invisible Cities มีความเป็นวรรณกรรม มีลักษณะเป็นเรื่องเล่า เป็นนิทาน เป็น allegory มากกว่า เมื��งแต่ละเมืองถูกออกแบบมาอย่างหลวมๆ จนสามารถสับเปลี่ยนแทนที่และผสมกันออกมาเป็นเมืองใหม่ๆ ได้ไม่รู้จบ
บังเอิญมากที่ไม่นานนี้ได้ฟังพอดแคสต์เรื่องความแตกต่างระหว่าง curiosity กับ skepticism พอดี เรื่องราวใน Dream Storeys ช่วยอธิบายได้เห็นภาพเลยว่าถ้าในที่นี้สิ่งที่สถาปนิกจินตนาการไว้คือ curiosity สิ่งที่นักเขียน (Clara Chow) เอามาแต่งเป็นเรื่องสั้นนี่ก็โคตร skepticism เลย
อ่านแล้วอดนึกเปรียบเทียบกับ Invisible Cities ของ Calvino ไม่ได้ มันเป็นการเล่าเรื่อง “เมืองในจินตนาการ” เหมือนกัน แต่ความต่างที่น่าสนใจคือ ในขณะที่ Dream Storeys มีไอเดียทางสถาปัตยกรรมรองรับอย่างเป็นรูปธรรม มีความไซไฟ มีความดิสโทเปียอย่างชัดเจน มีความเย้ยหยันและวิพากษ์จินตนาการและความไร้เดียงสาของสถาปนิก แต่ใน Invisible Cities มีความเป็นวรรณกรรม มีลักษณะเป็นเรื่องเล่า เป็นนิทาน เป็น allegory มากกว่า เมื��งแต่ละเมืองถูกออกแบบมาอย่างหลวมๆ จนสามารถสับเปลี่ยนแทนที่และผสมกันออกมาเป็นเมืองใหม่ๆ ได้ไม่รู้จบ
บังเอิญมากที่ไม่นานนี้ได้ฟังพอดแคสต์เรื่องความแตกต่างระหว่าง curiosity กับ skepticism พอดี เรื่องราวใน Dream Storeys ช่วยอธิบายได้เห็นภาพเลยว่าถ้าในที่นี้สิ่งที่สถาปนิกจินตนาการไว้คือ curiosity สิ่งที่นักเขียน (Clara Chow) เอามาแต่งเป็นเรื่องสั้นนี่ก็โคตร skepticism เลย
July 21, 2024
reread for nostalgia. i need to literally merge with this book. as fantastic as the day i left it. i loved each short story, stopped trying to read the interviews towards the end bc i ate every short story up lol, couldn't get enough of it.
each story had its own more unique writing style, but overall, the writing was beautiful. if i could write like this i'd never put my pen down, bc wtf. it's authentic and raw and descriptive and surprisingly palatable. so quintessentially singaporean too, so maybe i'm biased and it's just relatable; the stories as a whole served as commentary on sg itself too -- but nothing too hard and angry, didn't overshadow the actual story too.
and the characters were fleshed out enough to do their job. also, i loved how some of the stories started to overlay towards the end lmao, and trying to piece the puzzle out myself was really fun too
concept wise, i especially liked Bare Bones and Archive House, but overall i liked Tree House and The Car Park most. but honestly i can't choose, all were equally vivid, fleshed out, rich and enthralling..
fantastic writing + fantastic concepts/plot + fantastic characters + fantastic pacing/structure? i'm always down x1000
each story had its own more unique writing style, but overall, the writing was beautiful. if i could write like this i'd never put my pen down, bc wtf. it's authentic and raw and descriptive and surprisingly palatable. so quintessentially singaporean too, so maybe i'm biased and it's just relatable; the stories as a whole served as commentary on sg itself too -- but nothing too hard and angry, didn't overshadow the actual story too.
and the characters were fleshed out enough to do their job. also, i loved how some of the stories started to overlay towards the end lmao, and trying to piece the puzzle out myself was really fun too
concept wise, i especially liked Bare Bones and Archive House, but overall i liked Tree House and The Car Park most. but honestly i can't choose, all were equally vivid, fleshed out, rich and enthralling..
fantastic writing + fantastic concepts/plot + fantastic characters + fantastic pacing/structure? i'm always down x1000
January 13, 2019
1.5 stars.
