This review is part of the Literature World Tour.
I've rather plainly stated on more than one occasion where I'm from, so it's unsurprising that I picked W. Somerset Maugham's Far Eastern Tales for this month's Literature World Tour. I've slowly come round to appreciating the art of the short story, and when a collection starts with a colonial-era description of Tanah Merah, it hit my book-reading sweet spot right away.
There's a certain pleasure to be taken in reading about the region you're from from the eyes of a writer such as Maugham - he is famously known for having 'hung out' at Singapore's Raffles Hotel. It doesn't get a mention, though; the Europa is noted in more than one story as the place to stay in Singapore.
It was an utter delight to see Southeast Asia through the eyes of a 'colonial'. A young Singaporean's knowledge of the rubber industry in Malaysia and the Federation is usually limited to history lessons or - to a decreasing degree - family stories of Granddad's life as a rubber tapper. Maugham brings to vivid life the comparative harshness of a posting to Malaya, and modern expats looking at Malaysia and Singapore now should count themselves very lucky that they are no longer isolated, with the latest news from home only available six weeks later!
The stories that really stood out for me were the ones that delved into the relationships between people, especially those that wouldn't be out of place in today's world - alcoholism, promiscuity, adultery, and even murder. If Maugham had been writing today, his sometimes-louche colonials would probably be reality television celebrities.
Next in Southeast Asia: Jim Murdoch's review of Novel Without a Name
Next stop on the Literature World Tour: New Zealand!
