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A review by kaypat23
LITTLE BASKET 2017: New Malaysian Writing by Catalina Rembuyan, Hazieqa, Daniel Chow, Satpal Kaler, May Chong, Mahen Bala, Hanna Alkaf, Elizabeth Gimbad, Marcus van Geyzel, Julya Oui, Masami Mustaza, Subashini Navaratnam, Ted Mahsun, Maizura Abas, Marc de Faoite, Kevin Lau, Chuah Guat Eng, Terence A. Anthony, Lee Ee Leen, Edwin Kho, Foo Sek Han, Sukhbir Cheema, Leon Wing, Tshiung Han See, Wan Phing Lim, Leela Chakrabarty
3.0
Overall rating: 3.9 ⭐
Little Basket 2017 is a collection of stories from Malaysian writers. Just like the cover implies, the writing is as diverse and flavorful as a basket of Malaysian kuih muih and treats. Each story has its own voice, flavor and distinct aroma. A discerning reader is bound to find something mouthwatering in this book.
The book starts with a very cheeky foreword and manifesto that proudly claims that the book is one of 3000 limited copies and won't be reprinted. The Fixi manifesto is proudly Malaysian which can alienate some readers or welcome them (I felt welcomed!). It is funny, non-apologetic and contains jokes, slangs and cultural quips that are instantly recognizable to our multicultural community (yes, yes we know Malaysians love money! The book cheekily alludes to this at the back by boldly inviting other Malaysians to submit their stories for cash prizes. Got money lah!)
The writing is quite diverse. The majority of the stories are fiction but there is non-fiction, memoirs, poetry, photography and even a short comic. I did not like all of the stories because some were not to my taste. But there were some truly excellent ones that made me sort of sit up and go, "Whoa, whoa. This! This is the tiger in the jungle we have been waiting for."
Some of the stories in there were great. Others were not to my taste since the writing was a little simplistic or the stories felt like they had no clear climax or conflict. Then again, that is just my own opinion! Other people may like them better!
These are the stories that I liked best:
Pantang by Hanna Alkaf
And Crocodiles Lurk Below by Elizabeth Gimbad
TOK KOK: Dissecting Toleransi - Sukhbir Cheema
Marc de Faoite’s Temptation
Wan Phing Lim’s Snake Bridge Temple
My favorite poem was Restless Leg by May Chong. The language, the imagery and the simplicity just captured my heart. I can't really explain what makes a poem special but to me, this one felt lovely. A leg wants to dance and trek moonlight inside, leaving footprints wet with dreams and adventure. I'm paraphrasing but you get the idea. It was just great.
Some stories were memorable gems with beautiful writing. The scenes are moody, almost noir in their wistfulness, potent in nostalgia. There are complex protagonists and scenes from typical Malaysian life that I liked a lot.
"TOK KOK: Dissecting Toleransi" scrutinizes the conflict felt by most Malaysians living in a multicultural society, balancing delicate questions of racism and tolerance with humor and friendship.
Hanna Alkaf is no stranger to my generation who already know her hypnotic, melancholic and poetic writing through [b:The Weight of Our Sky|35614314|The Weight of Our Sky|Hanna Alkaf|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1531930744l/35614314._SY75_.jpg|57055577] and [b:The Girl and the Ghost|48716975|The Girl and the Ghost|Hanna Alkaf|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1585631722l/48716975._SY75_.jpg|71098078]. Her story, Pantang was a quiet, sad meditative piece about a woman who has a miscarriage.
Elizabeth Gimbad's story takes place in Sabah and tells the story of 2 former best friends, showing how poverty, misery and being born as an illegal immigrant can change an entire person's life, turning a child bitter, defensive and emotionally abusive towards any friends she has. A very us vs them mentality was explored in this tale and the metaphor of the "crocodile game" was cleverly used in the end.
Temptation is perhaps the most stylistic out of all the other stories. Marc uses plenty of imagery, using his words to depict flashes of scenery. There are a lot of periods and sentences consisting of nothing but adjectives or emotions. His writing beautifully captures the conflicting and exhausted emotions of a taxi driver in Malaysia who is downtrodden in the very country he has moved to for a better life. I like how the words create flashing images in my mind of a scenery moving by quickly as though in a car ride.
Snake Bridge Temple feels special for a reason I cannot really explain. The protagonist is Chinese, rooted to his hometown and tied to the traditions of the temple that his family is tasked with guarding and upholding. There's just something about the descriptions, scenery and the meditative questions about life, death, materialism and ghost towns that make me believe the story could have been expanded into a novel if given the chance.
The stories have a sophisticated feel to them but are recognizably Malaysian. Slang words, Manglish, nasi lemak, kopitiam, lah, kah...you name it, all of these things are in there. It's very refreshing to see Malaysian culture in a novel!
Some stories are subtly critiquing social issues in Malaysia such as poverty, child abuse, education and racial relations. Other stories like Bhenchod touch on estrangement from an abusive father and a son learning to move beyond it. Some take pride in their heritage, embracing broken English and strength from a hard childhood. In a clever parable about food, one story poked fun at immigration, working overseas and racism. The poetry was quite subversive, powerful and abstract.
