S. L. LimReviews

Revenge‘s matter-of-fact narrative belies the nuance, complexity and depth of thought and feeling this novel so capably explores. Lead Yannie is at the mercy of her circumstances, but knowingly so; insightfully even, as though a captive that holds the key.

Lim’s prose precision translates into intensity and largely introspective musings take on an uncommon and compelling urgency. I found myself admiring cleverly concise phrasing — the simplest of sentences, understated observations, that pack the punch of a sledgehammer. Continue reading >> https://www.bookloverbookreviews.com/2020/09/s-l-lim-on-revenge-murder-in-three-...

Revenge, Murder in Three Parts, is author S.L. Lim’s follow-up to her debut novel, Real Differences, (which won the UTS Glenda Adams Award for New Writing in the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards, and which I reviewed here). Revenge is a very dark novel indeed.

The central character, Yannie, spends a good deal of her life nursing resentments from family life which favours the male, and when she gets the opportunity to ‘overcome the monster’ she doesn’t hesitate. The novel debunks the stereotype of Asian family unity, and reinforces the preconception that Asian males are favoured. Along the way the reader recognises that progress in acceptance of gay relationships has a long way to go in Singapore.

The third person limited narration means that the reader knows only Yannie’s perspective. The story begins with the narrator describing the physical abuse that her brother Shan dishes out, and her parents’ refusal to do anything about it. (It’s more than just sibling rough-and-tumble, much more). Yannie’s gender means that she is not only expected to endure her parents’ favouritism, but also to defer to their decisions that lead to him having a great career while she has to give up ambitions for further study and has to work in their shop.

To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2020/07/28/revenge-murder-in-three-parts-by-s-l-lim/

Real Differences is the debut novel of S.L. Lim, who was born in Singapore but came to Australia as an infant, and (as the blurb says) has spent a good part of her life toggling back and forth between the two places. Perhaps this bi-cultural experience is what enables her to cast a forensic eye on the illusions we have about Australian multiculturalism, social class and 'the fair go'...

Lim's characters occasionally stray into polemics when they are passionate about issues, but the issues they raise are real. At the same time, there is a strong focus on the feelings of the characters. The generation depicted in the novel spends a great deal of time thinking about things and analysing their own motivations, but they can be blind to flaws just like any generation. The narration shifts between Nick and an omniscient observer, and the intimacy of this technique enables the juxtaposition of all the characters' internal thoughts with subsequent dialogue. Towards the end of the novel, for example, we see an image of domestic harmony....

Benjamin cooked breakfast for the two of them: eggs and tomatoes in a pan, buttered toast and coffee. It looked like breakfast in a cartoon about happy breakfasting. (p.240)

...but this episode is juxtaposed with dialogue that shows a marriage falling apart in rising conflict. The scene goes on to reveal that Ben, married to an Indo-Chinese character, is dismissive about casual racism at social events and can't understand why Andie arcs up because he doesn't confront it. Knowing that Tony's family had to flee Indonesia in the anti-Chinese riots in 1998, she wonders how loyal her husband and friends would be if they were confronted by guns and flaming torches, when they won't even stick up for her when someone tells a stupid joke that patronises people who are not White. And she realises that while there may be no such thing as colour in a mixed-race relationship such as hers, the price of it is her dignity because she is being given the status of an 'honorary White' instead of being valued as who she is.

This gulf between them is one of many situations in the novel that show characters interrogating the ethics of their behaviour.

To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2019/06/11/real-differences-by-s-l-lim/