The Star Online: Lifestyle: Bookshelf
The Star Online: Lifestyle: Bookshelf |
| Posted: 23 Dec 2012 04:37 AM PST With Christmas just around the corner, we share the thoughts of the 'father of inspirational fiction', Mitch Albom. I DON'T," author Mitch Albom simply offers when asked about how he responds to cynics during a recent phone interview from London. There was something about the brevity of his response, followed by an awkward silence that lasted a moment too long, that set us off in a fit of laughter. Then again, Albom has been known to be a man of few words, with his novels usually spanning a little over 200 pages. The sports writer turned New York Times bestselling author has no doubt inspired readers all over the globe with valuable lessons on life (Tuesdays With Morrie), on death (The Five People You Meet In Heaven), on treasuring relationships (For One More Day), on faith (Have A Little Faith), and most recently, on time (The Timekeeper). Unfortunately, while there are many who have drawn strength and hope from Albom's writings, some others find it difficult to take his writings to heart, unable to draw aside the veil of cynicism. Yvonne Zipp of The Washington Post, for instance, has called The Timekeeper "a waste of time itself" while fellow sports columnist Jason Whitlock, apart from criticising Albom's sports writing career, called the writer "Myth Albom" and shrugged off his fictional work as some "feel-good narrative". An ardent fan of the author myself, I was eager to find out how Albom would respond to cynics like them. But instead of calling them out and giving them a piece of his mind, the author chooses to stay mum. "Books shouldn't be argued about; they either appeal to you or they don't," the 54-year-old says. Nevertheless, Albom stresses that his type of writing – which critics are quick to label "overly sentimental" – is not irrelevant, as it is purely a reflection of what we see in real life. "When you ask somebody to open up their wallets or their pocketbooks, they don't have pictures of cynical people in them, they have pictures of their children or their grandchildren. "When you ask somebody what their favourite song is, it's usually a love song because that's the song that was playing when they met their wives or their husbands, "And when people die, their last words are not cynical or sarcastic sentences, they say things like 'I love you', sentimental things," he points out. Albom feels it is often those who are tasked to review his books that find themselves needing to be cynical, as it somehow equates to being artsy. But he believes his readers want to read something inspirational. So he chooses to write for them. True enough, many of his readers have indeed been inspired to turn their lives around with gleanings from his writings. Albom recalls one man who had the terminal neurological disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) – the same disease that plagued Morrie, Albom's real-life friend – and had tried to take his own life: "When he didn't succeed in killing himself, someone passed him a copy of Tuesdays With Morrie. After reading it, not only did he decide he wanted to live, he became a powerful driving force in the fight against ALS. As a wealthy man, he donated millions of dollars to research in the hopes of finding a cure for the disease." In the past decade or so since Albom published that runaway bestseller about lessons he learned from his ailing sociology professor, there has been such an influx of similar inspirational titles – like Jason F. Wright's The Wednesday Letter, Randy Pausch's The Last Lecture and William P. Young's The Shack – that there are even whole sections in bookstores devoted to them. "I've always felt that a book should be inspirational and uplifting. But there is room for all types of fiction. Some fiction is written to explore the characters or the plot, there may be no lesson learned, it's just a character study. "But for me, although a big part of my writing is to tell an entertaining story that will hold the reader's attention, I have not done my job unless I have inspired people in some way or taught some kind of lesson," he shares. Albom adds that he believes the growing presence of this genre points to the state of society today: "People look to books, as well as other things, to try to make sense of a world that is increasingly incomprehensible. Take The Timekeeper, for example. Everywhere around the world, time is an issue, people feel as though they are always running out of time and are worried about whether they're being efficient with their time." Aside from writing books and travelling to give motivational talks, Albom contributes to the Detroit Free Press regularly, offering his two cents' worth on American national affairs, social issues and everyday occurrences. Recently, the columnist garnered quite a bit of attention when he commented on the erotic novel, Fifty Shades Of Grey by E.L. James, and the infiltration of sex into our media and literary world. He lamented the lack of mystery and modesty with which the subject is being approached, confessing that he felt like a "prude" reading Fifty Shades. "I'm not worried for myself or adults my age, we understand it (sex) in its proper perspective. But I worry about the children. I have a lot of nieces and nephews who I think are overexposed to sexual images and ideas. They may feel pressured to engage in sex a lot younger and dress in a way that's inappropriate for their age because they think this is how it works." Albom plans to write a book documenting his experiences helping the underprivileged children of Haiti, and a novel about envy. The Timekeeper is currently available in major bookstores nationwide. |
| War Memory a timely publication Posted: 23 Dec 2012 04:35 AM PST The war years were a defining period in Malaysia's history and how events of those times were remembered has determined the course of nation- building in this country and will continue to do so. War Memory And The Making Of Modern Malaysia And Singapore THE ongoing review of history textbooks makes War Memory by Kevin Blackburn and Karl Hack a very timely publication. This well-researched and readable book explains how World War II events, including the Japanese Occupation of Malaya, are remembered differently by various people, and how some of these memories alter with the passage of time. The writers argue that individuals, communities and the state shape and reshape war narratives, and that efforts to create a collective memory out of divergent recollections have not been easy. War Memory reminds us that history is constructed out of a multitude of sources and how the data are selected and used determines the slant and contestability of the resulting perspectives. Drawing from the recollections of those who lived through the war years, War Memory revisits some momentous