Lastly, I liked that one author (Masami Mustaza) wrote about her experience being mixed race and owning her identity because it is rare to see such writing in Malaysia. Seeing their experiences as part of this truly Malaysian collection makes me feel proud.
Overall, it's a great collection with interesting writers. I'd recommend you to borrow this at your local library or just check it out if you want a taste of Malaysian writing. This genre and industry is constantly evolving though so it would be fascinating to see where this will bring us in the future.
Little Basket 2017 is a collection of stories from Malaysian writers. Just like the cover implies, the writing is as diverse and flavorful as a basket of Malaysian kuih muih and treats. Each story has its own voice, flavor and distinct aroma. A discerning reader is bound to find something mouthwatering in this book.
The book starts with a very cheeky foreword and manifesto that proudly claims that the book is one of 3000 limited copies and won't be reprinted. The Fixi manifesto is proudly Malaysian which can alienate some readers or welcome them (I felt welcomed!). It is funny, non-apologetic and contains jokes, slangs and cultural quips that are instantly recognizable to our multicultural community (yes, yes we know Malaysians love money! The book cheekily alludes to this at the back by boldly inviting other Malaysians to submit their stories for cash prizes. Got money lah!)
The writing is quite diverse. The majority of the stories are fiction but there is non-fiction, memoirs, poetry, photography and even a short comic. I did not like all of the stories because some were not to my taste. But there were some truly excellent ones that made me sort of sit up and go, "Whoa, whoa. This! This is the tiger in the jungle we have been waiting for."
Some of the stories in there were great. Others were not to my taste since the writing was a little simplistic or the stories felt like they had no clear climax or conflict. Then again, that is just my own opinion! Other people may like them better!
These are the stories that I liked best:
Pantang by Hanna Alkaf
And Crocodiles Lurk Below by Elizabeth Gimbad
TOK KOK: Dissecting Toleransi - Sukhbir Cheema
Marc de Faoite’s Temptation
Wan Phing Lim’s Snake Bridge Temple
My favorite poem was Restless Leg by May Chong. The language, the imagery and the simplicity just captured my heart. I can't really explain what makes a poem special but to me, this one felt lovely. A leg wants to dance and trek moonlight inside, leaving footprints wet with dreams and adventure. I'm paraphrasing but you get the idea. It was just great.
Some stories were memorable gems with beautiful writing. The scenes are moody, almost noir in their wistfulness, potent in nostalgia. There are complex protagonists and scenes from typical Malaysian life that I liked a lot.
"TOK KOK: Dissecting Toleransi" scrutinizes the conflict felt by most Malaysians living in a multicultural society, balancing delicate questions of racism and tolerance with humor and friendship.
Hanna Alkaf is no stranger to my generation who already know her hypnotic, melancholic and poetic writing through [b:The Weight of Our Sky|35614314|The Weight of Our Sky|Hanna Alkaf|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1531930744l/35614314._SY75_.jpg|57055577] and [b:The Girl and the Ghost|48716975|The Girl and the Ghost|Hanna Alkaf|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1585631722l/48716975._SY75_.jpg|71098078]. Her story, Pantang was a quiet, sad meditative piece about a woman who has a miscarriage.
Elizabeth Gimbad's story takes place in Sabah and tells the story of 2 former best friends, showing how poverty, misery and being born as an illegal immigrant can change an entire person's life, turning a child bitter, defensive and emotionally abusive towards any friends she has. A very us vs them mentality was explored in this tale and the metaphor of the "crocodile game" was cleverly used in the end.
Temptation is perhaps the most stylistic out of all the other stories. Marc uses plenty of imagery, using his words to depict flashes of scenery. There are a lot of periods and sentences consisting of nothing but adjectives or emotions. His writing beautifully captures the conflicting and exhausted emotions of a taxi driver in Malaysia who is downtrodden in the very country he has moved to for a better life. I like how the words create flashing images in my mind of a scenery moving by quickly as though in a car ride.
Snake Bridge Temple feels special for a reason I cannot really explain. The protagonist is Chinese, rooted to his hometown and tied to the traditions of the temple that his family is tasked with guarding and upholding. There's just something about the descriptions, scenery and the meditative questions about life, death, materialism and ghost towns that make me believe the story could have been expanded into a novel if given the chance.
The stories have a sophisticated feel to them but are recognizably Malaysian. Slang words, Manglish, nasi lemak, kopitiam, lah, kah...you name it, all of these things are in there. It's very refreshing to see Malaysian culture in a novel!
Some stories are subtly critiquing social issues in Malaysia such as poverty, child abuse, education and racial relations. Other stories like Bhenchod touch on estrangement from an abusive father and a son learning to move beyond it. Some take pride in their heritage, embracing broken English and strength from a hard childhood. In a clever parable about food, one story poked fun at immigration, working overseas and racism. The poetry was quite subversive, powerful and abstract.
Lastly, I liked that one author (Masami Mustaza) wrote about her experience being mixed race and owning her identity because it is rare to see such writing in Malaysia. Seeing their experiences as part of this truly Malaysian collection makes me feel proud.
Overall, it's a great collection with interesting writers. I'd recommend you to borrow this at your local library or just check it out if you want a taste of Malaysian writing. This genre and industry is constantly evolving though so it would be fascinating to see where this will bring us in the future.