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A review by melmarian
A Mosque in the Jungle by Othman Wok
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
I've been meaning to read more Southeast Asian literature starting from this year, so this book was one from four I picked up from my visit to Singapore last May. I read so many good reviews about it and I was curious.
Reading horror stories set in SEA (particularly in Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia) feels different from the Western or Japanese horror stories I'm used to. It feels familiar and close XD. Othman Wok, who was Singapore's first Minister for Social Affairs and also served as Singapore's ambassador to Indonesia, wrote these stories in a rather straightforward way and often left the mystery unsolved. They are still entertaining and will send chills down your spine.
Some of my favourites:
The Sound in the Wall -- a dead body in the wall, reminds me of a scene from Lockwood & Co. This one has a happy ending, which can't be said for many (almost all?) of the other stories in this book.
The Anklets -- I dubbed this one "Jane Toe"
Si Hitam's Curse -- a classic black cat story
The Mad Artist -- one of the most shocking stories, and horrifyingly GORYYYYY
Visitor from the Coffin -- the story is simple, but then I came to the realization that this could very well happen in real life (:
The Golden Lantern -- Capital C CURSEDDDDD
The Guardian -- Dayak black magic slash Indiana Jones vibes
The Mystery of SS Juita -- there are many repetitions of the mysterious unseen claiming lives throughout the book, and this story is the one most tense and engrossing IMO.
I also really like the closing sentence from the introduction: "So please, enjoy these stories. May they terrify and charm you. In their darkness, may you find light."
Reading horror stories set in SEA (particularly in Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia) feels different from the Western or Japanese horror stories I'm used to. It feels familiar and close XD. Othman Wok, who was Singapore's first Minister for Social Affairs and also served as Singapore's ambassador to Indonesia, wrote these stories in a rather straightforward way and often left the mystery unsolved. They are still entertaining and will send chills down your spine.
Some of my favourites:
The Sound in the Wall -- a dead body in the wall, reminds me of a scene from Lockwood & Co. This one has a happy ending, which can't be said for many (almost all?) of the other stories in this book.
The Anklets -- I dubbed this one "Jane Toe"
Si Hitam's Curse -- a classic black cat story
The Mad Artist -- one of the most shocking stories, and horrifyingly GORYYYYY
Visitor from the Coffin -- the story is simple, but then I came to the realization that this could very well happen in real life (:
The Golden Lantern -- Capital C CURSEDDDDD
The Guardian -- Dayak black magic slash Indiana Jones vibes
The Mystery of SS Juita -- there are many repetitions of the mysterious unseen claiming lives throughout the book, and this story is the one most tense and engrossing IMO.
I also really like the closing sentence from the introduction: "So please, enjoy these stories. May they terrify and charm you. In their darkness, may you find light."