Book Review - The Girl on the Train

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

This story is not just about one girl, but 3 main female characters. It is told through the eyes of 3 ladies - Rachel, Megan and Anna. The narration comes in the form of diary entries, from the perception of 3 unreliable narrators. Seeing the same day and similar events through the eyes of 3 person is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle; the whole can only surface completely when all 3 pieces are interlocked at the right places. This immediately post a challenge to the reader, especially since Rachel's story started on 5 July 2013; Megan's story started 1 year prior to this date and Anna's story didn't start until 15 days later. The entire story spanned only 6 weeks, till 18 August, but if we add a whole year of Megan's story to it, it felt like we knew her and Rachel all their life. Megan's bits and pieces of the past was interwoven into the relevant events of Rachel's present, and thus, it is very easy to be misled by who exactly was Megan having an affair with that eventually led to her murder.

There was another female character who was a constant in this story, and that's Cathy, Rachel's sympathetic girlfriend. She patiently put up with Rachel's need for an accommodation, her uncountable times where she needed a drink and her sympathy for Rachel even after she found out that her friend had lied about her job.

And finally the two male characters who interacted with Rachel extensively - Tom, her ex-husband and Scott, Megan's husband. Not forgetting Kamal, the strikingly handsome psychiatrist who was my prime suspect for a good part of the book. The fact that Kamal was who I thought as an obvious answer to the mystery was largely due to the lagging storytelling of Megan's life in between the timeline of Rachel's. Megan's relationship with Kamal didn't exist; but the reader is led to believe it did, due to the cleverly placed timelines adjacent to each other. The really relationship was with someone else, and it wasn't reveal until the very end.

The only frustration while going through the book is Rachel's ever need to drink; it was just a little to much before Rachel started to sober up. The turn from addiction to drinking to fully free of alcohol was a great relief to the reader, especially since it was the drink that made Rachel blackout at the most crucial moments before Megan was taken away. It was frustrating seeing Rachel searching through her leaky memories to try to reconstruct those moments.

Rachel's unreliable narration was brilliant in bringing the readers into her world and seeing things in her perspective. She was not the only Girl on the Train; we all were on the same train with her.

Reading Challenge categories - unreliable narrator; female author; book made into film; debut novel.

Book Review - The Children Act by Ian McEwan

The Children Act is about choices. Choices that we make in life that have profound impact on the people around us. The impact could come only in weeks, or months, and sometimes, we may not even know what they are when it happens.

Fiona is a very level headed Judge. She has a big heart and cared that she made decisions that are well thought through in the eyes of the law, and always have in mind the interest of the children involved in the cases. The case of the Jehovah Witness and the legality of the blood transfusion is the main case that underlies the better part of the story. Other cases described in the books include the Chareidi children and the conjoint twin, Matthew and Mark. These cases are all controversial in nature, deeply rooted in religion and morality. The fact that there could be a legal stand and a very logical one in such cases, is an eye-opener for me. The law is always on the side of the decision that is made for the interest, and especially the health of the children in these case, but the religious backlash could also be tremendous. In the case of the conjoint twin, venomous letters came to refute Fiona's judgement. In the case of Adam Henry, he renounced his faith immediately upon getting well, only to die for his faith at a later stage. Did Fiona regret after making her judgement? To this end, McEwan did a great job portraying the real human being behind a fierce and intelligent judge. It is no longer about right or wrong, it is about the ability to live with the decision and move on.

