Customer Reviews

The Gift of Rain

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Elderly Philip Hutton is the last surviving member of one of Penang's trading families when the bachelor quiet of his life is shattered by an unexpected visitor, a Japanese woman called Michiko Murakami. And although they have never met before, their histories are interlinked: both cared deeply for the same man, Hayato Endo, and need to find relief for past pain by sharing their life-stories.

Philip first meets the enigmatic Endo, a Japanese diplomat who is leasing a small island from Phillip's father, in 1939. Half-British, half-Chinese Philip is a loner and a misfit, and finds himself drawn into a relationship with Endo, who takes him on as his student and teaches him aikido-jitsu - a martial art still in its infancy, as well as the Japanese language and culture. As the clouds of war grow increasingly ominous, it is clear that Endo is training Phillip in skills which will eventually save his life. But is Endo all that he appears to be, and should Phillip be prepared to trust him? Once the Japanese invade, Philip is forced to make the most difficult decisions about where his loyalties must lie.

There is a tremendous amount of historical fact and, of course, as in any Malaysian novel aimed at an international readership, a great deal of information on the complex social background of the country. What is quite amazing is that despite this the pace of the story never becomes bogged down by a heavy load of background detail. Indeed where the novel succeeds best is in the strong drive of the narrative, and in the painstaking recreation of the setting.

Penang of the thirties and forties is brought to life so well that you feel that you could almost be reading a contemporary account. Particularly vivid are the scenes of the British attempting the flee Penang during the first air-raids, and the harrowing scene of a village massacre.

Although written in a style that deliberately does not draw attention to itself, the novel unashamedly draws on romantic oriental elements with the deliberate chinoiserie of the imagery (the waves unroll like Chinese scrolls, the clouds are compared a dragon's belly) and the delicate motifs of insects - fireflies, butterflies and dragonflies which each represent an aspect of the story.

"The Gift of Rain" is in every sense a "big" book, not only substantial in size, but also in theme, and in the amount of incident that is crammed into it. It's hard to know just how to pigeonhole it. Literary fiction? Thriller? Historical novel? Big screen kung-fu movie with Hollywood glitz and glamour translated to the page? The novel combines elements of all of these, yet succeeds very much on its own term, raising important questions about loyalty and betrayal, predestination and free will.

TGOR is a fantastic novel that brings everything to the table: beautiful language, history, suspense, big themes of torn loyalty and self-discovery.
It's one of those rare examples of a deeply satisfying novel that leaves nothing to be desired.

Set during WWII-era, the novel stars Philip Hutton, the half-Chinese son of a wealthy English trader living in Penang, Malaysia.
Philip's mixed blood causes him not to be fully accepted by either the Chinese or the English, leaving him unsure of his place in the world.

Then, one day, he meets a visiting Japanese official, Endo-san, who takes him on as a pupil to teach him the secrets of aikido along with the underlying 'way of life'.
Endo's motives are not completely disinterested, though: with the Japanese preparing to invade Malaysia, Endo can get a lot of information out a young boy so familiar with the island grounds.
When the Japanese ultimately occupy Penang, Philip must make a choice: he can betray his people, by siding with the Japanese, or fight against the latter. Caught between two fires, Philips opts for a compromise of some sort: he becomes the aide of Endo (a high-ranking official of the invading forces) but uses his influence to soften the effects of the domination.
Nothing is really black-or-white in the way Philip or Endo-san behave. Just like in real life, characters are torn between feelings of love and duty, between fear and vengeance.
Endo-san relationships with Philip lives in this space and is very cleverly constructed.

If the setting alone (I gather most western reader won't be overly familiar with Japan role during WWII, aside from the main events we all know about) doesn't draw you in, the engaging narrative will do, coupled with evocative passages that offer dreamlike depictions of the lush Malay landscapes.

Higly recommended.

This is a powerful and compelling first novel. Starting in 1939 on Penang Island, the novel tells the story of Philip Hutton and his friendship with Hayato Endo.

As war engulfs much of Asia and spills into Malaya, tensions between families and within families overwhelm both the past and the present. While the characters are fictional, the historical setting is not. The story moves through the events of the war and, with the visit of Michiko, a friend of Hayato Endo, some 50 years later we are able to fill in many of the gaps between the past and the present.

This is a story of betrayal, cruelty, courage and love. Above all, it is a reminder that first impressions are not always complete or accurate.

'What will damn us will not be papers, but the memories of men.'

