The Gift of Rain: A Novel

Layer upon layer of story -- events during WW II in Malaysia remembered fifty years later, the relationship of a half-Chinese half-English boy with his Japanese sensei martial arts teacher who was also a Japanese spy, the moral ambiguities and difficult choices of life after the Japanese conquest.I internalized the story as if I were living it, to the extent that halfway through the book I woke up in the morning with a sharp pain in my right shin and an indentation a couple inches long, an inch wide and a quarter inch deep, as if any injury from a kick in a fight. The indentation was in the bone. It wasn't a muscle spasm. But no cut, no bruise. A few hours later both the pain and the indentation were gone. That was spooky.I had recently read and greatly enjoyed the author's second book, The Garden of Rising Mists, which had ben recommended to me by the widow of a close friend of mine who died twice. I had also recently read the Complete Stories of Somerset Maugham, many of which were set in Malaysia and its environs, and Maugham himself merits a brief cameo almost appearance in this novel. I had read Maugham and I read much of this as well sitting on a bench, looking out at the sand and waves of Long Island Sound.And aside from the story, which at times and especially near the end, had me near tears, the language, the turns for phrase, the metaphors were often magical. I certainly wish that I could write like that.The magic began with the first sentence, "I was born with the gift of rain, an ancient soothsayer in an even more ancient temple once told me."Here are a few other samples:p. 11 "If one steps out of time what does one have? Why, the past of course, gradually being worn away by the years as a pebble halted on a riverbed is eroded by the passage of water.p. 23 "The life I had lived was folded, only a blank page exposed to the world, emptiness wrapped around the days of my life; faint traces of it could be discerned, but only if one looked closely very closely. And so, for the first and last time, I gently unfolded my life, exposing what was written, letting the ancient ink be read once again."p. 43 "Picture your breath as a long slender string."p. 45 "Ad there were the smells, always the smells that remain unchanged even to this day -- the scents of spies drying in the sun, sweetmeats roasting on charcoal grills, curries bubbling on fiery stoves, dried salted fish swaying on strings, nutmeg, pickled shrimps -- all these swirled and mixed with the scent of the sea, fusing into a pungent concoction that entered us and lodged itself in the memory of our hearts."p. 47 "... the islands that collectively formed the nation of Japan made it look like a tilted seahorse swimmingagainst the currents of the ocean."p. 62 "...the storm clouds had come in low, scraping the tops of the range of hills like a dragon's underbelly moving over rocks... On days like these, when the clouds are thick, heaven seems closer, and I almost feel I can touch it." He looked at me, hearing the wistful tone of my words. "You can touch heaven any time you wish. Let me show you."p. 103 "Endo-san's lessons had taught me that there is often movement in stillness, and stillness in movement."p. 186 "Far away the surf raced along the sand, hissing as it melted into the beach."p. 187 "Thoughts floated by like intoxicated butterflies..."p. 218 "In an instant I saw that I had unconsciously replicated Musashi's drawing, the drawing that had been copied by Endo--san and for the briefest moment I saw how everything and everyone and every time was connected in some manner."p. 223 "The sea was so bright it was almost without color, just a shifting sheet of light."p. 275 "Blood was curdling on the tarmac, thick as engine oil."p. 349 "...we waited there on the bench, shielded from the world by the palace of the rain..."p. 355 "Michiko and I sat on a bench along Gurney Drive, which had once been the North coastal road, facing thenarrow sea, doing what most people do along here, makan angin -- eating the breeze."p. 398 "That is what growing old consists of, mostly. One starts giving away items and belonging until on the memories are left. In the end, what else do we really require?"p. 420 "The monsoon returned like a family guest, to be tolerated by some, hated by others, loved by one or two, and the brilliant sunshine of our days became a clouded memory again a fleets of storm clouds sailed in and anchored themselves in the sky."p. 424 "... the sand gleamed brightly, white as angel bones... Endo-san was right. In the end, we fellow travelers across the continent of time, across the landscape of memory, we did not need words."

