THE ASRAMA ANTHOLOGY

by Zan Azlee (editor)

The Asrama Anthology shares 19 true stories of Malaysians who have experienced life in boarding schools, which they believe helped build them into who they are today. There are stories of friendship, heartbreak, family tragedy, conflict, race relations, and yes, there are one or two romantic ones. Chosen and edited by award-winning writer and broadcaster Zan Azlee, whose own true-life hostel accounts are too shocking for this volume.

192 pages, Paperback

Published July 26, 2018

Reviews

[Anis Suhaila · Rating 3 out of 5]

Favourite story: Abah.

Was a little bit surprised ada a few stories of teenager love in the most sappy way imaginable. I could relate to it as a teenager but it doesn't make a truly great story.

[Regina Ibrahim · Rating 2 out of 5]

A collection of hostel memoir with local flavors. No doubt hostel living has left us with some good and bad memories. I would suggest you to purchase this collection as a gift to any youngster heading for his/her dormitory sojourn. 19 stories anthology with familiar expressions.
Yusuf Bulanbiru 2 stories on STAR College Ipoh is very entertaining and Dato Khadiaq cucu Lyana Khairudin will take you into TKC.
Not forgetting a special tribute to RMC by Tharma Pillai.

[Cassandra Chung · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing up in a rather high-performing public schools, I watched as the already small Malay population in my schools dwindled as we progressed in our education. Given that many of these schools were in isolated areas and that opportunities for communication outside schooling hours were rare, I always wondered what it was like in a Sekolah Berasrama Penuh (SBP) or a MRSM. The most I could (somewhat) verify was that these schools had subjects normal public schools didn't offer for SPM or PMR and that facilities there were significantly newer and more well-maintained compared to normal public schools.

This book enabled me to live vicariously in an SBP, through the lens of alumnus themselves. I very much appreciated the diversity found in this book: authors were of varying ages (some in their 30s (?) and some younger than me), they came from different schools and the kind of events they chose to relate all differed. I got to read up on bullying incidents, the emotions that came from being uprooted from your own home, the expectations placed on a SBP kid who was the first in the family to get into an SBP and the pains that came with trying to fit into the crowd at SBPs. There were a variety of emotions portrayed: from thankfulness at having gone through the SBP system to the lasting pain that came from having attended an SBP.

I also appreciated the fact that while all the writers had differing writing styles, you could tell that all of them wrote in a very "Malaysian" way. It's difficult to explain what I mean by that but you know it when you see it.

I would recommend this book to any Malaysian, not just because purchasing this would be supporting the local publishing industry but also because the stories related in this book quintessentially detail a small part of the Malaysian experience.

[Aishah]

Ehhhh, I completely forgot about this, I actually had a published work! It was back then, when I really wanted to be a writer. I submitted a story for this anthology, my story titled Abah. Once it’s published, it suddenly becomes the worst thing I’ve ever read. If you asked me to read it now, I wouldn’t even make it past the first page without screaming in embarrassment.

Why is it that writers, painters, and songwriters often feel traumatized by their own work? I remember that at the time, my English wasn’t even good, I was still learning. In fact, I didn’t properly check my grammar and still had the audacity to send it to a publisher.

[Maisarah Mohd · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is really relatable for me as an ex-hostel girl. Haha. Recommended for parents who want to send their kids to boarding school. Some of the writers in this book tell about their sweet memories in hostel, and some tells the dark side of hostel life. There are pros and cons when you live in boarding school. But when you go out from that school, you will find out that your mindset is different from others. Because experience do shape our life.

[Aqiela · Rating 2 out of 5]

School wasn’t bad, but I wouldn’t go back.

19 stories; some are good and some are not. Reading this remind me of my hostel’s life back then. But unfortunately this book doesn’t really represent or really show how hostel’s life is. Disappointed.

[Mocha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really brings me back to my zaman asrama. It scary how during my school days, i’ve been hearing bout all-boys and all-girls schools stories are still the same stories told in this book. One of the reasons why i insist my girl to not going to an all girl school after her UPSR. I can’t hold my tears reading the story bout a father who sent her daughter to college on a motorbike. I was angry bout how seniors who didnt do anything to help their juniors who were sexually harrased. And same goes to numerous bully cases. I was lucky my SBP principal (we called him Ayahanda) really emphasized the ‘ragging’ is a No-No at our school and he would expel those students who found guilty. All in all i enjoyed reading this with my feline companion 😉

[heyitsbookishme · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review on my blog: https://heyitsbookishme.wordpress.com...

After my read of Matahari Book’s Letters to Home, I started keeping tabs on their work, particularly interested with how they encourage Malaysians to contribute relatable, personal stories by turning selected pieces into books. In this latest edition, The Asrama Anthology, editor Zan Azlee brings together 19 true stories by 18 authors (Yusoff Bulanbiru shares 2 stories) on their experiences studying in a boarding school environment. Ili Nur Amalina, one of the contributors, is a dear friend of mine too – all the more reason to read this book.

So there I was, feeling excited, afraid and everything in between. As we drove past the gates I felt that my moment was now. My journey began.

– A Tale of Tie, Aiman Najhan

Themes of self growth, discovery, family, and challenges growing up were some of the more common ones, shared in almost every story in this compilation. You will also find stories unique to certain topics, often heard but not talked about enough, including those on bullying, depression, sexual harassment, and even bulimia.