Undercooked and unsatisfying. The discovery of dinosaur bones in Singapore as a story would hold so much promise, but somehow it got cookie-cut into another rant about how The Gahmen Turns Everything into a Theme Park. The Singapore Flyer is converted into a prison for political prisoners. Their sin? Same ol' chestnut communism, as if there are no other types of political crimes. (Look, I get the clever allusion to reverse-Sentosa; to Spectrum, but the thin characterization, the overgeneralized geopolitical setting just reads in pretty bad taste. Even speculative fiction can and should be anchored in some detail.)
Ironically, this book likewise displays the ability to cookie-cut fascinating ideas into Rants about the Gahmen.
Local writing need to break out from this discursive stasis, otherwise how is it going to be any different from the CMIO, homogenised and standardised cookie cutting Gahmen it continues to be so obsessed about resisting?
Undercooked and unsatisfying. The discovery of dinosaur bones in Singapore as a story would hold so much promise, but somehow it got cookie-cut into another rant about how The Gahmen Turns Everything into a Theme Park. The Singapore Flyer is converted into a prison for political prisoners. Their sin? Same ol' chestnut communism, as if there are no other types of political crimes. (Look, I get the clever allusion to reverse-Sentosa; to Spectrum, but the thin characterization, the overgeneralized geopolitical setting just reads in pretty bad taste. Even speculative fiction can and should be anchored in some detail.)
Ironically, this book likewise displays the ability to cookie-cut fascinating ideas into Rants about the Gahmen.
Local writing need to break out from this discursive stasis, otherwise how is it going to be any different from the CMIO, homogenised and standardised cookie cutting Gahmen it continues to be so obsessed about resisting?
September 8, 2023
i have a soft spot for singlit. patriotism and all that. but i really loved the stories that were presented in this. many were fun, whacky, and fantastical but then also came so many interesting twists. this being (i think) my first collection of short stories that i'm reviewing, i will say that there's always pros and cons with this - i take a while to get deep into a story and with short stories i feel like there's a different kind of pace that you need to go at while reading it to appreciate the fullness of each story. would definitely recommend reading the book in more or less a single setting though, and not just story by story because seeing the links between each story was another fun tidbit to chew on!
Reading Time: tbh i really dk i said it'd be good to read it in a relative setting but i did not in fact do that. took maybe 20 minutes on average per short story though!
Reading Time: tbh i really dk i said it'd be good to read it in a relative setting but i did not in fact do that. took maybe 20 minutes on average per short story though!
January 11, 2021
In the second of two books I picked up on Singaporean literature, Clara tells stories set in nine imagined structures, and the people who might have lived in them.
With just enough casual links to the Singapore we know today, my best guess is that 'Dream Storeys' fuctions as a sort of satirical take on the nation we could have become, or perhaps lost, amidst the development of the past half century. Although endearing due to its Singaporean roots, I felt like 'Dream Storeys' somewhat lacked the backbone required to make a anthology of this nature truly work.
Would recommend as an interesting enough product of the SingLit scene, although I don't suppose I know enough to make a proper informed judgement on this.
With just enough casual links to the Singapore we know today, my best guess is that 'Dream Storeys' fuctions as a sort of satirical take on the nation we could have become, or perhaps lost, amidst the development of the past half century. Although endearing due to its Singaporean roots, I felt like 'Dream Storeys' somewhat lacked the backbone required to make a anthology of this nature truly work.
Would recommend as an interesting enough product of the SingLit scene, although I don't suppose I know enough to make a proper informed judgement on this.
December 22, 2021
A book with a very interesting concept. I especially liked the journalistic aspect of it and its exploration of spaces and architecture, but ultimately struggled to finish the book in part due to its writing style, how "generic" its commentary was about Singaporean society and the government (it felt very similar to the commentary that can be found in other SingLit works), and my own schedule (I had borrowed it from the library and couldn't finish reading it in time). While I can't say this is my favourite SingLit book, I still think it is one of the more interesting and unique ones around!
