Awards

• Long-listed for The Man Booker Prize 2007 (UK)

Overview

LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE Penang, 1939. Being half Chinese and half English, Philip Hutton always felt like he never belonged. That is until he befriends Hayato Endo, a mysterious Japanese diplomat and master in the art of aikido. But when Japan invades Malaya, Philip realises Endo bears a secret, one powerful enough to jeopardise everything he loves. This masterful debut conjures an unforgettable tale of courage, brutality, loyalty, deceit and love. 'Thoughtful, evocative, undoubtedly provocative' - Guardian

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9781838858346

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Reviews

Engaging . . . rich . . . thoughtful, evocative, undoubtedly provocative * * Guardian * * A powerful first novel about a tumultuous and almost forgotten period of history * * Times Literary Supplement * * A remarkable book -- IAN McMILLAN Gripping . . . compelling * * New Yorker * * Glorious . . . as robustly absorbing as it is achingly poignant * * USA Today * * Eng's graceful prose evokes a time and place that is little known or remembered now, making it both exotic and familiar, and his beautiful narrative is woven with strong images and characters . . . The Gift of Rain is a gift to read * * San Francisco Chronicle * * A true saga . . . The Gift of Rain overflows with mesmerising beauty and wonder . . . an eloquent tale about friendship transforms into a frightful chronicle of betrayal and survival * * Minneapolis Star Tribune * * Haunting and highly evocative . . . a deeply moving tale * * Cape Times * * Beautifully written and deeply moving, Tan Twan Eng's debut novel is one of the best books I've ever read . . . Anyone who thinks the novel is in decline should read this one * * Philadelphia Inquirer * * The Gift of Rain sends the reader back into the world of Somerset Maugham - the waning British Empire, the simmering discord between classes and races, the thick tropical surroundings that are both beautiful and suffocating - but at a different angle. Maugham casts a cynical eye on human nature and its frailties; Tan Twan Eng looks upon them with compassion, like a creator might view the imperfections of his handiwork * * Cleaveland Plain Dealer * *

'Engaging . . . rich . . . thoughtful, evocative, undoubtedly provocative' - Guardian 'A powerful first novel about a tumultuous and almost forgotten period of history' - Times Literary Supplement 'A remarkable book' - IAN McMILLAN 'Gripping . . . compelling' - New Yorker 'Glorious . . . as robustly absorbing as it is achingly poignant' - USA Today 'Eng's graceful prose evokes a time and place that is little known or remembered now, making it both exotic and familiar, and his beautiful narrative is woven with strong images and characters . . . The Gift of Rain is a gift to read' - San Francisco Chronicle

Author Information

Tan Twan Eng was born in Penang, Malaysia. His debut novel The Gift of Rain was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2007 and has been widely translated. The Garden of Evening Mists won the Man Asian Literary Prize 2012 and the 2013 Walter Scott Prize for historical fiction and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2012 and the 2014 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. He divides his time between Kuala Lumpur and Cape Town. tantwaneng.com

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