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theeuphoriczat's review
4.0
Thanks to Audrey Chin and TLC book tours for making this book available to me!
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So basically, a clairvoyant nun is sent to the Ash House to look into the Heir, Arno of the Tjoa family and rumours of his obsession with dolls. But on getting to the house, Sister Mary had to contend with the ghosts that roam, the ideas that flourish and the continuous test of his faith and will.
We go back a few years before Girl, the maid was comatose and how she got to that state. Taken from her small village to serve at the house, she becomes a victim of the house, Arno's father and history! While Arno did care for her, it was so selfish. I mean the guy kept her hair under lock and key. Even when she was comatose, he wanted to marry her without her permission. I mean ghost marriages was what started the whole thing with his grandfather. One would think he would stay far away from the kind of thing.
It was a very refreshing read. I got to learn a bit about this side of Singaporean culture! This gothic novel was not what I was expecting!
Themes
-Sexual Assault
-Ghost marriages
-Demonic possessions
-Exorcism
.
So basically, a clairvoyant nun is sent to the Ash House to look into the Heir, Arno of the Tjoa family and rumours of his obsession with dolls. But on getting to the house, Sister Mary had to contend with the ghosts that roam, the ideas that flourish and the continuous test of his faith and will.
We go back a few years before Girl, the maid was comatose and how she got to that state. Taken from her small village to serve at the house, she becomes a victim of the house, Arno's father and history! While Arno did care for her, it was so selfish. I mean the guy kept her hair under lock and key. Even when she was comatose, he wanted to marry her without her permission. I mean ghost marriages was what started the whole thing with his grandfather. One would think he would stay far away from the kind of thing.
It was a very refreshing read. I got to learn a bit about this side of Singaporean culture! This gothic novel was not what I was expecting!
Themes
-Sexual Assault
-Ghost marriages
-Demonic possessions
-Exorcism
hyeyeongie's review
3.0
In case you’re wondering, I gave it a 3 because I expected a total spookiness. Which wasn’t the case for this book. Anyhow, read below to know my points from this book
The writing is good! The author effortlessly sweep you into the scenes, you won’t find trouble in envisioning yourself in the ash house. Enormous yet eerie; a house lived by 3 generations of Tjoa
✨Bonus point if you’re Peranakan or familiar with Chinese family traditions. Also some knowledge of Catholicism
At first, it was a bit confusing esp with the changing POV of different spirits. I was unsure who’s the main character since the voice of nun became less apparent. But the story progressed well after getting more insight stories of each spirits, and finally uncurled the family drama…
So the ghosts are there for a reason
The writing is good! The author effortlessly sweep you into the scenes, you won’t find trouble in envisioning yourself in the ash house. Enormous yet eerie; a house lived by 3 generations of Tjoa
✨Bonus point if you’re Peranakan or familiar with Chinese family traditions. Also some knowledge of Catholicism
At first, it was a bit confusing esp with the changing POV of different spirits. I was unsure who’s the main character since the voice of nun became less apparent. But the story progressed well after getting more insight stories of each spirits, and finally uncurled the family drama…
So the ghosts are there for a reason
_treatyoshelves_'s review
4.0
I signed up to this book tour as the author is from Singapore, and for those of you that don't know, that is where my boyfriend is currently living for work. The book was also shipped from Singapore so I thought that would be a cool little connection, to own a book that's come from where Jack is living now!
This was a brand new genre to me - Asian Gothic. I have recently discovered a love for gothic fiction in general, and was super excited to see what this book was like. I really loved the author's writing style - it was very easy to get into and was so immersive and interesting that I always wanted to keep reading!
Obviously this book is fiction, but I loved all the literal cultural references and nods to Southeast Asian traditions that I had not previously known much about - definitely some areas I want to read up on in future!
I really liked the character development throughout the book, and all of the characters were really well written.
I love a paranormal element in a book, and this was no exception. This wasn't a scary book, but there were definitely bits that were creepy and made you think hard! It was such an interesting concept for a book, and I hope to read more from Audrey Chin in future!
