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A review by misspalah
We, the Survivors by Tash Aw
5.0
*Changing this book to 5 stars after finishing 5 star billionaire*
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“It didn't take us long to drive back into town. At that time the traffic is always light, but that night it seemed quieter than usual. Who knows - maybe the port business was slow, and fewer container ships were docking, so all the lorries ferrying goods up to KL had called it quits. Sometimes work at the port slowed down and you'd see migrants drifting into town looking for a few days' casual work here and there, from whoever would employ them. During these periods the town appeared to function normally, which is to say that a visitor like you wouldn't notice anything unusual. You'd see the buses and the markets, shopkeepers sweeping the pavements outside their doors, people sitting down at roadside food stalls - but you'd miss the feeling of anxiety, the knowledge that the entire town depended on trade from faraway places, goods being bought and sold by people we would never know. Some politician in America decides that they can't buy Malaysian rubber gloves; suddenly ten factories in the area have to shut down. The Europeans want to save the fucking planet so they ban the use of palm oil in food; within a month the entire port is on its knees. Life continues, but you feel it slipping quietly away, and you worry that it'll never return. And because of that fear, you feel caught in a suspended state. On the outside, life seems normal, but inside it's drawn to a standstill”.
- We the survivors by Tash Aw
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- [ ] The synopsis that publisher put on the cover : Its about murder
- [ ] The true synopsis after i have finished this book : If you are marginalised and disadvantaged, the world is going to fuck you up and you have to do whatever you can to survive.
I finally picked up Tash Aw’s we the survivors this year. It was long overdue as my best friend love his writing hence i am expected to read at least one of his books. As Ah Hock narrated his story in 2 different settings, one in an interview with Su-Min and another when he recalled back his childhood, teenage-hood, and adulthood memories. One can simply deduce from those stories that he was born in poor and broken family, his parents officially divorced once his mother received the letter from Singapore, his mother had a constant presence in his life until she died. Keong is another character that crucial in his life especially in portraying how contrast he is with Ah Hock. I have to be honest, while it may work in alternating the pages between the conversation that Sumin had with Ah Hock and Ah Hock’s flashback, I wish Tash Aw did not put this dual narration. Undoubtedly, Tash Aw is a brilliant writer and i am looking forward to read Five star billionaire and his other works. The book did well in exposing the subtle racism of south asian (they were referred as ‘black devils’ and southeast asian foreign workers from Malaysian Lens (The locals vs the outsiders). The struggle of foreign workers and Immigrants in Malaysia and how majority of them were being exploited by the capitalists also were shown as both Keong and Ah Hock work in the industry that employed them. Ultimately, the story maybe bleak for some but it is an important one to tell. It was supposed to make us uncomfortable especially if we are already living in bubble and failed to understand the impacts of inequality and prejudice. Its a slow read for me but the ending is where the masterstroke happened. As Su-Min enjoyed her achievement on Ah-Hock’s story, they parted ways without acknowledging that huge class differences, status and privileges existed between them. Overall, a highly recommended book!
.
“It didn't take us long to drive back into town. At that time the traffic is always light, but that night it seemed quieter than usual. Who knows - maybe the port business was slow, and fewer container ships were docking, so all the lorries ferrying goods up to KL had called it quits. Sometimes work at the port slowed down and you'd see migrants drifting into town looking for a few days' casual work here and there, from whoever would employ them. During these periods the town appeared to function normally, which is to say that a visitor like you wouldn't notice anything unusual. You'd see the buses and the markets, shopkeepers sweeping the pavements outside their doors, people sitting down at roadside food stalls - but you'd miss the feeling of anxiety, the knowledge that the entire town depended on trade from faraway places, goods being bought and sold by people we would never know. Some politician in America decides that they can't buy Malaysian rubber gloves; suddenly ten factories in the area have to shut down. The Europeans want to save the fucking planet so they ban the use of palm oil in food; within a month the entire port is on its knees. Life continues, but you feel it slipping quietly away, and you worry that it'll never return. And because of that fear, you feel caught in a suspended state. On the outside, life seems normal, but inside it's drawn to a standstill”.
- We the survivors by Tash Aw
.
.
- [ ] The synopsis that publisher put on the cover : Its about murder
- [ ] The true synopsis after i have finished this book : If you are marginalised and disadvantaged, the world is going to fuck you up and you have to do whatever you can to survive.
I finally picked up Tash Aw’s we the survivors this year. It was long overdue as my best friend love his writing hence i am expected to read at least one of his books. As Ah Hock narrated his story in 2 different settings, one in an interview with Su-Min and another when he recalled back his childhood, teenage-hood, and adulthood memories. One can simply deduce from those stories that he was born in poor and broken family, his parents officially divorced once his mother received the letter from Singapore, his mother had a constant presence in his life until she died. Keong is another character that crucial in his life especially in portraying how contrast he is with Ah Hock. I have to be honest, while it may work in alternating the pages between the conversation that Sumin had with Ah Hock and Ah Hock’s flashback, I wish Tash Aw did not put this dual narration. Undoubtedly, Tash Aw is a brilliant writer and i am looking forward to read Five star billionaire and his other works. The book did well in exposing the subtle racism of south asian (they were referred as ‘black devils’ and southeast asian foreign workers from Malaysian Lens (The locals vs the outsiders). The struggle of foreign workers and Immigrants in Malaysia and how majority of them were being exploited by the capitalists also were shown as both Keong and Ah Hock work in the industry that employed them. Ultimately, the story maybe bleak for some but it is an important one to tell. It was supposed to make us uncomfortable especially if we are already living in bubble and failed to understand the impacts of inequality and prejudice. Its a slow read for me but the ending is where the masterstroke happened. As Su-Min enjoyed her achievement on Ah-Hock’s story, they parted ways without acknowledging that huge class differences, status and privileges existed between them. Overall, a highly recommended book!