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The Gift of Rain [Kindle Edition]

Tan Twan Eng (Author)

4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (301 customer reviews)

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Length: 460 pages (Contains Real Page Numbers)
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Product Description

Review

A powerful first novel about a tumultuous and almost forgotten period of history. --Times Literary Supplement

A remarkable book about war, friendship, memory and discipline. --Ian McMillan, BBC Radio 3

Haunting and highly evocative... a deeply moving tale. --Cape Times

Ian McMillan, The Verb, BBC Radio 3

A remarkable book

See all Product Description

Product details

Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 1048 KB
Print Length: 460 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1602860246
Publisher: Myrmidon Books (1 Dec 2010)
Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.� r.l.
Language: English
ASIN: B004ELAOAC
Text-to-Speech: Enabled

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Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (301 customer reviews)

Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,753 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
- #55 in Kindle Store > Books > Fiction > Literary Fiction
- #64 in Books > Fiction > Literary Fiction

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Tan Twan Eng

Twan Eng Tan

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Customer Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars

4.6 out of 5 stars

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

95 of 98 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great and profound read on the Booker List 3 Sep 2007

By S. Charter

Format:Paperback

One of the most readable literary titles on this year's unpredictably eclectic Man Booker Longlist. Highly enjoyable and intricate but without being preachy and tedious. The story of a mixed-blood English young man in pre-war Malaya who befriends a Japanese diplomat.

The writing sometimes rises to poetry without being incomprehensible, and the author never forsakes a strong narrative and a taut and gripping plot, which so many Booker-type novels do. There were one or two points in the book which made me a bit impatient, but coming to the end of the book I understood why those parts were necessary.

My wife and I loved it (she cried at some parts of the book) and will recommend it to our reading-circle. Somehow, life looks subtly different after closing the book...

Hope it'll go onto the short list.

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126 of 131 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best Books of the Year 8 Nov 2007

By Sam Burrows

Format:Paperback

The Gift of Rain starts slowly but builds into a gripping, emotionally-disturbing book. The reader is taken through the emotional-growth of the main character, Philip Hutton, as he grapples with his guilt and pain and the choices he had to make when the Japanese attacks Malaya and his home of Penang. At the novel's heart is one of the most unusual stories I have come across. I was drained when I came to the last page, but I felt compelled to read it all over again immediately, this time to savour the lyricism of the writing and descriptions - it was like viewing a Chinese painting come to life.

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207 of 217 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A marvelously good book that I thoroughly recommend. 9 Jun 2007

By Reader

Format:Paperback

Once I started reading The Gift of Rain I could not put down. For two days I was lost in the amazing world of the people of Malaya in a sad and terrible time in their history on the island of Penang off the west coast of what is now peninsular Malaysia. After putting the book down, the story haunted me so much that I read it a second time.

Let me say first of all that the Gift of Rain is a great, easy and thoroughly entertaining read from its very beginning when deep in the night an elderly Japanese lady brings a sword to the front door of an elderly man who has been trying for 50 years to come to terms with his terrible past.

Like so many great novels this book refuses to be categorized; it has elements of a historical novel, a coming of age story, a war novel, a treatise on martial arts. Martial arts go to the root of Asian philosophy: Daoism, Confucianism and Buddhism are all in the book. Predestination versus free will is one of the book's most important themes. The protagonist Philip Hutton's character is shaped by his struggles at a time of war to balance his duty and his loyalty to his father, his family, his country and the enemy in the form of his beloved martial arts teacher, his sensei, Hayato Endo.

The narrative begins as a reflective and beautifully written coming of age story when the sixteen year old, half Chinese boy, Philip Hutton meets the enigmatic Japanese diplomat Endo-san, who becomes his martial arts master and starts him off on an incredibly exciting but unbearably sad voyage of conflict and self discovery.

When the Japanese invade Malaya the tone and style of the book change. The book turns into a fast moving war story. But war destroys and the war has devastating effects on the lives of all the complex main characters. Read more ›

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48 of 50 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars For those who know Malaysia and those who do not. 8 April 2007

By Wayne

Format:Paperback

An excellent read where the complexities of history and culture come into focus. Set against the contradictions of colonial Malaya and World War II, it looks at how a one country, Japan, can be refined and civilised yet brutal and selfish at the same time. Through the central character it looks at the cultural divide of being from two different cultural backgrounds and not feeling one belongs to either. It introduces a good deal of the Malaysia we see today and will be enjoyed by those who wish to learn more of this country as well as those who know it well. Yet it also taps into the personalities and feelings of the major characters to remind us that history is always about people.

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27 of 28 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A worthy addition to the Man Booker Canon 13 Nov 2007

By Nicholas J.

Format:Paperback

The book starts slowly - too slowly - but that, I realised later, is the beauty of it. The story soon becomes very moving, looking inwards into the memories of an old man and a lifetime of pain and sacrifices and love.

Well worth the time and effort reading and rereading it. The author has captured the aspects of ageing and family and the power of memories beautifully. Colonial Malaya comes alive and western readers are given remarkable insights into one aspect of history which has always been overlooked.

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55 of 58 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant 18 Jun 2007

By James B. Gough

Format:Paperback

This is a most exciting Book by a new Author from which one can only hope that many future books will come.The story is so gripping that I was unable to put the book down for the last 100 pages.

The atmosphere is superbly achieved and one feels one could be living in Penang where the book is set in the 30s and 40s.The interplay between the various ethnic groups and the effect on them of WW2 cannot have been better portrayed.Although set in Penang the story could have easily been set elsewhere in Asia and will be of interest to millions of people for whom the problems of WW2 have not been much exposed to date.

But essentially this is an exciting story with some dramatic aspects that are not resolved until the final pages.

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› See all 301 customer reviews (newest first) on Amazon.co.uk

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars An introduction to Malaysia

I read this book whilst I was staying in Kuala Lumpare and found it a great introduction into Malaysia's history during the 2nd world war. Read more

Published 2 days ago by Ann Marsland

5.0 out of 5 stars Appreciation

I know Penang quite well and this book is reviving many happy memories. I like this author's style of writing - interesting characters ad a good story. Read more

Published 4 days ago by K ROGERS

5.0 out of 5 stars A book in a million

A wonderful story which kept me entranced right through the book with great descriptions of all the different happenings be they happy or sad. Read more

Published 4 days ago by Rosemary white

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent

I read this book after reading the Garden of Evening Mists which I had to read twice over because I did not want it to end. Read more

Published 13 days ago by Lorina

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful

It is not often that a fascinating story is also beautifully written but in the is case it is one that satisfies on both counts!

Published 14 days ago by Adrea Hennessy

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant

.fascinating intriguing kept you there in story the whole time Second book I have read by Tan Twan Eng look forward to more

Published 18 days ago by Nonna

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but Garden of Evening Mists is better

Overlong and some ideas poorly formed here, but still an enjoyable read. The later, Garden of Evening Mists, is a better book.

Published 19 days ago by Amazonian

5.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting and informative

This is such a well written story. You couldn't say it is lovely due to the subject matter but it does tell you about what happened in Malaysia during the second world war. Read more

Published 19 days ago by Maude1963

5.0 out of 5 stars A great read.

A thought provoking book. It gives great insight into the difficulties and hardship of people living in an occupied country during the second world war; the reasons for the... Read more

Published 28 days ago by Patricia G.

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow wow and wow again

what an amazing book I couldn't put it down. The beauty of his words blew me away and the truth of them even more. Read more

Published 1 month ago by Spike

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Never meet a person�s anger directly. Deflect, distract him, even agree with him. Unbalance his mind, and you can lead him anywhere you want.� "e;

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