2005 book 117

tash aw's the harmony silk factory
currently longlisted for both the booker and the guardian first book awards, aw's novel takes place in malaysia mostly in the 1940s. the first third of the book is narrated by the son of a powerful and corrupt man, johnny lim, as the son attempts to decipher the local legends and figure out the facts of his father's rise to power. the second part of the book is the diary of lim's deceased wife, and the third is told by lim's friend, an englishman in malaysia for unknown reasons. the meat of the story takes place on the cusp of the japanese invasion of malaysia, making for some high drama, intrigue, and betrayal. interestingly, the jacket flap makes some comment about all conrad and maugham and all the other dudes who have written about malaysia, and now we have an "authentic malaysian voice" telling this story--but the novel itself is all about the shifting perspectives of different storytellers. each portion presents a different view of johnny lim, although his true character remains mysterious. this was a riveting story and is well-deserving of any awards it may win.