Tan Twan Eng is a Malaysian writer who splits his time between South Africa and Malaysia. The Gift of Rain is a very absorbing novel, set in Penang in the 1930s, about a half English half Chinese boy who is taken under the wing of a Japanese sense, Endo-San. The book explores themes of identity, belonging and betrayal, and the relationship between sensei and student is complex and beautifully portrayed. Because of his love for Endo-san, the boy, Philip, finds himself betraying both his English and his Chinese heritage by working for the Japanese during the Second World War, horrifying his family and shocking his friends.
I love books that take me to different places and that bring history alive and this book manages both. The scene setting and the descriptions are beautifully done and the story is well told, although it could have been tightened, better edited, especially the dialogue, and it certainly could have been a bit faster moving. It can be a little ponderous at times. In fact, there’s a hilarious review of it on the Fan Fiction blog, worth a read in itself, whch describes the book as a ‘tedious bore-fest’:
I don’t agree but I have other criticisms: some of the relationships are too idealistically portrayed, as if the author couldn’t bear for Philip to suffer too much. In my opinion, he’s too easily forgiven for his choices, but to say more would be to introduce spoilers.
All in all, a solid 4 out of 5, but stay away if you want action packed adventure.
Cathy’s Corner – The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng
Tan Twan Eng is a Malaysian writer who splits his time between South Africa and Malaysia. The Gift of Rain is a very absorbing novel, set in Penang in the 1930s, about a half English half Chinese boy who is taken under the wing of a Japanese sense, Endo-San. The book explores themes of identity, belonging and betrayal, and the relationship between sensei and student is complex and beautifully portrayed. Because of his love for Endo-san, the boy, Philip, finds himself betraying both his English and his Chinese heritage by working for the Japanese during the Second World War, horrifying his family and shocking his friends.
I love books that take me to different places and that bring history alive and this book manages both. The scene setting and the descriptions are beautifully done and the story is well told, although it could have been tightened, better edited, especially the dialogue, and it certainly could have been a bit faster moving. It can be a little ponderous at times. In fact, there’s a hilarious review of it on the Fan Fiction blog, worth a read in itself, whch describes the book as a ‘tedious bore-fest’:
I don’t agree but I have other criticisms: some of the relationships are too idealistically portrayed, as if the author couldn’t bear for Philip to suffer too much. In my opinion, he’s too easily forgiven for his choices, but to say more would be to introduce spoilers.
All in all, a solid 4 out of 5, but stay away if you want action packed adventure.