It is worth noting the brilliant account of Adam Henry's psychological state after he recovery. He renounced his faith after he found out about the hypocrisy of his parents - how they thought they had manipulated the law to their advantage without having to sin against their faith.  He seemed to have gotten back to normal life of a teenager, however, his mind was already pinned on Fiona. He expressed his feelings through his letters and poems, and even acted out his fantasy for Fiona through his actions. All alarm bells should have sounded when he tracked Fiona down in the rain. What Fiona chose to do next was not realistic. With all the experience she had with children, being a protector of them through the Children Act, it is not believable that she would be so weak and so emotionally unstable as to kiss a 18 years old boy, especially one that exhibited psychotic symptoms. However, the final poem written by Adam with vivid description of what transpired was truly brilliant. I totally enjoyed the poem, especially the last sentence when the truth was finally revealed. The poem made much sense from the perspective of the boy. The kiss was the kiss of Satan; Fiona knew it was wrong and there are bound to be repercussions. The fact that McEwan chose not to address it could only be accounted by Fiona's character weakness. Finally the boy decided to get back to his faith and refuse a second blood transfusion. The book claimed suicide; I like to think sweet revenge - revenge for the parent who lied on their true intention in the first instance, and revenge on Fiona for the kiss and the first decision that caused him to deviate from his faith. Is it a good ending? Not at all, but it is an unexpected twist in the book and a very daring one.

What I definitely did not enjoy was the relationship between Fiona and Jack. Jack was portrayed as the husband that any woman would loved to have. He asked permission to have an affair! How realistic is that in real life? Surely there are more husbands who ask for forgiveness than for permission? What was truly enduring was the patience he exhibited to Fiona upon his return and how he truly wanted to make the marriage work. On other hand, Fiona was the principled wife that would not even see any virtue of her husband and kept pushing him away. At age sixty, maybe all that Fiona needed was her job. However, the emotional unstable state that she got into after a difficult case seemed to indicate vulnerability, yet not needing the only one that truly cared for her? It is always good that the ending is a happy one. It gives the reader a sense of completeness; and put the good and evil in the book right back to their rightful place.

The title of the book seemed to infer to the work done by the Family Division in using the Act to protect the interest of the children in family disputes. However, I wasn't really sure if the essence of the Act was brought out deeply in the book, or was it the original intention to do so? The children cases mentioned in the book were controversial, but they were hardly deep enough or detailed enough to warrant the book title. If this is a book about Fiona and her husband, it is rather difficult to follow that line of writing sometimes. The case of the conjoint twin was described while Fiona and Jack were having an argument, inserted somewhere in the middle of a conversation. The case was interesting but it was a distraction from the storyline of Fiona and Jack.

Overall, it is an enjoyable read for 2 hours, easy enough. Interesting ideas were built into the book, but nothing truly spectacular to ponder after.

Book Challenge: a book that you can finish in a day; a book on a difficult topic.

Theater Review - Public Enemy (2015)

This article is imported from a blog that I decided to discontinue...

A Wildrice production, watched 16 April 2015

http://www.wildrice.com.sg/productions/162-public-enemy

"Let us get down to fundamentals. Is this an open, or is this a closed society? Is it a society where men can preach ideas - novel, unorthodox, heresies, to established churches and established governments - where there is a constant contest for men's hearts and minds on the basis of what is right, of what is just, of what is in the national interests, or is it a closed society where the mass media - the newspapers, the journals, publications, TV, radio - either bound by sound or by sight, or both sound and sight, men's minds are fed with a constant drone of sycophantic support for a particular orthodox political philosophy? I am talking of the principle of the open society, the open debate, ideas, not intimidation, persuasion not coercion..."  Lee Kuan Yew, Before Singapore's independence, Malaysian Parliamentary Debates, Dec 18, 1964

"The minority - the men hi see things from a different angle" the men who are true to what they see, who dare to disagree with how the stupid majority see the world - we are right." Dr Thomas Chee, Act IV, Public Enemy

When being different is not a crime. When a lone voice is the only truth. These are the messages that this play explored. The acting is powerful and emotional. The set is modern and every change of scene is so uniformly choreographed to the point of being military. Sleek. Neat. Clean.

The truth will surface with time. 

Theater Review - December Rain (2016)

This article is imported from a blog which I decided to discontinue.
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I wasn't sure what to expect from a Chinese Musical, really. I was at once pleasantly surprised and distinctively unsatisfied with December Rain... I wanted more!

Although it is the 3rd time that the Toy Factory is producing this musical, it is my first time watching it. I can imagine in 1996 how modern and popular this musical would be; in 2016, it is still superb in many ways, but there are parts where one wonders if there could be a more contemporary feel to it.