Highly recommended.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

A tale well written and well told. On one level, this book provides insight into the blending of three major cultures (Western, Chinese & Japanese) via the protagonist, Philip Hutton, a British-Chinese young male and his interactions in the melting pot of what is now Malaysia from pre- to post-WWII. Main characters include the protagonist's family, both British and Chinese along with their help, Chinese families and Japanese military personnel. One of these Japanese people is Philip's of mentor\teacher ("sensei") whose fate is intertwined with Philip's throughout the book. Their relationship and its ramifications is at the core of the story.

On another level, the book explores the morality of choices one makes in life and the impact that has on current and future times in the lives of the main characters. The concepts of fate, destiny and choice, in the context of one's culture underlie the story. An extension of that is the impact different cultural values have when differing cultures collide.

I have no hesitation in recommending this book as it is a well-written and intriguing tale which made me think about what I had read each time I put the book down. It also made me reflect on the choices I might have made if I were in any of the main characters' position. Finally, i enjoyed the WWII historical background.

I was about 10% into reading this book when I started recommending it to others. I was hoping as I got further into it that I wouldn't be dissapointed because I'd already started telling others it was a "must read" and it just kept getting better and better. My previous best book of the year was "Cutting for Stone" by Verghese but this has now been displaced by "Gift of Rain" as the most entertaining, literary, emotional, enjoyable, novel I've read this year. It is hugely entertaining and explores deep emotions, family ties, the nature of loyalties, fate and destiny in a way that is compelling and profound without every becoming sappy or cliched. Please....someone tell me where I can find another book like this to read next!

"A Gift of Rain" gives the reader a sense of actually being in Penang and vicinity during the war years, so skilled is the author in creating a sense of place by describing the scenery, time of day, weather, characters and events. The dialogue seems a little stilted, but that could be the restrained and formal way of speaking by the people and the language they happened to be using-Japanese, Chinese, English mostly. Eng does use the device of telling the story to a visitor long after the events of the war, so that could explain some of the flow of language. For myself, it was a glimpse into that war as it took place in Malaysia, and while the war in Europe and other parts of the east has been well coverered in literature and movies, I don't think this little slice of the world has been presented as much, if at all. The book was very readable and hard to put down. Remarkable for a first novel.

I loved this story. It's a different take on a corner of the Pacific Theater during WWII. The narrator is a young man who finds himself caught up in life-or-death situations he can't control, and he has to figure out how to preserve his integrity while witnessing debasing, despicable acts.

The inner, moral tug-of-war mirrors Philip Hutton's life. He is a child of two cultures, Chinese and British. His widowed father, who has built a successful business empire in Malaysia, is an Englishman to the core. Phillip interprets his father's reserve as intentional remoteness and discomfort at having a "non-white" child. Phillip's maternal relatives try to keep him connected to his Chinese heritage, which Phillip initially resists.

When a Japanese man rents Mr. Hutton's island property, Phillip finds a mentor. Mr. Endo trains Phillip in the martial arts, but also gives him self-confidence. He opens doors for Phillip to become closer to his father, half-siblings, and maternal grandfather.

The price is that Mr. Endo is a Japanese agent, and Japan is poised to take over Malaysia. Unintentionally, Phillip has been helping Endo lay the groundwork for the Japanese invasion. That's when the story really gets interesting.

This book will stay with you for a long time. It reminds me a lot of THE KITE RUNNER: how a good person makes difficult choices, and the struggle for redemption. Both books also concern young male protagonists living in comfortable luxury, when suddenly everything they know is upended and destroyed by political violence.

Read this book; you'll be happy you did.

I discovered The Gift of Rain by sheer accident. The title captured my attention on the Booker long list, so I gave it a try. I was soon bowled over by it. The intense and complex relationship between the young mixed-race Philip Hutton and the much older Japanese secret agent, Endo-san developes against the backdrop of Penang Province at the time of the Second World War. I learnt a great deal about the historical and geographical background. The author has evidently researched his novel meticulously. Such research can often result in a turgid novel, but there is far more than technical dexterity in Tan Twan Eng's treatment of his subject matter. Yes, he has a mastery of the English language which is at times breathtaking, but as the novel developes one becomes aware of something superior to literary genius. The characters seem to take on a life of their own. They grip the reader's imagination. The narrative can be at times harrowing, at others beautiful and moving. The novel resonates in one's head and heart long after finishing it. I felt as if I'd experienced another existence in some other life. It brought a new dimension to my sensibility.

I won't rehash the plot that's been told by other reviewers and the publisher. What potential readers need to know is that this is a truly great novel, a modern classic. The writing is exquisite, reminding me of the best of Michael Ondaatje and Margaret Atwood. A must read!

As with other reviews I will not rehash the plot. Suffice it to say that this book should be on the list of books to read before one dies. It is beyond enlightening and refreshing. My hope is that Mr. Eng has other treasures in is mind.