April 2010 Book of the Month.
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.
| Primary Genre | Modern and Contemporary Fiction |
| Recommendations: |
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.
Map of the Invisible World features in the following genres: Modern and Contemporary Fiction, Books of the Month, Book Club Recommendations, eBooks of the Month, General Fiction, Fiction, Recommendations
Map of the Invisible World is available in Ebook, Paperback
Map of the Invisible World was written by Tash Aw and published by McClelland & Stewart
£25.20