November 24, 2025
คอนเซปต์ใหญ่น่าสนใจ คือการสัมภาษณ์สถาปนิกว่าถ้าไม่ต้องคำนึงถึงเรื่องงบประมาณ เรื่องความสมเหตุสมผลใดๆ คุณอยากสร้างสถาปัตยกรรมแบบไหน แต่เรื่องสั้นหลังแต่ละบทสัมภาษณ์มันหมองหม่นไปหมดและน่าเบื่อ
มู้ดของเรื่องสั้นทุกเรื่องออกแนวขมขื่น สะท้อนชีวิตที่อมทุกข์ในด้านใดด้านหนึ่ง วิธีเล่ามีความติสท์ อินดี้ อย่างเรื่องสุดท้าย "กงล้อ" มีการเล่าแบบสลับ POV สลับเหตุการณ์ไปมา จนยากที่จะตามทันว่าเนื้อเรื่องดำเนินไปถึงไหน ตอนอ่านสติหลุดมาก และล้มเลิกความตั้งใจที่จะทำความเข้าใจแล้ว
ด้วยสไตล์การเล่าแบบนี้เลยทำให้เล่มนี้อ่านยาก บวกกับเนื้อหาที่อึมครึม ไม่มีสีสัน ก็ยิ่งทำให้มันน่าเบื่อและไม่น่าอ่านเข้าไปอีก ถ้าปรับมู้ดเรื่องสั้นให้มีสีสัน มีชีวิตชีวา มีความ positive กว่านี้ และหวือหวาขึ้นลงมากกว่านี้ ภาพรวมคงสนุกและล้ำขึ้นมากๆ
เรื่องที่ชอบที่สุด - บ้านในฝัน
เรื่องที่ไม่ชอบที่สุด - กงล้อ
มู้ดของเรื่องสั้นทุกเรื่องออกแนวขมขื่น สะท้อนชีวิตที่อมทุกข์ในด้านใดด้านหนึ่ง วิธีเล่ามีความติสท์ อินดี้ อย่างเรื่องสุดท้าย "กงล้อ" มีการเล่าแบบสลับ POV สลับเหตุการณ์ไปมา จนยากที่จะตามทันว่าเนื้อเรื่องดำเนินไปถึงไหน ตอนอ่านสติหลุดมาก และล้มเลิกความตั้งใจที่จะทำความเข้าใจแล้ว
ด้วยสไตล์การเล่าแบบนี้เลยทำให้เล่มนี้อ่านยาก บวกกับเนื้อหาที่อึมครึม ไม่มีสีสัน ก็ยิ่งทำให้มันน่าเบื่อและไม่น่าอ่านเข้าไปอีก ถ้าปรับมู้ดเรื่องสั้นให้มีสีสัน มีชีวิตชีวา มีความ positive กว่านี้ และหวือหวาขึ้นลงมากกว่านี้ ภาพรวมคงสนุกและล้ำขึ้นมากๆ
เรื่องที่ชอบที่สุด - บ้านในฝัน
เรื่องที่ไม่ชอบที่สุด - กงล้อ
July 13, 2018
I have not yet read many local Singaporean authors. After a few attempts of reading some short stories collection from other authors, i think i have found a favourite in Clara Chow's.
This collection of short stories included her interviews with architects about their dream buildings and her stories will then revolve around their ideas. Somehow i could connect and resonate with her writing and stories.
Looking forward to reading more stories from Clara Chow!
This collection of short stories included her interviews with architects about their dream buildings and her stories will then revolve around their ideas. Somehow i could connect and resonate with her writing and stories.
Looking forward to reading more stories from Clara Chow!
March 5, 2022
Fascinating premise, to interview architects on their thoughts and vision of architecture in general and their dream building.
The stories that came out from this premise were incredible to read. Such ideas! There are parts in stories that reveal their complexity to me later on, upon rereading.
One story, one page in, had me laughing out loud on the bus, before I felt some panic and wondered if that was the end of the story. Brilliant metafiction.
This is a book I would reread.
The stories that came out from this premise were incredible to read. Such ideas! There are parts in stories that reveal their complexity to me later on, upon rereading.
One story, one page in, had me laughing out loud on the bus, before I felt some panic and wondered if that was the end of the story. Brilliant metafiction.
This is a book I would reread.
January 13, 2019
Her stories are pretty interesting because some characters bleed into other stories and it was just a delightful little Easter egg to unwrap. I honestly enjoyed the interview with the various architect more than some of the stories, but still I thought that Clara Chow's head was a very vast place where Singapore was made into something so much more wonderful and bizarre, and I loved that.
December 31, 2025
I enjoy this book very much. Thought the format of integrating the non fiction interviews with short stories an interesting one and I particularly like how it came full circle with the last short story. “Want Less” is my favourite and all the short stories were rather thought provoking of issues that Singapore faces.
June 18, 2017
surprisingly postmodern and good at it!
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January 31, 2019Really good local book that helped me rethink my once one-sided view of architecture and building design in Singapore! My favourite story was the one on the PTO.
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February 2, 2021- บทสัมภาษณ์สนุกกว่าเรื่องสั้นอะ งง
March 7, 2025
The interviews were particularly interesting to me, and I enjoyed some of the short stories. Specifically, I enjoyed the treehouse and the building that breaks over time.
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