May is selfish. May enjoys pleasures of the flesh. May loves money. May has a mind of her own. There isn't many lines May wouldn't cross. May isn't bound by the rules. Some may hate her because she is free. At the end of the day, May lived her life, owning her joys, lies, memories and sorrows. May is one of the least boring characters I have read in Myanmar books.
This is said to be a referenced work of "Self" by Beverley Nicholas rather than its translated work. Considering it was first published in 1941, it must have been a very controversial book at that time. I love that the writer doesn't judge that May was right or wrong. He just enabled her to tell her story.
Since it was first published in 1941, there are 8 publications by 2016. In this 2016 (8th) edition, the book comes with the historical criticism in Burmese literary society, the writer’s struggles through the first publication and the summary of original book, Self.
This is one of the must-read classics for the Burmese literature. The plots were based on an English novel called “Self” by Beverley Nichols. But this is not a translational piece, rather Sayar Dagon Taryar has transformed it into a Burmese novel. The striking significance was his proses and poetic writings.
I believe, during those days in 1941 of conservative society, the plot and the words must have had a terribly hard time getting through the community. However, it was ironically a ground-breaking stunt towards revolution in Burmese literature. I couldn’t help but be in awe for the writer! At the same time, to me, this is definitely a educational story for all the ladies out there to be careful where we choose to move in this materialistic world. For that reason, this novel is an absolute timeless classic.
A great book about a poor girl who wanted to be rich & tried to fit in rich environment and how her greed led to ... (just read it, you’ll see). 😅 Also, the author has poetic ways to express almost everything & unique words which became popular among young adults in 1941. Yes, it is 77 years old but words & those lines never grow old.