[Review of] Lloyd Fernando, ed., Malaysian Short Stories; K. S. Maniam, The Return; and Wong Meng Voon, Glimpses of the Past

Authors

Cheng Lok Chua

Orginal Publication Date

1983

Journal Title

Explorations in Sights and Sounds

Volume

3

Issue

ess/vol3/iss1

First Page

11

Last Page

13

Abstract

These three books of fiction are set in the multilingual and multiracial context of Singapore and Malaysia, two Southeast Asian nations once part of the British Empire and now a region peopled by a volatile mix of indigenous Malays (roughly 45%) and immigrant Chinese (43%), Indians (10%), and Europeans (0.4%). Reflecting the diversity of this region, one book is a short story anthology by a Chinese (Wong), another a novel by an Indian (Maniam), and the third a collection of stories edited by an Eurasian ( Fernando). All three books have some astonishing strengths and some unfortunate lapses, with Maniam's being the most sustained effort and Fernando's the most generous sampling from these societies.

Rights

Copyright, ​©EES, The National Association for Ethnic Studies, 1983