My extra free time in Penang allowed me to indulge a favorite pastime -- reading. I joined two book clubs and still had time for a few extra novels and works of non-fiction. One area I enjoyed the most was reading about Southeast Asia. The region has such a long history and so many diverse peoples, I could spend several years reading about nothing else! But here are a few that I enjoyed the most (organized alphabetically by title):
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
Although set in India, which is technically not Southeast Asia, this book is a must for anyone traveling through or living in Asia. Through touching and honest portrayals of the lives of everyday Indian citizens, Rohinton Mistry explains so much about the incredible challenges they face on daily basis, which to a Western mind are really unfathomable, let alone navigable. How do entire communities live without toilets? How can the pimp of deformed beggars become an antihero? Can chapatis really build bridges? It boggled my mind, but through moments of shared humor, acts of stoic grace, and raw insights into humanity, I came to love the characters and their corner of the universe. Oh, and don't stop as you near the end -- no matter how terrible things may seem to get, you have to finish it!
The Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh
This book was recommended by a friend who knew how much I loved A Fine Balance. It has a much broader sweep, spanning the lives of several generations of families as they move from Burma to India to Malaysia and back again. Having known little about Burma and its British occupation, but living in a former British territory, the description of how and why Burma lost its independence was riveting. In places it was a little slow or it skipped family history that could have added much to the plot, but when the rubber plantations of Malaya appeared, all was forgiven. I was reading about my backyard and could even imagine the lives of some distant relatives who lived the life described by Amitav Ghosh. Thankfully, they left before the Japanese invasion.
Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn
Whoa, this is an eye-opener. Not so much because I didn't know that human trafficking, sex slavery, honor killings and mutilations of women were happening all over the world, but rather that it was all compiled into one book that sat on my coffee table and dared me not to read about it all. Most of this is so far removed from my insulated life in Portland, but here were events occurring in Malaysia and still made headlines in the newspapers. Even getting through a few pages at a time before my blood boiled or my eyes teared, was tough-going to say the least. But Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn have honored the lives of women with their book and made plain the horrors and strife, but also the perseverance and triumph that live within all women.
A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute
For a little brain candy, this is a great choice. Although it profiles some of the hardship imposed on expats and Malayans during the Japanese invasion, it is really a love story. Love for oneself, love for a community, love for a soul mate. Nevil Shute brings together the very disparate worlds of rainy London, steaming Malaya and scorching Australia through the life of an intrepid young woman who somehow makes all three her own. The places she explores are richly detailed and vibrant, coming to life and making the reader want to visit...Wait, that's exactly what I did!
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
Although set in India, which is technically not Southeast Asia, this book is a must for anyone traveling through or living in Asia. Through touching and honest portrayals of the lives of everyday Indian citizens, Rohinton Mistry explains so much about the incredible challenges they face on daily basis, which to a Western mind are really unfathomable, let alone navigable. How do entire communities live without toilets? How can the pimp of deformed beggars become an antihero? Can chapatis really build bridges? It boggled my mind, but through moments of shared humor, acts of stoic grace, and raw insights into humanity, I came to love the characters and their corner of the universe. Oh, and don't stop as you near the end -- no matter how terrible things may seem to get, you have to finish it!
Fragrant Harbor by John Lanchester
OK, I admit that Hong Kong isn't technically Southeast Asia either, but how can one separate a place like Hong Kong, which is so Chinese and Western at the same time, from Penang which is also so Chinese and Western and a little Malaysian too? A friend loved this book and gave it to me when she learned we were headed to Asia. I'm so glad she did. My understanding of the modern city and how it morphed from a very British colonial place to a teeming Chinese megalopolis was informed by John Lanchester's insightful book. My favorite character was an English expat who moved to Hong Kong in the 1930s; through his personal experience, I could also imagine the development of Singapore and how that city-state remade herself after WWII.
The Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh
This book was recommended by a friend who knew how much I loved A Fine Balance. It has a much broader sweep, spanning the lives of several generations of families as they move from Burma to India to Malaysia and back again. Having known little about Burma and its British occupation, but living in a former British territory, the description of how and why Burma lost its independence was riveting. In places it was a little slow or it skipped family history that could have added much to the plot, but when the rubber plantations of Malaya appeared, all was forgiven. I was reading about my backyard and could even imagine the lives of some distant relatives who lived the life described by Amitav Ghosh. Thankfully, they left before the Japanese invasion.
Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn
Whoa, this is an eye-opener. Not so much because I didn't know that human trafficking, sex slavery, honor killings and mutilations of women were happening all over the world, but rather that it was all compiled into one book that sat on my coffee table and dared me not to read about it all. Most of this is so far removed from my insulated life in Portland, but here were events occurring in Malaysia and still made headlines in the newspapers. Even getting through a few pages at a time before my blood boiled or my eyes teared, was tough-going to say the least. But Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn have honored the lives of women with their book and made plain the horrors and strife, but also the perseverance and triumph that live within all women.
Inspector Singh Investigates: A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder by Shamini Flint
What can I say about Inspector Singh that he doesn't say about himself? Fat, indulgent, impatient, smart and funny, I want to meet him in person and share a bucket of tigers over plates of char koay teow and satay ayam. This is Shamini Flint's first book about the adventures of the good inspector, and perhaps her best. It's light-hearted and easy, perfect for the buttery sands of Perhentian Kecil. Her plot twists and turns and you're wondering if the wife really did do it. But I won't spoil the surprise...
The Japanese Lover by Rani Manicka
Set in Penang, Rani Manicka offers a nuanced portrait of the island just before the Japanese invasion. She brings to life her primary characters -- of Tamil Indian, Chinese and Malay descent -- in ways that the many museums and historic houses of Penang cannot. Although not entirely engrossing, I was nonetheless fascinated by the characters' daily lives, religious beliefs and superstitions, attitudes toward one another, business dealings, and family interactions. These are typically unknowable by a Western person and I loved this peak into mid-century Penang.
A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute
For a little brain candy, this is a great choice. Although it profiles some of the hardship imposed on expats and Malayans during the Japanese invasion, it is really a love story. Love for oneself, love for a community, love for a soul mate. Nevil Shute brings together the very disparate worlds of rainy London, steaming Malaya and scorching Australia through the life of an intrepid young woman who somehow makes all three her own. The places she explores are richly detailed and vibrant, coming to life and making the reader want to visit...Wait, that's exactly what I did!
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