This was a brand new genre to me - Asian Gothic. I have recently discovered a love for gothic fiction in general, and was super excited to see what this book was like. I really loved the author's writing style - it was very easy to get into and was so immersive and interesting that I always wanted to keep reading!
Obviously this book is fiction, but I loved all the literal cultural references and nods to Southeast Asian traditions that I had not previously known much about - definitely some areas I want to read up on in future!
I really liked the character development throughout the book, and all of the characters were really well written.
I love a paranormal element in a book, and this was no exception. This wasn't a scary book, but there were definitely bits that were creepy and made you think hard! It was such an interesting concept for a book, and I hope to read more from Audrey Chin in future!
ywanderingreads's review
3.0
Another Spooktober read I have on my list is Audrey Chin’s ‘The Ash House’. I was first drawn to the cover and then when I read the blurb, I immediately added this to my #tbr. She was so kind to provide an arc for readers who were interested in the story and that’s how I got my copy.
This story follows Sister Mary Michael Chan, a nun who is sent by her bishop to investigate a possible haunting in the Tjoa family home. The Tjoa family is a well-established business family who had experienced some paranormal activity in the house. The youngest master of the house, Arno, has been portraying strange behaviours with his collection of dolls dressed in his hand-made Peranakan costumes. These dolls are a imitation of the female relatives and maid in the house. He is possibly possessed by a spirit…Initial investigations suggest the second wife of Arno’s grandfather, Bing Fa, is behind this in order to release herself from a curse that binds her to the family. Or is it?
Another important character is Girl, a maid hired to care for Arno’s grandmother. She seeks for better opportunities in life and doesn’t want to be a slave to forever, like Cook. She is opened to the possibility of marrying into the Tjoa family, but is that what her heart desires? As she looks for a way out, she becomes entangled with the Tjoa family and becomes a useful tool for Bing Fa.
I absolutely love the setting of the story which is filled with Asian culture and beliefs. I also got a glimpse of the Tjoa family history which transcends generations, mixing the old with the new. I love that all the main characters have a voice in this story and their contributions which led to their demise. She also covers themes of filial piety in a rich household - how many of us would personally take care of our elderly till the end? Do we not rely on domestic help and end up not spending precious time with them? Another theme she covers is the abuse of female domestic help who are not able to fend for themselves which is a common occurrence nowadays. There were also glimpses of social injustices, family hierarchy drama and gender biases.
I love how Audrey seamlessly added all these themes into the story. Although this didn’t spook me, I was quite invested in the story and I really enjoyed it! Thank you Audrey for sharing an arc with me.
This story follows Sister Mary Michael Chan, a nun who is sent by her bishop to investigate a possible haunting in the Tjoa family home. The Tjoa family is a well-established business family who had experienced some paranormal activity in the house. The youngest master of the house, Arno, has been portraying strange behaviours with his collection of dolls dressed in his hand-made Peranakan costumes. These dolls are a imitation of the female relatives and maid in the house. He is possibly possessed by a spirit…Initial investigations suggest the second wife of Arno’s grandfather, Bing Fa, is behind this in order to release herself from a curse that binds her to the family. Or is it?
Another important character is Girl, a maid hired to care for Arno’s grandmother. She seeks for better opportunities in life and doesn’t want to be a slave to forever, like Cook. She is opened to the possibility of marrying into the Tjoa family, but is that what her heart desires? As she looks for a way out, she becomes entangled with the Tjoa family and becomes a useful tool for Bing Fa.
I absolutely love the setting of the story which is filled with Asian culture and beliefs. I also got a glimpse of the Tjoa family history which transcends generations, mixing the old with the new. I love that all the main characters have a voice in this story and their contributions which led to their demise. She also covers themes of filial piety in a rich household - how many of us would personally take care of our elderly till the end? Do we not rely on domestic help and end up not spending precious time with them? Another theme she covers is the abuse of female domestic help who are not able to fend for themselves which is a common occurrence nowadays. There were also glimpses of social injustices, family hierarchy drama and gender biases.
