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freddie's review
4.0
Although the stories are not all interconnected (a la the previous collection Ripples), there are separate blocks of interconnected stories which lend this collection an interesting vibe. I like how science fiction (and a bit of fantasy) is employed in some stories to convey commentary on some issues in contemporary Malaysian society, without sacrificing the nuance and complexities that come with them.
misspalah's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
My late father used to make a living as a fortune teller. He called himself a calculator of fates and read fortunes by weighing bones. This was not a weight in kilogrammes or pounds, but an astrological weight based on the circumstances of one's birth. According to my father's Tong Shu almanac, heavy bones foretold a good life. They were dense with marrow and rich in celestial calcium, strong enough to weather hard knocks and march through life unmolested. Light-boned people, on the other hand, hovered on the edges of existence, insubstantial and easily broken. As a child, I had wondered if the predictions in my father's almanac applied only to Chinese people, the way some heavens were open only to followers of certain gods. My father had chastised me for my ignorance. Bone weight did not depend on skin colour or preferred choice of heaven.
- Bone Weight and other stories by Shih - Li Kow
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This is my first book of Shih Li Kow and i need to find her other books ASAP. I love that not a single bad stories that was featured in this compilation. Sure, some stories were short and some ending remains open and inconclusive but writing-wise? A chef kiss. I was not ready with ‘Old Enough For this’. It sent a chill down my spine, to be frank. It was haunting in a subtle way. The fountain also hold no punches. It sure showed that humanity is such a frail little things and everyone is in it for themselves. If you are weak, you will be trampled on by others. Seventeenth Floor might not be other reader’s cup of tea but i enjoyed it. It captured this weird obsession towards a stranger even though you barely knew a person. The story titled ‘It only amplifies’ emphasized on the co-dependency and the emotional attachment towards the inherited object from her mother. Splice reminds me of a black mirror - A dark sci-fi, to be specific. Fuck around with time and paid the price for it. I think the last one that i truly love is ‘Silica Dust and Silica Sky’ - thematically, it is a class war. The riches gets to enjoy clear air, clean water and the place are shielded from the flood as it is in high altitude while the poor gots what’s left of it. The entrance to the riches area was restricted and you needed pass for it. And in this story, the guy moved up in the upper strata of society while the girl left behind eventhough they planned to do it together. I could have highlighted other stories but i wanted you guys to read this book. Also, the last 2 stories , Bone Weight and The Day Comes should have been a full fledge novel. I was so investef. This would have been 5 stars but some short stories ending left me wanting for more 🥲.
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