Singapore books - a list of lists, and one more
Just when I finished my list of great Singapore novels that I have read, I found that there are already a few such lists:
Sharlene Teo
Rachel Heng
Akshita Nanda
Nur Asyiqin Mohamad Salleh
Gary Lim
In any case, here's mine, focused more on Singapore historical fiction. I've looked around for good articles about each of them. They are in random order.
#1 The Singapore Grip
A great review piece by J.G. Farrell's biographer. Farrell mocked the Empire's men and women who let Singapore down in 1942. I'm proud to say I guessed what the title refers to. One of my all-time favourite novels.
#2 A Different Sky
See Meira Chand's piece in Biblio Asia on the writing of this book. The story spans characters of different races and backgrounds, from the 1920s to 1950s.
#3 If We Dream Too Long
I found very few reviews of this gem of a book. This one on Goodreads works. Unique for its sophisticated treatment of discontent.
#4 Unrest
A review in the Asian Review of Books. It's interesting that it deals with people who left a then-third-world Singapore for China, among other things. Be prepared for a very unconventional narrative style.
#5 Ministry of Moral Panic
There's good insight in this interview with the author.
#6 Sacred Waters
The only novel I know of that deals with the creation of an all-women's regiment in the Indian National Army (it has a two-track narrative). Here's a review in the Straits Times. There's a great non-fiction work on this topic, Women at War.
#7 Rawa
There's very little that this book covers that I even faintly knew of, after living fifteen years in Singapore, in spite of being quite curious. This is an interview in the The Star. I loved this recitation by the writer.
#8 A Leap of Love
Strangely, I couldn't find a review that I liked of this novella that I liked a lot. This is an interesting feature about the author.
#9 Spider Boys
Tells of forgotten tales of petty crime and of growing up. There's some interesting sports detail that you won't find in any other book. See this short review.
#10 Moonrise, Sunset
A great thriller told in a brash voice. This review notes that the star of the story is Singapore itself.
#11 How We Disappeared
My other favourite. A work that proves that fiction has the power to do justice to
a history that people would rather leave forgotten.
Sharlene Teo
Rachel Heng
Akshita Nanda
Nur Asyiqin Mohamad Salleh
Gary Lim
In any case, here's mine, focused more on Singapore historical fiction. I've looked around for good articles about each of them. They are in random order.
#1 The Singapore Grip
A great review piece by J.G. Farrell's biographer. Farrell mocked the Empire's men and women who let Singapore down in 1942. I'm proud to say I guessed what the title refers to. One of my all-time favourite novels.
#2 A Different Sky
See Meira Chand's piece in Biblio Asia on the writing of this book. The story spans characters of different races and backgrounds, from the 1920s to 1950s.
#3 If We Dream Too Long
I found very few reviews of this gem of a book. This one on Goodreads works. Unique for its sophisticated treatment of discontent.
#4 Unrest
A review in the Asian Review of Books. It's interesting that it deals with people who left a then-third-world Singapore for China, among other things. Be prepared for a very unconventional narrative style.
#5 Ministry of Moral Panic
There's good insight in this interview with the author.
#6 Sacred Waters
The only novel I know of that deals with the creation of an all-women's regiment in the Indian National Army (it has a two-track narrative). Here's a review in the Straits Times. There's a great non-fiction work on this topic, Women at War.
#7 Rawa
There's very little that this book covers that I even faintly knew of, after living fifteen years in Singapore, in spite of being quite curious. This is an interview in the The Star. I loved this recitation by the writer.
#8 A Leap of Love
Strangely, I couldn't find a review that I liked of this novella that I liked a lot. This is an interesting feature about the author.
#9 Spider Boys
Tells of forgotten tales of petty crime and of growing up. There's some interesting sports detail that you won't find in any other book. See this short review.
#10 Moonrise, Sunset
A great thriller told in a brash voice. This review notes that the star of the story is Singapore itself.
#11 How We Disappeared
My other favourite. A work that proves that fiction has the power to do justice to
a history that people would rather leave forgotten.
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