Singapore Literature reviewed by an Angmoh

Episode 46: Alfian Sa’at’s 2012 book – or rather play – called ‘Cooling Off Day’. Alfian Sa’at interviewed a number of Singaporeans about their reflections and views after the 2011 General Election.This has resulted in a very interesting book. A book about fear, gratefulness and hope and dreams – or lack of same.PS I also explain the term ‘Cooling Off Day’ 

Poh Soo Kai’s book ‘Living in a Time of Deception’ is not on the SingLit Top 50 book list. But it should have been. Because it is an important book, because it is a necessary book and because it is well written.Poh tells the story of his life as an opposition politician in Singapore in the 1960s and 1970s. And the price he paid for this, including years in prison without a trial.Has what Singapore has achieved since independence been worth the price?

Episode 44: Yeng Pway Ngon’s book ‘Art Studio’ is best forgotten. It is not a very good book.Instead, you should read his other book on the SingLit Top 50 list titled ‘Unrest’.In this episode I compare the two books and tell you why I think the first one is great, and the second one is best forgotten.If you want to know more about ‘Unrest’ go to episode 3.

‘No Other City’. A collection of poems by more than 100 different Singaporeans. From 2000.Read this book. But don’t expect 200 pages of just great poetry. Instead expect a different reading experience. A reading experience I fully enjoyed because of all the passion for both poetry and Singapore beaming from the writers.

This episode is about the book ‘Hikayat Abdullah’ by Abdullah Bin Abdul Kadir. Written in 1845.It is an impressive piece of work. But this book is not for me. Not because it is a bad book – I am just not really interested.I think you have to a historian with a special interested in Singapore 200 years ago. And probably best if you are a Malay as Abdullah himself was a Malay and clearly writes from a Islamic and Malay perspective. 

This episode is about the book ‘The Shrimp People’ by Rex Shelley. From 1991. I’ll do the recording and this text short: Do not read this book. It is 500 pages of mental torture. 500 pages which should have been cut down to max 100 pages.If you want to write about revolution, terrorism, espionage and drama in Singapore in the 1950s and 1960s then do so. Do not mix with stories about bird watching and what have you. Why is 'The Shrimp People' on the list of best books in Singapore?

‘The Good, The Bad and The Ugly’ by Elangovan is the first book on the Top 50 list containing plays.All three plays are difficult reading. The text risks making you feel sick and uncomfortable. But the plays are necessary, and I am glad that I have had the chance to read this book. If society wants to tackle misogyny and the mistreatment of women, we need to understand what misogyny means.  What is means in terms of violence, being treated as a second-class human, shame and lack of respect. If we don't understand, how can we change?Erdogan's book truly deserves to be on the list of best books in Singapore.

Meira Chand’s book ‘A Different Sky’ is the kind of book which draws you into the story from page 1. A work of fiction – but based on real events in Singapore between the years of 1927-1956.500 pages, drama on almost every page, a historic background and a 20th century Singapore which really fascinates.I choose to label Meira Chand Singapore’s parallel to Ken Follett.I loved reading ‘A Different Sky’ – but does the book really belong on the Top 50 Sing Lit? 

This week’s episode is about ‘The Collected Poems of Arthur Yap’.I wish I had more time to read all of Arthur Yap's poems more carefully. But when I have only one week to do so, and when the collection contains close to 250 poems, I will have to pick up this book again at a later time. And I certainly will.  Because I love Arthur Yap’s pen. I will share two of them in this episode.

Sometimes a book is just not meant for you. Alvin Pang’s ‘City of Rain’ is that book. To me anyway.I have decided that rather than trying to understand Alvin Pang’s poems, I just put away ‘City of Rain’ and read something else.This is not meant as any kind of disrespect to Mr. Pang. He is highly respected as a poet, and he clearly has his fans. I am just not one of them.

This episode is about ‘Common Life’. By poet Anne Lee Tzu Pheng and illustrator Ho Chee Lick.As the title suggests this book is about common – or ordinary – life in Singapore. About the daily life, challenges, experiences and hopes of ordinary Singaporeans. It might sound a bit ‘ordinary’ when I write this. But believe me it is really worth spending your time on reading the poems and admiring the drawings.I will never look at the ordinary things in Singapore quite the same way. Pheng and Ho have opened my eyes to a new perspective of Singapore.

This episode is about ‘A History of Amnesia: poems’ by Alfian Bin Sa’at.I was very skeptical when I started reading this book. I just didn’t find it very interesting. But then suddenly it took a dramatic turn and I really started paying attention. A Singapore political prisoner entered the stage and turned my reading experience upside down. By the end of the book, I was glad that I had kept turning the pages.So, listen to learn about a reading experience which went from unappealing to compelling’ and fascinating'.

‘Pulp’ by Shubigi Rao is a fascinating book – or rather a fascinating 10-year project about book destruction.In this episode I review Pulp volume 1 – the first of five volumes. Specifically, I focus on Rao’s presentation of the Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza and his ground-breaking ideas presented in his book ‘Tractatus Theologico-Politicus. It is not as dry as it sounds – as a matter of fact quite the contrary – so hang on…. 

Gwee Li Sui’s ‘Who Wants to Buy an Expanded Edition of a Book of Poems’ is exactly the book you should hurry down to your bookstore to buy.A surprise of a book. A positive surprise. The kind of book I was waiting for – without knowing it. A book which is so strange, funny, twisted, and worthwhile reading that I have parked it permanently on my coffee table. You should too. 

In this episode I – and you – meet the writer Balli Kaur Jaswal again. I reviewed her book ‘Sugarbread’ back in March in episode 6. Now I have the pleasure of reviewing another of her books. And it was a pleasure reading ‘Inheritance’ – a story about a Singapore Sikh family and what I would call ‘a dissolution of a family’. Not a happy story, but still a story you want to read