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sharkie's review
funny
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
clare_tan_wenhui's review against another edition
4.0
"I've been thinking about whether I should stop. I'm not much of a teacher"
"Would not being a teacher make you a better human?"
"I don't know. I don't know what else I would do."
"Well, would not being a teacher make you want to be a better human?"
"I don't know."
"You must think carefully about this. If we don't try being better humans, we start becoming worse humans."
Extracted from "Impractical Uses of Cake" by Yeoh Jo-Ann
An existentialism tale, somewhat like Singapore's version of [b:Lucky Jim|395182|Lucky Jim|Kingsley Amis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1373459729l/395182._SY75_.jpg|876732], though milder.
Have a taste and enjoy.
"Would not being a teacher make you a better human?"
"I don't know. I don't know what else I would do."
"Well, would not being a teacher make you want to be a better human?"
"I don't know."
"You must think carefully about this. If we don't try being better humans, we start becoming worse humans."
Extracted from "Impractical Uses of Cake" by Yeoh Jo-Ann
An existentialism tale, somewhat like Singapore's version of [b:Lucky Jim|395182|Lucky Jim|Kingsley Amis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1373459729l/395182._SY75_.jpg|876732], though milder.
Have a taste and enjoy.
jwsg's review against another edition
4.0
Sukhin is a 35 year old literature teacher in a junior college - head of the English literature department, in fact. He is single and lives alone; his parents are dying to have him married and settled down. One day, he runs into Jinn, who lives in a makeshift dwelling made of cardboxes in an alleyway in Chinatown and his staid, self-contained, orderly and selfish existence is turned upside-down.
This was a surprising book - I didn't quite expect the book to end up where it did and for most of the book, I wasn't quite sure where it was leading to. But it was a lovely read and I let myself be carried along, and had faith that I wouldn't be too disappointed by the journey.
It also felt like a very Singaporean book for me, from the reference to Advocakes and Solicitarts in Chapter One, to the meticulous (and somewhat snarky) descriptions of Singaporean scenes and places. Like:
"Duxton Plain Park...[w]hoever called this area a park of was either wildly ambitious or delusional...It isn't much more than a paved path under the cover of trees on both sides - but maybe it exceeded the quota trees for a pathway, or failed to obey a government-designated tree-to-pavement ratio, and had to be called a park or destroyed? But park or not, here, parallel to the chaos of the main roads, it is suddenly and surprisingly quiet."
Or:
"he rushes to his car and drives like a madman from Chinatown to Little India, feeling like he's starring in a spoof of a Singapore Tourism Board ad. If you ignore all considerations for safety and spare no thought for pedestrians, it is possible to see the one-hundred-and-eighty-six-year-old Jamae Mosque - note the combination of South Indian and neoclassical architectural styles - and the more recently constructed Buddha Tooth Relic Temple - see how the Tang style of this building departs from the dominant South Chinese typology of Singapore's Buddhist temples - in just under three minutes."
Though primarily about Sukhin and Jinn's relationship, Impractical Uses of Cake also offers us glimpses into the issues of poverty and homelessness in Singapore, mental illness and the price of conforming to "the right track".
This was a surprising book - I didn't quite expect the book to end up where it did and for most of the book, I wasn't quite sure where it was leading to. But it was a lovely read and I let myself be carried along, and had faith that I wouldn't be too disappointed by the journey.
It also felt like a very Singaporean book for me, from the reference to Advocakes and Solicitarts in Chapter One, to the meticulous (and somewhat snarky) descriptions of Singaporean scenes and places. Like:
"Duxton Plain Park...[w]hoever called this area a park of was either wildly ambitious or delusional...It isn't much more than a paved path under the cover of trees on both sides - but maybe it exceeded the quota trees for a pathway, or failed to obey a government-designated tree-to-pavement ratio, and had to be called a park or destroyed? But park or not, here, parallel to the chaos of the main roads, it is suddenly and surprisingly quiet."
Or:
"he rushes to his car and drives like a madman from Chinatown to Little India, feeling like he's starring in a spoof of a Singapore Tourism Board ad. If you ignore all considerations for safety and spare no thought for pedestrians, it is possible to see the one-hundred-and-eighty-six-year-old Jamae Mosque - note the combination of South Indian and neoclassical architectural styles - and the more recently constructed Buddha Tooth Relic Temple - see how the Tang style of this building departs from the dominant South Chinese typology of Singapore's Buddhist temples - in just under three minutes."
Though primarily about Sukhin and Jinn's relationship, Impractical Uses of Cake also offers us glimpses into the issues of poverty and homelessness in Singapore, mental illness and the price of conforming to "the right track".
natexy's review
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I’m biased because it’s my first time being able to recognise the road names and imagine the plot unfolding in a cityscape I’m so familiar with. I’ve always been lost in the cities of US/ UK in books but never have I had the privilege to be lost in Singapore in a fictional story. It’s a pretty magical experience!
I liked the writing style, very self-referential, witty and also full of literary references. I found the characters pretty unlikeable though 😅 The humdrum routine of Sukhin’s life was depressing and I also found it frustrating that he refused to speak his mind and COMMUNICATE to Jinn till the last quarter. . .
The storyline was a little unrealistic too, but it is a story afterall 😀
I appreciated the cultural references and local slang, but I wonder if I’d like this story as much if I didn’t understand its nuances.
Overall, it was still a heartwarming read. Always lovely to be reminded that we shouldn’t lap up society’s expectations of what’s “normal” and “successful” mindlessly.
I liked the writing style, very self-referential, witty and also full of literary references. I found the characters pretty unlikeable though 😅 The humdrum routine of Sukhin’s life was depressing and I also found it frustrating that he refused to speak his mind and COMMUNICATE to Jinn till the last quarter. . .
The storyline was a little unrealistic too, but it is a story afterall 😀
I appreciated the cultural references and local slang, but I wonder if I’d like this story as much if I didn’t understand its nuances.
Overall, it was still a heartwarming read. Always lovely to be reminded that we shouldn’t lap up society’s expectations of what’s “normal” and “successful” mindlessly.
auntie_terror's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
eininthebird's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
seeyf's review against another edition
3.0
This whimsical story of a JC English literature teacher approaching a middle age crisis and his ex-girlfriend whom he suddenly discovers living homeless on the streets was a fun and quick read. It may have tried to cram in too many themes (education, homelessness, mental illness, food waste, homosexuality) to treat any one of them substantially, but the light prose and quirky characters make up for it.
popiloey's review
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
clarxvizconde13's review
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
14bellini's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
enjoyed the writing style, and the use of recurring motifs and characters throughout the books. the two main characters were strongly written and characterised, but a few of the other side characters lacked more depth that i wish they could've had. the protagonist's sardonic tone and how it softens in the face of certain situations and people was very nicely done. wish some smaller plotlines could've been wrapped up and expanded on with a little more clarity. also, in the first few chapters, while it becomes more evident later on, i felt that i had no idea where the book was going, and there wasn't really much attempt at detailing this. while i appreciate that the story unfolded bit by bit, and that it's ultimately character-driven and slice-of-life/stream of consciousness in style, i wish there could've been slightly more direction. otherwise, though, i quite liked this book and how it discussed various topics in singapore that deserve more attention. at the same time, though, i feel like more depth is required for better dialogue to happen. despite this (and contrary to many of the reviews here), i liked the open ending. in fact, if you read the parts between chapters, i think you'd find that the ending is not quite so open after all.