The scene was decidedly enchanting pre-start, with the raining sound, not a drizzle, definitely the kind of rain that you know will last a long time... A lone figure stopping over a box, occasionally tinkling away at a metal.... later, it was dawn on me that it was the ding-ding sweet seller. Brides and grooms in all white gradually appear, haunting at various corners of the stage, some arms stopping in mid-air. A recital of a passage unfamiliar to me opened the first scene. Strong voice, bilingual, yet I wished it would slow down a little and take time for us to savor the words longer.

First half of the show was set in 1950s, with the backdrop of the bus riots in Singapore. The oppression of the Chinese educated at that time spurred the 2 main characters - Yingxiong and Liqing to take on very different routes of their lives. Yingxiong was an activist and supported the riots, which caused the death of some students. However, the reason to therefore go to China and support the revolution there eluded me. There wasn't enough support for the character to reach this point, and it wasn't that convincing to me that this was the logical thing to do. On the whole, first half was nostalgic, but it does not feels like Singapore.  It had me wondering if the story was set in 1950s China instead, until the bus riots scene puts it in context. The first song at the grand wedding at the start of the scene was so China-variety-showy that I thought it would be a stage performance and not a theatre.

The theme, rain, became more and more obvious as the scene moved towards the faithful day where both of them were scheduled to depart for China. The rest of the show revolved around this theme - rain - as reference to this faithful day where Yingxiong decided to leave for China without Liqing, a decision that haunted not only the 2 of them, but the ones who stayed with them throughout their lives - Mingli and Ah Ling. The story remained tight with constant references, double meanings and rhetoric on this rain that never did stopped for 30 years. One very significant scene where Liqing and her mother sat by the bed asking each other/themselves what should be done, and her mother asked her "If you step out of this house, have you considered if your umbrella is reliable?" Simple question, loaded meaning. A strength for this show, the story line could not be stronger.

As a musical with songs written by the veteran Father of Singapore Chinese music - Liang Wern Fook, the singing was impeccable with many singers from the local singing contests. The gentlemen's strong baritone voices were most enduring. The ladies carried the melodies smoothly and effortlessly, with just an occasional flat at the end.   The showy performance were kept largely at the start and as it moved into the second half the scenes were a lot tighter and the songs made sense. The trio at the end of first half between Yingxiong, Liqing and Mingli was one of the highlights of the show, perfectly blended, totally captivating!

The story between Yingxiong and Liqing, was it a tragedy? A love lasted and lost for 30 years? The real tragedy were Mingli and Ah Ling, the 2 person that stayed beside Liqing and Yingxiong all these years, waiting, wanting and wishing for their love and attention. Finally, when Liqing and Yingxiong realised their regrets and finally noticed them, it was too late. Liqing and Yingxiong were fortunate to have them all these years, in contrast, Mingli and Ah Ling lost much much more. Yet, did they? The one sentence that echoed in the show was "so long as I can stay beside the person I loved most in my life..." they've got exactly what they wanted.

I enjoyed this musical very much both in the story and in the singing. I smiled, I cringed, I sobbed, and I laughed. I applauded so hard at the end and celebrated the success of a musical and a theater group that matured over 25 years. No regrets.

Perseverance - The Story of Michael Jordan

I found this so inspiring, so I thought I should forward it:

Michael Jordan was born in 1963, in the slums of Brooklyn, New York.

He had four  siblings and his father's earnings were not sufficient to provide for the whole family.

He grew up in a poor neighborhood. Exposed to mindless violence and heavy discrimination in the slums, he saw for himself only a hopeless future.

His father saw in Michael, a lost soul and decided to do something.

He gave Michael, who was 13 years old, a piece of used clothing and asked: "What do you think the value of this outfit would be?"

Jordan replied,"Maybe one dollar."

His father asked, "Can you sell it for two dollars? If you can sell it, it would mean that you are a big help to your family."

Jordan nodded his head, "I'll try, but no guarantee that I'll be successful."

Jordan carefully washed the cloth clean. Because they didn't have an iron, to smoothen the cloth, he levelled it with a clothes brush on a flat board, then kept it in the sun to dry. The next day, he brought the clothes to a crowded underground station. After offering it for more than six hours. Jordan finally managed to sell it for $2. He took the two dollar bill and ran home.

