A brilliant novel (now being translated into many languages around the world for simultaneous publication in 2005) from a genuinely exciting new voice in British fiction. A novel for anyone who enjoyed The English Patient.
Set in Malaysia in the 1930s and 40s, with the rumbling of the Second World War in the background and the Japanese about to invade, The Harmony Silk Factory is the story of four people: Johnny, an infamous Chinaman – a salesman, a fraudster, possibly a murderer – whose shop house, The Harmony Silk Factory, he uses as a front for his illegal businesses; Snow Soong, the beautiful daughter of one of the Kinta Valley’s most prominent families, who dies giving birth to one of the novel’s narrators; Kunichika, a Japanese officer who loves Snow too; and an Englishman, Peter Wormwood, who went to Malaysia like many English but never came back, who also loved Snow to the end of his life. A journey the four of them take into the jungle has a devastating effect on all of them, and brilliantly exposes the cultural tensions of the era.
Haunting, highly original, The Harmony Silk Factory is suspenseful to the last page. It will be one of the most talked about and admired novels of 2005.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
'A fine, strong, confident novel – and what a storyteller Tash Aw is. Unputdownable’
Doris Lessing
'The Harmony Silk Factory is an utterly remarkable debut. It's a dream of a novel, lovely and exquisite and intense, and reveals Tash Aw's already prodigious gift for storytelling; this young writer has come to us fully formed, and with the promise of a long and significant career.' Chang-rae Lee
'Bewitchingly written and gracefully assured ... The story Aw tells is mercilessly gripping and his prose is lucid, uncluttered, beautiful ... Aw orchestrates a graceful ballet of dissonances and congruences, of echoes and discords.' Neel Mukherjee, The Times
'Tash Aw's striking debut is as elusive as it is exotic. Aw is a skilled and sensitive writer' Daily Mail
'Absorbing ... a rich, intense novel ... The strength of Tash Aw's writing can be seen in the three narratives. Each voice is distinct and each offers a subtly different viewpoint, remaking the material afresh ... The beauty and danger of nature are everywhere in this delicately drawn novel' TLS
Tash Aw is a recent graduate of UEA. He is Malaysian by birth but now lives in London. This is his first novel.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
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Book Description Condition: Good. Good condition. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains. Seller Inventory # H01A-01117
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Very Good. The Harmony Silk Factory This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 7719-9780007193813
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Very Good. This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 6545-9780007193813
Book Description Soft cover. Condition: Good. First. Seller Inventory # 047670
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Very Good. **PAPERBACK**. Seller Inventory # mon0000317723
Book Description Soft cover. Condition: Good. Reprint. Large softcover, reprint, 486gms, 362 pages. This is the story of Johnny Lim, textile merchant, petty crook and inventor of the Amazing Toddy Machine, and his marriage to the beautiful Snow Soong. Book is in good condition with minor general wear and tear and moderate to heavy page discolouration/spotting throughout, otherwise no other pre-loved markings. Seller Inventory # GENFIC78387