I love how Audrey seamlessly added all these themes into the story. Although this didn’t spook me, I was quite invested in the story and I really enjoyed it! Thank you Audrey for sharing an arc with me.
mrsbookburnee's review
3.0
This is my first time reading the genre of Asian Gothic, which I found interesting. This book includes a love story, mystery, the paranormal , and quietly the odd! Barrie doll heads?
nini23's review
3.0
Disclosure: I received a complimentary pdf copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
Content warnings: Possession by ghost/spirit, sexual predation by employer, domestic worker abuse, elderly neglect, ableist language
The Ash House, slated for release in August 2021 by Penguin Random House SEA, is written by Audrey Chin. Ms Chin is an established Singaporean author of Peranakan Vietnamese heritage, this is my first encounter with her work. Described as an 'Asian Gothic' story, the book opens with a Roman Catholic nun, Sister Mary Michael Chan, being assigned by her local bishop to investigate the house of a prominent merchant family for malignant paranormal influences. The young master of the house, Arno Tjoa Jia Hao, has been behaving in an extremely strange manner with his collection of Barbie dolls, each draped in his designer Peranakan costumes and corresponding to the female relatives and maid in the house. Yes, it's as creepy as it sounds.
The story is set in a contemporary setting in Kota Chahaya, malay for City of Light, a 21st century affluent port city in South-east Asia. As the investigation proceeds and pieces of the sordid tale emerges, we are privy to the history of three generations of the Tjoa family as well that of Bing Fa, a pipa player courtesan from Guangzhou, and Girl, an unnamed domestic worker from what sounds like Indonesia, who works in the Tjoa household and had a suspicious debilitating 'accident.' What struck me as each voice in this atmospheric house tells their story and viewpoint is that there's no central protagonist, everyone gets equal billing. Each character is encased in their role, sure of their contribution and control over cause and effect in the events, yet each story unfurls yet another layer of complexity, revising our understanding. Two of the characters are deliberately not named, Girl and Cook, 'the help' of the house.
One of the underlying themes of the book is the lust for young women's bodies by men in positions of power and the crushing inexorable effect of that on their fates. The business family holdings founder Tjoa Ek Kia who traps Bing Fa in a ghost marriage, his gambling son drunk on alcohol and carnal pleasures and finally grandson Arno a fixated obsession with marrying doll Girl by proxy. This has a domino effect on the tapestry of events eg the other wives of elder Tjoa plot to deal with Bing Fa's usurpation of favour in the household in the style of Raise The Red Lantern. Listening to the old Shanghainese song 秋水伊人 which plays an important part of the story definitely added to the nostalgic seductive melancholic ambience.
There's a few areas in the book that discomfited me: 1) How Gran was depicted, albeit in the eyes of Girl - basically "sick, slop, shit" in detail. This elderly person was reduced by language repeatedly to crude biological functions, this may be harmful considering our rapidly aging society, the intimation of them being an enormous burden and robbing them of dignity and humanity. 2) Girl's seduction of Arno, under Bing Fa's tutelage. One of the common often unfounded fears of employers is that the female migrant maid will use her feminine wiles on the husband or males of the house, I've heard some will request "ugly, old" maids to guard against that. So having Girl fulfill this suspected action in this fictional story may fuel this paranoia. 3) Arno described as "maimed baby", "stuttering", cripple, variations of fat. 4) The contemptuous sneering by Girl and Cook privately of 'the Cinos.' All this is not to be conflated with the author's views, she is giving voice to traditionally disempowered women and donating proceeds of the book to HOME (the Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics), a non-profit that supports abused domestic workers. Highlighting the plight of migrant workers who have suffered horrendous abuse is a worthy cause.
Lastly, I would have liked more fleshing out of Girl's background. What are the specific ghost supernatural Indonesian stories or folklore she grew up with? What's the Malay name of her childhood lover Buffalo Boy and why are they so attached? What were her favourite childhood comfort foods? (There was a mention of an Indonesian oxtail soup by her mother). Why does she like that kdrama You Who Came From The Stars (and when did she have time in her exhaustive schedule to watch it)? And this last little niggling curiosity, did Arno talak x 3 her according to tradition?
