#  >  > Travellers Tales in Thailand and Asia >  >  > Malaysia Forum >  >  Good Malaysian Reads?

## Baas Babelaas

I'm heading to Malaysia for the first time, been meaning to go for years.

I have over that time read a couple of great novels set in Malaysia - can't remember the titles for the life of me.

Any suggested reads? Fiction and non-fiction both good by me, but should be available on Kindle as that's how I read these days.

Ta!

----------


## Latindancer

Weren't a couple of Somerset Maugham's stories set in Malaya ?

----------


## nidhogg

> I'm heading to Malaysia for the first time, been meaning to go for years.
> 
> I have over that time read a couple of great novels set in Malaysia - can't remember the titles for the life of me.
> 
> Any suggested reads? Fiction and non-fiction both good by me, but should be available on Kindle as that's how I read these days.
> 
> Ta!


The Long Day Wanes: A Malayan Trilogy by Anthony Burgess.


Time for a Tiger
The Enemy in the Blanket
Beds in the East

Classics. Have fun.

----------


## Baas Babelaas

Cheers for that!

----------


## mingmong

''Time for a Tiger'

 No but I've time for a Leo! :Smile:

----------


## Roobarb

"The Jungle Never Sleeps" is a good read.

----------


## Baas Babelaas

None of the Malayan Trilogy seem available on Kindle.

But I did get a sample of 'The Garden of Evening Mists', which I now remember I read a few year years back. Great read.

----------


## nidhogg

> None of the Malayan Trilogy seem available on Kindle.


Search for "The long day wanes"

----------


## Jofrey

Don't forget Malaysian Borneo...

https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/borneo

----------


## cyrille

Any personal recs among those, jof?

'My Life As A Fake' is partly set in Malaysia, and well worth reading.

I also enjoyed 'The Garden Of Evening Mists'. 

'The Long Day Wanes' is the cream of the crop, though.

----------


## Jofrey

> personal recs among those, jof?


The first 2 books are good reads ciz. 

Into the heart of Borneo and Stranger in the forest......both about trekking through the jungle and the interactions with the native people.

----------


## Norton

I enjoyed War of the Running Dogs. Non fiction 

War of the Running Dogs: Malaya, 1948-1960:Amazon:Books

----------


## Latindancer

> Originally Posted by cyrille
> 
> personal recs among those, jof?
> 
> 
> The first 2 books are good reads ciz. 
> 
> Into the heart of Borneo and Stranger in the forest......both about trekking through the jungle and the interactions with the native people.



Agreed...great book 
Stranger in the Forest - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

And how about anything written by Bruno Manser ? Though if you're in Malaysia already, it may still be a tad difficult to find anything by him, except on the net.

----------


## Baas Babelaas

Picked up Penang Adventure in ... Penang. Good read so far.

----------


## cyrille

> Picked up Penang Adventure.


Can't quite pin it down, but there's something in that title that suggests you could have done better.

----------


## Exit Strategy

This does not qualify probably but Shamini Flint, Singaporean Inspector Singh Investigates: "Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder". Just an idea.

----------


## Baas Babelaas

> Originally Posted by Baas Babelaas
> 
> Picked up Penang Adventure.
> 
> 
> Can't quite pin it down, but there's something in that title that suggests you could have done better.


It's quite a historical read - explains who's who in the creation of what is Penang today. Good, short read. Actually bought the book in George Town as opposed to buying it for the Kindle.

Will try the Shamini Flint book, if available on Kindle.

Cheers!

----------


## panama hat

> This does not qualify probably but Shamini Flint, Singaporean Inspector Singh Investigates: "Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder". Just an idea.


Read it recently, very light reading but enjoyable

Reading a Penang-based book at the moment that spans from pre-WWII to the present; it includes a Japanese 'sifu' etc....

'*The Gift of Rain*' by Tan Twan Eng

"The recipient of extraordinary acclaim from critics and the bookselling community, Tan Twan Eng's debut novel casts a powerful spell and has garnered comparisons to celebrated wartime storytellers Somerset Maugham and Graham Greene. Set during the tumult of World War II, on the lush Malayan island of Penang, The Gift of Rain tells a riveting and poignant tale about a young man caught in the tangle of wartime loyalties and deceits.

In 1939, sixteen-year-old Philip Hutton-the half-Chinese, half-English youngest child of the head of one of Penang's great trading families-feels alienated from both the Chinese and British communities. He at last discovers a sense of belonging in his unexpected friendship with Hayato Endo, a Japanese diplomat. Philip proudly shows his new friend around his adored island, and in return Endo teaches him about Japanese language and culture and trains him in the art and discipline of aikido. But such knowledge comes at a terrible price. When the Japanese savagely invade Malaya, Philip realizes that his mentor and sensei-to whom he owes absolute loyalty-is a Japanese spy. Young Philip has been an unwitting traitor, and must now work in secret to save as many lives as possible, even as his own family is brought to its knees."



I highly recommend it


Also bought a very interesting book by a Malaysian-Indian ex-naval commodore, more like a collection of essays from his malaysiakini publications.
Very direct, questioning the over-sensitive nature of the Malay population, especially the Malay politicians
Again, can't rememeber the title - but it isn't Penang-oriented and you'd have to know MY history to understand/appreciate it

----------


## grasshopper

Have a look for Little Wilson and Big God - a autobiography by Burgess. Describes how Anthony Burgess came to be. Gives a good insight into his earlier life, wartime experiences and married life and times in Malaya immediately after the war. Gives an explanation as to how the Malaysian Trilogy came about, too.

----------