After that, everyday he looked for used clothing, washed and ironed it, and sold it in the crowd.

More than ten days later, his father again gave him a piece of used clothing, "Can you think of a way you can sell this for 20 bucks?"

Aghast, Jordan said, "How is it possible? This outfit can only fetch two dollars at the most."

His father replied, "Why don't you try it first? There might be a way."

After breaking his head for a few hours, finally, Jordan got an idea.

He asked for cousin's helpto paint a picture of Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse on the garment. Then he tried to sell it in the school where the children of the rich study.

Soon a housekeeper, who was there to pick his master, bought that outfit for his master. The master was a little boy of only 10 years. He loved it so much and he gave a five dollar tip. 25 dollars was a huge amount for Jordan, the equivalent of a month's salary of his father.

When he got home, his father gave him yet another piece of used clothing, "Are you able to resell it at a price of 200 dollars?" Jordan's eyes lit up.

This time, Jordan accepted the clothes without the slightest doubt. Two months later a popular movie actress from the movie "Charlie's Angels", Farah Fawcett came to New York for her Movie promos. After the press conference, Jordan made his way through the security forces to reach the side of Farah Fawcett and requested her autograph on the piece of clothing. When Fawcett saw this innocent child asking for her autograph, she gladly signed it.

Jordan was shouting very excitedly, "This is a jersey signed by Miss Farah Fawcett, the selling price is 200 dollars!" He auctioned off the clothes, to a businessman for a price of 1,200 dollars!

Upon returning home, his father broke into TEARS and said, "I am amazed that you did it My child! You're really great! "

That night, Jordan slept alongside his father. His father said, "Son, in your experience selling these three pieces of clothing, what did you learn about success?"

Jordan replied, "Where there's a will, there's a way."

His father nodded his head, then shook his head, "What you say is not entirely wrong! But that was not my intention. I just wanted to show you that a piece of used clothing which is worth only a dollar can also be increased in value, Then how about us - living & thinking humans? We may be darker and poorer, but what if we CAN increase our VALUE."

This thought enlightened young Jordan. Even a piece of used clothing could be made dignified, then why not me? There is absolutely no reason to underestimate myself.

From then on, Michael Jordan felt that his future would be beautiful and full of hope.

He went on to become the greatest basketball player of all times.

Taken from a facebook post of a very learned friend.

Book Review - The Secret Life of Anna Blanc by Jennifer Kincheloe.

There is a certain charm to this novel, especially with the endearing nature of our heroine, Anna Blanc. At the turn of the century, before the world hears of gender diversity and women in leadership, Anna Blanc was the epitome of a lady of proper upbringing. Boring, but proper. Respected. When she decided to use her brains rather than be a pawn to her father's business dealings, it looked like the men's going to get a good education of what the fairer sex can actually do. This is such a promising start to the story. It reminded me of Peggy Carter from the Marvel, also a lady of this era, born out of turn. What Anna lacks is the gusto, wits and intelligence of Peggy. I missed the resourcefulness and sharp insights that you see in Peggy. In many sense, Anna is the untrained Peggy, lots of potential, but just not there yet. Entertaining nonetheless, but left more to be desired of a stronger plot, unforgettable character and the intelligence of a clever crime.

Prejudice & Mercy

The Prejudice

I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands,
organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions; fed with the same
food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases,
heal'd by the same means, warm'd and cool'd by the same winter
and summer, as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? If
you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die?
And if you wrong us, do we not revenge? If we are like you in the
rest, we will resemble you in that.
The Merchant Of Venice Act 3, scene 1, 58–68

The Quality of Mercy

The quality of mercy is not strain'd,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
'Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown;
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptred sway;
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God's
When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,
Though justice be thy plea, consider this,
That, in the course of justice, none of us
Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy;
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus much
To mitigate the justice of thy plea;
Which if thou follow, this strict court of Venice
Must needs give sentence 'gainst the merchant there.
The Merchant of Venice, Act 4, Scene 1