Many thanks to the author for giving me the opportunity to read this unique work.
Content warnings: Possession by ghost/spirit, sexual predation by employer, domestic worker abuse, elderly neglect, ableist language
The Ash House, slated for release in August 2021 by Penguin Random House SEA, is written by Audrey Chin. Ms Chin is an established Singaporean author of Peranakan Vietnamese heritage, this is my first encounter with her work. Described as an 'Asian Gothic' story, the book opens with a Roman Catholic nun, Sister Mary Michael Chan, being assigned by her local bishop to investigate the house of a prominent merchant family for malignant paranormal influences. The young master of the house, Arno Tjoa Jia Hao, has been behaving in an extremely strange manner with his collection of Barbie dolls, each draped in his designer Peranakan costumes and corresponding to the female relatives and maid in the house. Yes, it's as creepy as it sounds.
The story is set in a contemporary setting in Kota Chahaya, malay for City of Light, a 21st century affluent port city in South-east Asia. As the investigation proceeds and pieces of the sordid tale emerges, we are privy to the history of three generations of the Tjoa family as well that of Bing Fa, a pipa player courtesan from Guangzhou, and Girl, an unnamed domestic worker from what sounds like Indonesia, who works in the Tjoa household and had a suspicious debilitating 'accident.' What struck me as each voice in this atmospheric house tells their story and viewpoint is that there's no central protagonist, everyone gets equal billing. Each character is encased in their role, sure of their contribution and control over cause and effect in the events, yet each story unfurls yet another layer of complexity, revising our understanding. Two of the characters are deliberately not named, Girl and Cook, 'the help' of the house.
One of the underlying themes of the book is the lust for young women's bodies by men in positions of power and the crushing inexorable effect of that on their fates. The business family holdings founder Tjoa Ek Kia who traps Bing Fa in a ghost marriage, his gambling son drunk on alcohol and carnal pleasures and finally grandson Arno a fixated obsession with marrying doll Girl by proxy. This has a domino effect on the tapestry of events eg the other wives of elder Tjoa plot to deal with Bing Fa's usurpation of favour in the household in the style of Raise The Red Lantern. Listening to the old Shanghainese song 秋水伊人 which plays an important part of the story definitely added to the nostalgic seductive melancholic ambience.
There's a few areas in the book that discomfited me: 1) How Gran was depicted, albeit in the eyes of Girl - basically "sick, slop, shit" in detail. This elderly person was reduced by language repeatedly to crude biological functions, this may be harmful considering our rapidly aging society, the intimation of them being an enormous burden and robbing them of dignity and humanity. 2) Girl's seduction of Arno, under Bing Fa's tutelage. One of the common often unfounded fears of employers is that the female migrant maid will use her feminine wiles on the husband or males of the house, I've heard some will request "ugly, old" maids to guard against that. So having Girl fulfill this suspected action in this fictional story may fuel this paranoia. 3) Arno described as "maimed baby", "stuttering", cripple, variations of fat. 4) The contemptuous sneering by Girl and Cook privately of 'the Cinos.' All this is not to be conflated with the author's views, she is giving voice to traditionally disempowered women and donating proceeds of the book to HOME (the Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics), a non-profit that supports abused domestic workers. Highlighting the plight of migrant workers who have suffered horrendous abuse is a worthy cause.
Lastly, I would have liked more fleshing out of Girl's background. What are the specific ghost supernatural Indonesian stories or folklore she grew up with? What's the Malay name of her childhood lover Buffalo Boy and why are they so attached? What were her favourite childhood comfort foods? (There was a mention of an Indonesian oxtail soup by her mother). Why does she like that kdrama You Who Came From The Stars (and when did she have time in her exhaustive schedule to watch it)? And this last little niggling curiosity, did Arno talak x 3 her according to tradition?
Many thanks to the author for giving me the opportunity to read this unique work.
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