It has been five years since we had a new Tash Aw and the wait has been worth it. This is a lovely book (although in my opinion the ending tailed off) of the lives of brothers separated by adoption, one to follow a privileged path, the other poverty. It is set in Indonesia amid political turmoil and bloody conflict. Big in scope and colour.
Set during the tumultuous Year of Living Dangerously in post-colonial Indonesia, a stunning follow-up to the international debut literary sensation The Harmony Silk Factory.Tash Aw burst onto the international literary scene in 2005 with his highly acclaimed, award-winning debut novel. Now, with the same lyrical evocation of an exotic yet tumultuous world that made The Harmony Silk Factory so beloved, Map of the Invisible World is masterful, psychologically rich, and deeply rewarding.Sixteen-year-old Adam is an orphan three times over. He and his older brother, Johan, were abandoned by their mother as children; then Adam watched as Johan was taken away by a wealthy couple; and now Karl, the artist who raised Adam, has been arrested by soldiers during Sukarnos drive to purge 1960s Indonesia of its colonial past.All Adam has to guide him in his quest to find Karl are some old photos and letters one of which sends him to the colourful, dangerous capital, Jakarta, and to Margaret, an American whose own past is bound up with Karls. Soon, both have embarked on journeys of discovery that seem destined to turn tragic.Woven hauntingly into this page-turning story is the voice of Johan, who is living a seemingly carefree, privileged life in Malaysia, but who is careening out of control as he cannot forget his long-ago betrayal of his helpless, trusting brother.Map of the Invisible World confirms Tash Aw as one of the most exciting young voices on the international stage.From the Hardcover edition.
'Aw's first novel was a sublime piece of work that Doris Lessing called unputdownable . She will find this one similarly mesmerising!This is absolutely stunning writing - Aw is emerging as a master storyteller.' The Times
'Aw's prose can be powerful and mesmerising in its sense of place...and psychological acuity. Haunting and memorable.' Maya Jaggi, Guardian
'Aw is a writer of great power and delicacy, as able to conjure stampeding crowds as the glow of fireflies.' Daily Mail
'Aw's sinuous writing vividly brings the turbulent social backdrop to life.' Sunday Times
'His prose is vividly lyrical; and one can almost feel the heat and smell the sweat of Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur.' Independent
'Buoyant, limber, confidently told!a book embodying huge ambition, jostling with love, betrayal and guilt, all set poignantly and subtly against the politics of turmoil in post-colonial Indonesia circa 1964.' Scotsman
'An intelligent second novel!Aw's characteristic tone is a fine lyricism that, at best owes something to Michael Ondaatje or Anne Michaels!Aw has an exceptional talent for set pieces.' Sunday Telegraph
Author
About Tash Aw
Tash Aw is a recent graduate of UEA. He is Malaysian by birth but now lives in London. The Harmony Silk Factory is his first novel.
