The Merlion and the Hibiscus: Contemporary Short Stories from Singapore and Malaysia

3.5/5 ( ratings)

The Merlion and the Hibiscus brings together the work of nineteen exceptional writers from singapore and malaysia. Written over the last fifty years, these stories reflect the richness of a multicultural society and its experience of war and colonialism. In Gopal Baratham’s, The Interview, a veteran of the Second World War looks back on his years as a Japanese prisoner of war and his unique relationship with his interrogator. In Tragedy of My Third Eye, Suchen Christine Lim writes of Ping, a six-year-old who would rather be an outcaste than a slave and ends up paying the price for this both at school and at home. In Victoria and her Kimono, M. Shanmughalingam parodies the legacy of colonialism. Also in this collection are deeply insightful and entertaining stories about a generation grappling with issues of religious, ethnic and gender identities. Catherine Lim’s Write, Right, Rite, for instance, is a brilliant take-off on the absurdity of moral and ethical policing. In another memorable story, Bugis by Alfian Sa At, an encounter with a transvestite opens a teenager’s eyes to the shallowness of the world around her and to her own hidden desires.

Set in the small towns and cities of Malaysia and Singapore, these stories capture the richness and complexity of life in a region that is an extraordinary blend of different races, languages and cultures.