The Garden of Evening Mists
by Tan Twan Eng.
A lovely evening again.
Definitely a good choice for the Year of Culture as the book depicted an era and cultures that most-although not all- knew little about.
Most had heard little of the role of Malaya in World War two and of the communist insurgence in the early 1950s.
All appreciated the quality of the descriptions, particularly the metaphors, making the jungle and the Japanese garden come alive.
The descriptions of Japanese society, the need for control and uniformity was an integral part of the book and found fascinating by all.
Most found the characters not particularly sympathetic.
Aritomo was harsh and demanding, but at the same time had protected some of the local population during WW2.
The protagonist had not been an easy person to work for as a judge and some of her actions showed a vindictive side to her nature.
She had been an informer in the camp, but what would we have done in a similar situation?
The book posed a lot of questions about established morality.
In a camp is morality just a case of making sure that you survived?
Should the Kamikaze pilot obey when the result is going to kill them?
Are people cruel because society has made them cruel?
The characters were formed by their early experiences.
Most people had a soft spot for Magnus, who was a salutary reminder that the British had little to be proud of in the Boer War and left Malaya to its fate when the Japanese invaded in WW2.
The book moved between the Second World War, the 1950’s and the present day.
For at least one person, these time shifts were confusing.
The book posed more questions than answers.
Was Aritomo in league with The Golden Lily? What happened to him at the end of the book? Was the tattoo on the protagonist’s back a map of the camp?
The book was enjoyed by all but one, but all felt that it deserved a second read.
4****JC
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