This was one of the most fascinating books I've read in a long time, because of its unique (to Western readers) WWII venue; its weighing of free will vs. destiny (from an Eastern perspective); its exploration of the compromises we all make, which trigger especially painful consequences in wartime; and its development of highly flawed, complicated characters.Unfortunately, the story-telling struck me as flawed, too. I find myself obsessing about those flaws more than I should, because they kept this novel from being the transcendent experience it had the potential to be. So let me dispense with the negatives first.My chief gripe concerns the relationship between Philip and Endo, mainly because I don't find Endo sufficiently sympathetic to warrant Philip's loyalty and love. Sure, the initial attraction is understandable, because Philip is a disaffected 16-yo, somewhat adrift partly because of his biracial background and partly because he hasn't faced many challenges in his privileged life. So I can see this youngster being drawn to the power that Endo radiates as martial arts master and unfailingly polite, self-contained, genteel diplomat. But maintaining that loyalty and love as Philip matures doesn't make sense to me, especially after learning how Endo has exploited him to pave the way for the brutal Japanese occupation of Penang. Philip's continuing commitment would make more sense if explained by overpowering physical desire, at a time of surging hormones. The relationship has its share of erotic aspects, but never becomes sexual. I can understand the author's reluctance to go there. While sexual infatuation might explain Philip's infatuation, it would only make Endo less sympathetic. It's bad enough that Endo seduces Philip intellectually and spiritually for an end game that threatens Philip's whole life. If he also seduced him sexually, Endo would be little more than the stereotypical pedophile: a middle aged teacher molesting his underage student. In addition, a physical relationship might overshadow the metaphysical bond purportedly dating back to an earlier lifetime. Yes, the author tries to make Endo more sympathetic by introducing a backstory, explaining how he was forced into his role as spy. But that wasn't enough, for me.Philip, on the other hand, makes a highly credible evolution from somewhat callow youth -- all too easily coopted as unwitting spy and later as collaborator -- into a profoundly conflicted soul, who ultimately redeems himself by working against his Japanese masters. I cared about Philip. I never cared about Endo.Some other gripes involve often stilted dialogue (although some of that formalism may be appropriate to the time and culture) and occasionally overblown, sometimes clunky metaphors and similes.The descriptions that don't work are happily counterbalanced by some stunning passages, especially when describing the flora, fauna, food, sights and smells of Penang. The author's home town is a character in and of itself. He made me want to go there. I also admired his ability to describe battle scenes and the chaos of a city under fire. It's rare for a writer to have the wordsmithing chops to bring to life so vividly both the peaceful glories of nature and the ravages of war.Despite my earlier negative comments, The Gift of Rain is a novel that will stay with me for quite a while. It totally absorbed me and often kept me reading into the wee hours. I'll definitely buy Eng's second novel.

I found this book absorbing from beginning to end. It's themes are thought provoking, with unexpected twists and turns, but always allowing the reader to make up his or her own mind whilst the naturally beautiful writing seamlessly binds the often painful story together perfectly. This is the first review I have felt compelled to write having enjoyed the book so much. It is a page turner in an unconventional way, one wants to know how the story unfolds but the lyrical writing also compels one to read just a few more pages for the sheer enjoyment afforded by the skill of the author to combine words so effectively.

Excellent poetic language, realistic war accounts, an exciting read.Too much reference on Japanese martial art. Confusing to those have have no interest in it.

Magnifique histoire. Une écriture efficace qui nous plonge dans la tourmente et l'histoire de la Malaisie. Livre profond et sombre où chaque personnage acquiert une âme. Bref j'ai adoré. Merci Kindle qui permet à des gens comme moi ne possédant pas bien l'anglais de pouvoir lire dans la langue originale de l'auteur.

Garden of Evening Mists, I read first. While one is not a sequel to the other, both have the Malaysia setting with the Japanese man of intrigue & mystic. Gift of Rain, the Japanese "sensei" would befriend a boy, who himself is conflicted w being Chinese & British, neither one nor the other, his father's second wife who died when Phillip was young was Chinese, the other 4 children from the first marriage are English. In Pentang, Malaya, he has yet to know his mother's father who disowned her once she married a Brit.While the story is fictional, the events of the colonization by the British, & the Japanese presence in what would be WWII, the impact on Pentang is historically laid out. Yet, the story is about relationships, bonds, trust, the complexities in a multi- cultural Island. The writing is superb, transforming, uplifting, tragically heartbreaking...perfectly laid out, a brilliant execution. A wonderful piece of art. Just magnificent. Read both books.*I wish there were more books by Tan Twan Eng, I'm still reeling from Gift of Rain which I read yesterday.

This is one of most enjoyable books I have read recently. It is interesting because of the information about pre-war Malaya and the mix of peoples who lived there, and how they related to each other at that time,but this is also a book of different levels and dimensions. The story of the half white, half Chinese adolescent boy, Philip Hutton, his relationship with his white half-siblings and his father have an echo of reality and so help set the scene for this novel. His further relationship with the enigmatic Endo-San who becomes his sensei in martial arts and also his tutor in his daily life is a fascinating study as as he slowly but steadily shapes Philip's manner of thought and action without Philip realising for a few years just how strong this influence has become. The spiritual side of their relationship becomes understood by Philip maturesand begins to think and understand more. As the people of Penang become more conscious and fearful of the threat of invasion from Japan, Philip begins to realise how much his father actually does love him, which he had always doubted, and begins to value both his father and his siblings. He also begins to questlon his relationship with Endo San and the motives of the man himself.The second part of the novel deals with the withdrawal of British troops and the departure of many of the European community who feel they have been deserted and abandoned by Britain. This leads to divisions among those left behind, and indeed Philip is not at certain where he stands, as he begins to comprehend how strong the influence of Endo San has been and how Endo San has in many ways misused his trust. He then has to make a decision as to his future actions, particularly as many of the local people now distrust him due to his close association with a Japanese, His final decision angers the local people, both Chinese and Malayans, who see his actions as traitorous, but there is more to this than meets the eye. It is, however a difficult route he has chosen and he too suffers under the Japanese, even with the protection of Endo San.The third part of the book has a more reflective theme and makes more of the spiritual thread that is woven through the story, when Endo San's very sick wife turns up on Philip's doorstep and Philip begins to understand more about himself and the people around him who have been affected by his beliefs and intentions.This is a beautifully written and constructed book with its many diverse characters and themes. It is one that I would happily recommend to others.