The Malayan Trilogy is a rambunctious and colourful performance of heat and lust, with the comic bathos of downpours always on hand to quench any potential high-mindedness. It should be made a compulsory text at school, as long as the teachers aren’t prudes who will latah at the lewd words.Do go read Amir Muhammad's excellent review of Burgess' The Malayan Trilogy which was in The Malay Mail yesterday. it's so good to see the book reaching a new generation of Malaysians and influencing the writing here (both Preeta Samarasan and Shih-Li Kow have named it as one of their favourite reads about the country).
While you're on his blog, do take a look at the other reviews of Malaysian books there including Lethal Lesson and Other Stories by Adeline Lee Zhia Ern, and Adeline Loh's Peeing in the Bush. (Too many Adeline's?!)
3 comments:
Uma and I are hard at work on the Burgess presentation!
great! am really looking forward to it and thank you both so much
must ask if the organisers mind if we throw the doors open for this one. (did ask once but not reply). very hard to round up the old boys again ... still trying
I cannot thank Amir enough for the series of excellent book reviews in the Malay Mail..
Not only are they such pleasurable reads thanks to his wit, they have helped to illuminate hidden facets of the country ...
More power to him.
Rajan
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