The Star Online: Lifestyle: Bookshelf
The Star Online: Lifestyle: Bookshelf |
| When fact and fiction intersect Posted: 30 Oct 2011 12:15 AM PDT Mr Fox SEVERAL years ago, I wrote a teen romance in which the protagonist falls in love with a violin-playing rock star named Tristan. I imagined him so vividly that it was quite natural for me to love him as much as my heroine did. While writing the book, I had long conversations with Tristan, and when I described his pursuit of the girl, I became quite giddy, as if I myself was being pursued: when he touched her, I actually felt his fingers on my skin. Does that sound mad? Well, I have always wondered if writers of fiction are a little schizophrenic, and just fortunate to have a socially acceptable way of expressing the different personalities that possess us, the different voices that speak to us. If this is the case, then perhaps the characters we create are parts of ourselves, and putting them on the page is a way of exerting control over our impulses and desires. The problem is that our characters are not biddable. They have minds and feelings of their own. They challenge us and they rebel: Tristan was wooing a 14-year-old girl – jailbait! I was appalled, but there was no talking him out of it. In Helen Oyeyemi's Mr Fox, St John Fox is a novelist whose muse, Mary Foxe, is a figment of his imagination … until she arrives at his home one day. Why did Fox create her in the first place? Perhaps his wife, Daphne, proved uninspiring. Referring to her placid nature, Fox says: "She doesn't complain about anything I do; she is physically unable to. That's because I fixed her early. I told her in heartfelt tones that one of the reasons I love her is because she never complains. So now of course she doesn't dare complain." Later, when Daphne suspects he is having an affair and wrecks his study, Mr Fox admits that he likes her more for being capable of such violence. But before that, there is Mary Foxe, a manifestation of a need so great that it is made flesh. However, the exact shape of Fox's need is mystifying. When Mary arrives at his home only to accuse him of murder. Apparently, Mr Fox kills off all his female characters. If Mary is his muse, does she inspire these creative impulses of his? And, if Mary is imaginary, does this trend in Fox's fiction reveal his own latent distrust of women and his need to control or subdue, even silence them? (See the way he "fixed" Daphne.) The book's title, after all, refers to the fairytale in which a debonair gentleman systematically woos, weds and murders a series of young woman. His latest conquest, Lady Mary, discovers that her fiancé is a mass murderer and, being far from the retiring sort, in fact a bit of a melodramatist, she reveals the truth at their wedding breakfast and he is cut into a thousand pieces by her brothers. If only justice were always so swift … and colourful. Mary Foxe's accusation is not followed by the bloody dissection of St John Fox's body, but by a series of stories in which Fox struggles violently with his muse, and with himself – Mary Foxe is determined to teach her creator a lesson, or die in the attempt. Perhaps what is really happening is that Fox realises he is getting into a creative rut. Old habits, however, die hard and there are many ways to skin a cat. You can stop someone's voice as easily by burning a manuscript as by slitting a throat. You can write yourself out of a rut or you can write yourself even deeper into it. Death in some form or other is always present in St John Fox's stories – heads roll and hopes are destroyed; loneliness kills, and suspicion breaks the strongest of spirits. What is Fox afraid of? "Women" seems too obvious an answer except that it didn't occur to me while I was reading the book, but only just now when writing this review. Every now and then, the stories stop and we are with the Foxes again, but the line between fact and fiction continues to blur as he begins to mistake his stories for episodes from his own life, and Daphne becomes increasingly convinced that Mary Foxe is a real woman. There is a school of thought that says biography, autobiography and memoir cannot be classified as non-fiction because personal experience, perspective and memory work together to create an unreliable narrative. There is also a school of thought that says there is no such thing as pure fiction, that all stories are based on, derived from, and inspired by real experiences, people and places, and so, are all true stories. Mr Fox is about the space where fact and fiction intersect. To my mind, it is a magical space where mere words are shaped by the sensibilities of author and reader alike, and transformed by strange alchemy into instruments of change. It is also a dangerous space, where long-buried truths may be unearthed, and illusions shattered. Good stories challenge us, the way Mary Foxe, the faithful muse, challenges Mr Fox. They awaken our sympathies, make us pause and consider, reveal our innermost desires and fears. If we let them, they create self-awareness – a most valuable, powerful and terrifying gift. Helen Oyeyemi's words do all this, working slowly and subtly through stories that shine with the seemingly simple and magical poetry of fairytales and spells. The pictures they conjure are beautiful but often have glossy facades that expose a rotten, rotting reality – rich fertiliser for the mind and spirit. Food for thought, manna for the soul. Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
