I really want to like this book, because it has things that I generally interested in: local mythology, local superstition, suicide study, and socio-cultural commentary of the said region in the title. But!! I was thoroughly turned off by the author's first entry (this is an anthology) because of his tone when writing these suicide victims.
I know suicide is considered as a sin in many religions. But it just doesn't sit right with me when the author said that he "hope all the faults and sins from these people who hang themselves can be forgiven by God", when he previously stated that he want people to "understand suicide from the perspective of humanity." Why don't you also blame the situation that drives them to commit suicide? Why do you put the fault solely on the people?
To be fair, he also explained (and speculated) about what might drive these people to commit suicide. But, two stories in, I keep finding his tone blaming the victims, and I just don’t like that. What do you mean giving the title “A Wasted Old Life” for a story about an old man who committed suicide because of the stress of loss of hearing? Wasted, really??
I know suicide is considered as a sin in many religions. But it just doesn't sit right with me when the author said that he "hope all the faults and sins from these people who hang themselves can be forgiven by God", when he previously stated that he want people to "understand suicide from the perspective of humanity." Why don't you also blame the situation that drives them to commit suicide? Why do you put the fault solely on the people?
To be fair, he also explained (and speculated) about what might drive these people to commit suicide. But, two stories in, I keep finding his tone blaming the victims, and I just don’t like that. What do you mean giving the title “A Wasted Old Life” for a story about an old man who committed suicide because of the stress of loss of hearing? Wasted, really??