“This is it. I never thought that I would die this young,” whispered Kera to herself.

– Kera in the Closet, Zulfikri Ahmad

Chapters are short, and easy to get into. Ideal for those who need a quick read every now and then, without the usual – “Oh no, what happened in the previous chapters again?!” Overall, I found this book to be, for the most part, an interesting read with a unique standpoint brimming with potential for some very great story-telling. Unfortunately, many stories turned out to be too draggy and boring for my own liking. It could be how they were written, or just for the fact that some of contributors did not really have a strong story to tell. Which is a shame, as I do believe there are many untold tales out there on boarding schools which somehow or another did not make their way into the hands of readers. Also – boarding school horror stories, where you guys at? I was expecting more of these!

Which brings me to this – if you have a story to tell and the opportunity to do so, do take it seriously. Your writing may very well be relatable and touch the lives of many. Experiences in boarding schools, both good and bad, ride on great waves in shaping the lives of many Malaysians. I would still recommend you to give this book a go, there are a few notable pieces here worth discovering.

No matter what situation you are in and how many people are against you, stand up straight and fight for what you believe in. The truth is always the best language to speak.

– What I Can Tell But I Cannot Show, Ili Nur Amalina Ibrahim

Rating: ★ ★ ★

I would like to thank Buku Fixi and Matahari Books for this review copy in exchange for my honest review!

[Bwllwnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Asrama Anthology is my first book in the month of May. This book has 19 short stories in it. Each one of the stories was very fun to read as the writers share their experiences studying in a boarding schools. Some are relatable tho. But I was looking for a cliche-type of story like cmon a horror stories hello?! Dont you think it would be very cool when you include that kind of stories in it hahaha. Im pretty sure everyone had this mystic experiences in school such as the sound of someone flushing the toilet during midnight but ended up there is no one in the toilet, bunyi orang seret kaki while walking at the corridor but when you look outside, again there is no one, I was expecting more of this.

Not to mention the hottest tea upon regarding the student and the teachers debating over the issues about making a r*pe jokes in school which is not cool at all bro. Eventho it is just a jOkE, just dont normalize saying such things in your daily conversation. Spread the awareness. I truly adored for those who have the guts to standing up and speak up about the issues. Yeah it doesnt matter either you are the students, educators, makcik dewan, staff makmal, makcik kantin, pakcik guard, we all should not normalize doing these horrible things. Make school a safer place is a must. Thankyou for speaking up!! You guys did your best. I always got your back. Anyway, we all had this kind of experiences in boarding school, both good and bad, both things made you for who you are today.

"No matter what situation you are in and how many people are againts you, stand up straight and fight for what you believe in. The truth is always the best language to speak." - (excerpt of What Can I tell But I Cannot Show)

[Shamin Merrissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A slow read, a handful of good stories. Particularly favoured the one written by a retiree.. i wonder if better authors really comes with age? Some left me wondering how did it get picked, but i guess the editor was really trying to widen the theme range.

Some left me shooketh particularly those under the harassment themes.. as a boarding school alum myself, i feel thankful i didn’t encounter any of those.

Overall there were good and bad experiences, and aspiring boarding schoolers should get a hold of this at one point in their lives. Boarding school leavers like me were interested to know more about the book after i shared it on my socmed, which made me think in contrast, though.

Anyway, i found this book at a second hand bookstore, and i couldnt find it being sold online so i guess it has stopped publishing. If there was any interest in publishing another version of this, i hope the younger gen authors would brush up and write more interesting stories.. since the ones penned by the gen zs in the anthology mediocre, for a lack of a better word.

[Izzati · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to say, this is a wild mix of asrama stories - a few wonderfully written, but most were boring, some that I simply cannot fathom why they somehow earned to be compiled together with the first category. All, i think are based on true stories except for one. Reading this book slowed my current reading pace as I found myself counting the pages left to be read as a lot of them were pretty uninteresting. Nevertheless, I did enjoy some (She Wasn't Pretty, My Asrama Bildungsroman, The Social Media and KATAK). My favourite was The Social Media by Yusoff Bulanbiru. If I could rate the stories separately I would rate this particular one a five without any hesitation.

[Aiman Haris · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read for former boarding school students to reminisce their moments, either good or bad while sipping a cup of coffee.
Some stories are relatable and worth empathising. Some are just people taking chances to show off how ‘grand’ their schools are, while some leave their hostel/boarding schools unnamed.
At some point I believe some things that happen in hostels, should stay in hostels. However, good initiative!

[Fina S · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the fact this anthology is a compilation of people of different generations. The stories brings back all the memories back in boarding school. However, some stories are quite boring and redundant especially the love stories.

Fortunately, some stories are impactful and without doubt, “You remember you are strong?” is the best!

Honourable mentions:
1. Abah
2. What I Can Tell But I Cannot Show
3. Belacan Hearts
4. Surviving The Iron River
5. The Social Media

[Edwin Edward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Relatable stories,although not all since it is spread across many generations of asramas tales, but certainly something to read to bring back boarding school nostalgia. Also recommended for spouses or to be spouses to better understand the circumstances some boarding school students might have gone through..😀 I enjoyed the book.

[NSM · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not that bad, not that good either. A book to read for leisure. I was expecting more horror-isque since the association with asrama but overall I am okay with the book 😁

[Adrian Lee · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wish there were more masculinities experiences in the book ;) but overall some key messages did come about such as overcoming satanic wardens, bullies and body images.