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Summary | Excerpt | Reviews | Beyond the book | Read-Alikes | Genres & Themes | Author Bio
A Novel
by Tan Twan Eng
Book Reviewed by:The Gift of Rain should be high on readers' lists if for no other reason than its lyrical narrative style. From the first page the author spins a web of words around the reader, drawing him or her into the sounds, sights and smells of Malaya:
"The light was fading and the scent of wet grass wove through the air like threads entwining with the perfume of the flowers, creating an intricate tapestry of fragrance. I was out on the terrace, alone as I had been for many years, on the edge of sleep, dreaming of another life. The door chimes echo through the house, hesitant, unfamiliar in a place they seldom entered, like a cat placing a tentative paw on a path it does not habitually walk."
The book is divided into two parts. The
first half sets the stage. Phillip meets Endo and begins his
training. The author establishes Phillip as an outsider, a
part of neither the Chinese nor English community; the
reader is introduced to his family and other members of the
community who play pivotal roles later in the novel. Penang
and its environs are described with great depth and beauty;
but, although the writing is stunning and the plot is
reasonably engaging, the tale itself is relatively
pedestrian and unremarkable.
The real meat of the story is in the novel's second half.
The Japanese invade, and Phillip finds himself with
conflicting loyalties. Every decision he makes is, in its
way, both right and wrong. There is no white or black, only
shades of gray. It's the moral dilemmas Phillip faces and
how he confronts them that move this novel from a good first
effort into the "must-read" category. The story becomes very
fast-paced and cinematic. It is by turns heartbreaking,
brutal, and moving.
Particularly affective is Eng's ability to capture the mixed
emotions and motives of his characters. The Huttons in
particular feel "real," with the family members expressing
everything from love, concern and understanding for Phillip,
to considering him a traitor in spite of his best efforts on
their behalf.
Elements of Asian philosophy are liberally sprinkled
throughout the book. Daoist, Confucian, and most especially
Buddhist ideals are discussed, although never in such depth
as to bog down the story. While the references to past lives
and predestination may fail to resonate with some readers,
it is these concepts that drive the decisions Phillip and
Endo make, and they are therefore key to the reader
understanding the rationale behind these characters'
actions.
Readers unfamiliar with Asian history will find that Eng
provides just enough historical background of the period
leading up to and during World War II for them to put the
book into its historical context. He does an excellent job
of inserting small, historically accurate details into
Phillip's experience of the Japanese occupation. A few of
the paragraphs relating to pre-war history, though, aren't
written with the same grace as the rest of the novel, making
these blocks of text appear awkward. Fortunately, they don't
occur often enough to deter the reader.
Its moral ambiguities, along with its very readable style,
make this novel an ideal choice for book groups. Vivid
characterizations, detailed descriptions, and well-written
action sequences make this a remarkable coming-of-age novel,
one that readers will not soon forget.
About the Author
Tan Twan Eng was born in Penang, but lived in various places
in Malaysia as a child. He studied law through the
University of London, and later worked as an advocate and
solicitor (attorney) in one of Kuala Lumpur's most reputable law firms.
He has a first-dan ranking in akido and is a strong
proponent for the conservation of heritage buildings. After
spending a year traveling around South Africa he has
currently settled in Cape Town where he is working on his
second book.
Read his
interview at BookBrowse.
Useful to Note
In traditional Chinese style, the family name
precedes the given name(s). Tan is the author's family name,
Twan Eng his given names. Some authors choose to anglicize
their names for the purposes of publishing in English, so
that their family name appears on the book cover last not
first, others such as Tan Twan Eng do not.
However, English language databases inevitably place the
family name last - hence the discrepancy between the way Tan
Twan Eng's name appears on the book jacket and how it
appears at BookBrowse.
This review was originally published in The BookBrowse Review in June 2008, and has been updated for the
May 2009 edition.
Click here to go to this issue.
If you liked The Gift of Rain, try these:
by Shirley Hazzard
Published 2004
A deeply observed story of love and separation, of disillusion and recovered humanity, marking the much-awaited return to fiction of Shirley Hazzard.
by Julie Otsuka
Published 2003
This commanding debut novel paints a portrait of the Japanese internment camps unlike any we have ever seen. A haunting evocation of a family in wartime and an unmistakably resonant lesson for our times.
by Tess Uriza Holthe
Published 2003
Once in a great while comes a storyteller who can illuminate worlds large and small, magical and true to life. Holthe's first novel is set at the end of WWII, as the Japanese and the Americans engage in a fierce battle for possession of the Philippine Islands.
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