Tan Twan Eng

LONGLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE Penang, 1939. Being half Chinese and half English, Philip Hutton always felt like he never belonged. That is until he befriends Hayato Endo, a mysterious Japanese diplomat and master in the art of aikido. But when Japan invades Malaya, Philip realises Endo bears a secret, one powerful enough to jeopardise everything he loves. This masterful début conjures an unforgettable tale of courage, brutality, loyalty, deceit and love.

The Gift of Rain

Varun Jayaraman

Firstly, the audiobook narration of this novel was so mellifluous that I really regret not being able to finish it in that format (due to personal circumstances). However, Tan Twan Eng's prose flowed so beautifully that reading the novel felt spellbinding; he is clearly an incredibly talented storyteller.

I have always approached historic novels, especially those set during WWII, with a little bit of apprehension. But recently I have started to suspect that maybe I just do not enjoy those set in Europe / the US; may well be a matter of overexposure. This, I could not put down. Something about knowing about history - the cruelty of the Japanese during WWII, how long the war lasts, especially in an occuppied country - and hoping against all hope that each of the characters to make it through. Tan Twan Eng is one of those authors that seems to understand how integral this is for the success of the historic novel.

There is also so much sensibility in the character of Phillip who is at the centre of the novel. Of mixed Chinese and English heritage, he guides the novel through the same duality that his existence itself represents. The novel does an excellent job of expressing its themes of juxtaposition through its lead character in a way that one cannot help but understand the choices he makes.

Firstly, the audiobook narration of this novel was so mellifluous that I really regret not being able to finish it in that format (due to personal circumstances). However, Tan Twan Eng's prose flowed so beautifully that reading the novel felt spellbinding; he is clearly an incredibly talented storyteller.

I have always approached historic novels, especially those set during WWII, with a little bit of apprehension. But recently I have started to suspect that maybe I just do not enjoy those set in Europe / the US; may well be a matter of overexposure. This, I could not put down. Something about knowing about history - the cruelty of the Japanese during WWII, how long the war lasts, especially in an occuppied country - and hoping against all hope that each of the characters to make it through. Tan Twan Eng is one of those authors that seems to understand how integral this is for the success of the historic novel.

There is also so much sensibility in the character of Phillip who is at the centre of the novel. Of mixed Chinese and English heritage, he guides the novel through the same duality that his existence itself represents. The novel does an excellent job of expressing its themes of juxtaposition through its lead character in a way that one cannot help but understand the choices he makes.

Skye Sherman

An extraordinarily long and drawn-out but nonetheless vivid, evocative, and sweeping tale about a time and place I was mostly unfamiliar with before. I loved reading this book but wish I had about a month or a year to devote to savoring its rich language more fully! I’m not sure I should even get credit for reading this book as I had to quickly skim most of its 400-something pages, but I got the gist of the story, if not every detail, and it was a fascinating tale.

Jessica Guht

This book was beautifully written, heartbreakingly realistic, and really forced me to think about morality and the fact that you wouldn't know what you'd do in this situation until it was already there. This book will definitely stick with me.

Laura Luchian

A warm book. Stillness followed by storm and then you feel relief installing itself again.
A mesmerizing story that tells us about parts of history few of us had the chance to know otherwise.

Magdalene Lim

Riveting story - I feared it would be too long and the start was not super exciting but the author skillfully flits from time period to time period, enrapturing you in the various stories that make up the whole.

Loved the uniqueness of the stories yet subtle familiarity of having been to Penang and being Chinese in an ex British colony. It is good that the author reiterates that the story is fictional because some of the scenes seem so real, from a past seemingly lifetimes ago yet not too long ago, for those who survived the war and still live to this day.

The recipient of extraordinary acclaim from critics and the bookselling community, Tan Twan Eng's debut novel casts a powerful spell and has garnered comparisons to celebrated wartime storytellers Somerset Maugham and Graham Greene. Set during the tumult of World War II, on the lush Malayan island of Penang, The Gift of Rain tells a riveting and poignant tale about a young man caught in the tangle of wartime loyalties and deceits. In 1939, sixteen-year-old Philip Hutton-the half-Chinese, half-English youngest child of the head of one of Penang's great trading families-feels alienated from both the Chinese and British communities. He at last discovers a sense of belonging in his unexpected friendship with Hayato Endo, a Japanese diplomat. Philip proudly shows his new friend around his adored island, and in return Endo teaches him about Japanese language and culture and trains him in the art and discipline of aikido. But such knowledge comes at a terrible price. When the Japanese savagely invade Malaya, Philip realizes that his mentor and sensei-to whom he owes absolute loyalty-is a Japanese spy. Young Philip has been an unwitting traitor, and must now work in secret to save as many lives as possible, even as his own family is brought to its knees.

A Novel

Wonko the Sane

Takes the readers from the final days of the Chinese emperors to the dying era of the British Empire, with a young man's perilous journey through the betrayals of war and into manhood.

The Gift of Rain

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