events that occurred during the Japanese Occupation. These include the fall of Singapore on Feb 15, 1942, and the surrender of more than 100,000 Allied troops. In the following months, Japanese troops massacred thousands of Chinese in the terror-filled sook ching or "purging campaign" against those suspected of pre-war anti-Japanese activities. In Johor alone, it was claimed that some 25,000 were executed. No one is sure of the exact number but, as War Memory points out, the scale of brutality and killings is beyond dispute. No less tragic were the tens of thousands, mostly Indians but also Malays, who were forcibly taken from rubber estates to build the Thai-Burma Railway where disease, lack of food, and hard labour killed many. Also included are chilling accounts of young men being picked up by Japanese secret police, never to be seen again. Young girls too were seized from respectable families to work as comfort women for the Japanese military. More poignantly and often forgotten were the thousands left as widows and orphans when their menfolk were taken away, and who had to fend for themselves. For the rest of the population, life under Japanese rule was one of hardship with shortages of food and other essentials. Also recounted are the many acts of bravery, even as Japanese troops marched down Malaya. Allied forces, including Indian soldiers, the newly-formed Malay Regiment, and the Dalforce unit consisting of local Chinese, were portrayed as putting up a valiant fight. Sustained resistance against the Japanese was carried out in the jungle by members of the famed Force 136 and the Malayan People's Anti-Japanese Army. There are, on the other hand, stories of those who cooperated with the Japanese. As War Memory notes, much of the collaboration was the result of coercion and for survival. Others, however, were driven by the pursuit of separate nationalist goals. Those in the Kesatuan Melayu Muda were taken in by Japan's promise of political independence while Indian Nationalist Army (INA) members in Malaya and Singapore expected the Japanese to liberate India from British rule. At the end of the war, the returning British, in an effort to restore imperial pride and power, reconstructed a war narrative where Singapore's fall in 1942 and Allied prisoners-of-war were depicted using heroic imagery. For the post-independent Malaysian state, seeking to consolidate Malay unity and nation-building, the emerging war narrative theme was Malay nationalism. In the Malay Regiment and Lt Adnan Saidi, who resisted the invading Japanese, were found war heroes held up as embodying the Malay martial tradition of the warrior Hang Tuah. But in the narrative set out by the state, where is to be placed the communist-led resistance movement? It had become a problem because the movement, a one-time ally of the British, had regrouped under the Malayan Communist Party and in the post-war years had taken up arms against the British and the new Malayan state. What about other individuals and communities who want their experience of victimhood to be acknowledged and compensated? With Japan emerging as a major economic power after the war, how did governments deal with demands for war compensation without harming growing Japanese trade and investments? There is, therefore, not one memory but multiple historical narratives, divergent and seemingly irreconcilable, of the Japanese Occupation and its consequences. And even these have, over the years and in changing circumstances, undergone revision when facts were either exaggerated or suppressed and myths created. War Memory draws attention to this continuing contestation of state and non-state narratives. But the intensity of the debate, the book notes, has lessened in recent years with the observance of what is described as the plural commemoration of World War II. Those left out of the official commemoration are able to organise private memorial services for sook ching victims and there is some public and unhindered discussions of the role of left-wing anti-Japanese resistance movements. But noticeably neglected are victims and survivors of the "Death Railway", because, as War Memory suggests, the dominant memory of the war among many urban Indians is that of the INA-inspired national awakening. As an exercise in history writing, War Memory demonstrates how the use of a variety of research approaches enables and enriches the reconstruction of the past. The writers, who taught at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, encouraged students to interview and collect stories of World War II from earlier generations. The writers also organised forums at which war survivors spoke of their experiences. Beyond these, they examined artefacts such as films, memorials, monuments, and literary works to capture the moments and meaning of an era that is fast fading from the memory of many. The war years were a defining period in Malaysia's history and how events of those times were remembered has determined the course of nation-building in this country and will continue to do so. In this excellent study, War Memory brings out the multiplicity of memories and the challenge of constructing a national narrative that is inclusive yet authentic. It is a book of high scholarly standard and should contribute to an informed discussion of history-writing in Malaysia. Dr Lee Kam Hing, a former professor of history, is currently a Senior Research Fellow at Universiti Malaya's Research Cluster of Social and Behavioural Sciences. |
| Posted: 23 Dec 2012 12:51 AM PST FOR the week ending Dec 16, 2012: Non-fiction 1. Syed Mokhtar Albukhary: A Biography by Premilla Mohanlall 2. Creating A Purposeful Life by Richard Fox 3. Dare To Dream: Life As One Direction (100% Official) by One Direction 4. Unstoppable: The Incredible Power Of Faith In Action by Nick Vujicic 5. The Wisdom And Teachings Of Stephen R. Covey by Stephen R. Covey 6. Guinness World Records 2013 by Guinness World Records Ltd 7. Justin Bieber: Just Getting Started (100% Official) by Justin Bieber 8. Chicken Soup For The Soul: The Gift Of Christmas by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen & Amy Newmark 9. Achieve Your Goals by Infinite Ideas 10. One Direction: The Story So Far (100% Unofficial) by Park Lane Books Fiction 1. Life Of Pi by Yann Martel 2. The Hobbit (movie tie-in) by J.R.R. Tolkien 3. The Perks Of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky 4. Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda 5. One Hundred Names by Cecelia Ahern 6. Fifty Shades Darker by E.L. James 7. The Artist Of Disappearance by Anita Desai 8. Please Look After Mother by Kyung- Sook Shin 9. Hotel Vendome by Danielle Steel 10. The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom Weekly list compiled by MPH Mid Valley Megamall, Kuala Lumpur; mphonline.com. |
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