| Posted: 29 Oct 2011 11:55 PM PDT A travel writer finds a destination with a difference when he attends this year's Ubud Writers & Readers Festival in Indonesia. UBUD, Bali's cultural and spiritual heart, has long attracted artists and creative types to its laidback atmosphere, lush green hills and a vibe far removed from the hedonistic beach resorts of Kuta. Consequently it seems a perfect fit for the annual Ubud Writers and Readers Festival which celebrates literature from across the world, and brings together international bestselling authors alongside local writers and performers. Although I am an avid reader of both fiction and non-fiction I have never before attended a literary festival. However, I was drawn to this one as much by its setting in Ubud as by the names of the writers in attendance. Always welcoming to creative types, the restaurants, palaces and galleries of Ubud were transformed over five days earlier this month into venues for workshops, seminars, talks and literary lunches with the writers. This year's festival, the eight, had the theme "cultivate the land within" and those in attendance included big names such as D.B.C. Pierre and Alexander McCall Smith. Before the opening ceremony I get a chance to speak to the festival's organiser, Janet DeNeefe, who says that she had been inspired to hold the festival after the tragedy of the Bali bombing in 2002. When I ask what makes this festival different from others around the world she replies: "There is something about the spectacular venues, friendly people, the community of Ubud, cosy village feel and non-commercial, laid-back aspect of the festival that makes it so appealing to so many. "There are many opportunities to rub shoulders with the authors and the writers, and for them, it is a great chance to get up-close and personal with their readers. There is nothing corporate about this event and it has all the charm and feel-good factor that Ubud offers." I am looking forward to experiencing this Ubud "feel-good factor" and things get off to a good start when I attended the opening ceremony in the Royal Palace. Balinese dancers and traditional music mark this out as a very different experience compared to what I've heard festivals in Europe are like. For the duration of the festival, there is a relaxed air about the town even as thousands of literary fans and creative types descend upon Ubud. With the event being confined to a few venues in the centre of town it was easy to bump into famous writers as they stroll down the street or have a coffee – there is certainly no elitism surrounding this event. This year drew 135 writers from 27 countries, spread out over 183 panels and workshops with 37 special events. With so much on offer, there is bound to be something to pique my interest, I think – but I have to say, it is very easy to be taken over by the laid-back atmosphere and spend time people watching instead! I do though manage to catch quite a few of the events, and one of the most interesting is a session with the British/Irish/Australian author, D.B.C. Pierre, who won the Booker Prize in 2003 for Vernon God Little. The venue is the Neka Art museum and its spacious interior set against the back-drop of the Ubud hills is a fitting stage for what proves to be an engaging and lively discussion. Living up to his image as the bad boy of literature, Pierre shares anecdotes about his wild youth in Mexico with the enraptured audience; he also gives hope to technophobes everywhere when he says that he can only type with one finger! The festival gets bigger every year, and this year's attracted upwards of 20,000 visitors from around the world. For those who love literature and being around like-minded individuals, this friendly, accessible event is the place to be every October. For more information, go to www.ubudwritersfestival.com. Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
| Posted: 29 Oct 2011 11:50 PM PDT IF you're reading this, chances are you're a book-lover and have been to at least one warehouse sale. A book carnival, however, is a different thing altogether, a rare and marvellous event not often organised by local bookstores. We're already looking forward to this one even though it's still a ways off in December: The MPH Carnival, set to be held from Dec 8 to 12 at the Mid Valley Exhibition Centre in Kuala Lumpur. It's billed as the first time the long-standing book company is holding such an event, and we hear they are just as excited as we are about it. There will, of course, be discounts on books and magazines but, this being a carnival, there will also be games, and activities and goodies, oh my! Also on the cards is an appearance by Tun Dr Mahathir to launch the e-book version of his bestselling memoirs, A Doctor In The House: The Memoirs Of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. There will be other authors appearing as well, along with talks on business strategies and winning leadership. Keep an eye on these pages for more details we get closer to the date. We heard, for instance, that there's a chance to win some sweet prizes when you visit, even a car. More on this and other goodies next week. Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
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