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A review by kieranyes
The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Finally got to this after really enjoying Garden a few years ago. The vivid descriptions of Malaysia's landscapes and culture alone are, as in Garden, really thoughtful, skillful and engaging. The Gift of Rain's story picks up slowly in the first half, but acclerates following the movements of a Shakespearean tragedy. The first half was a slog but the payoff was worth it.
From a character perspective, am I the only one who got the queer subtext between Philip and Endo? Had this come out in the 2020s this may have been a bit less ambiguous than it is here.
I liked this much more than I didn't, but definitely found this too long and also overly sentimental in parts. Despite my gripes its an incredible piece of work for a debut and clearly Tan built on this a lot in his later work.
From a character perspective, am I the only one who got the queer subtext between Philip and Endo? Had this come out in the 2020s this may have been a bit less ambiguous than it is here.
I liked this much more than I didn't, but definitely found this too long and also overly sentimental in parts. Despite my gripes its an incredible piece of work for a debut and clearly Tan built on this a lot in his later work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Violence and Torture
Minor: Rape