“There’s a Malay word called geram, and it describes a feeling that no English term I know could properly communicate. Imagine the worst itch in the world, an itch one hundred times worse than the itchiest bite that the itchiest mosquito could ever give you, but that it’s inside you, stirring up all your internal organs and agitating them to the point where you’re on the verge of clawing and tearing them out with your bare hands if only to make it stop.”
Current installment of Tommi Reads the World – we’re still in the Bs.
Country: Brunei
Title: Written in Black
Author: KH Lim
Language: English
Translator: N/A
Publisher: Monsoon Books 2014
There are not a lot of novels coming out of Brunei. Literary tradition in this small Asian country consists of oral storytelling, poetry, and epics, and while there does seem to be an active and exciting effort to make Brunei’s literature more readily available, my options were extremely limited. Written in Black is set in Brunei. KH Lim was born and raised in Brunei, and he is currently a medical doctor in Singapore. In the acknowledgements, he welcomes readers to learn more about Brunei utilizing other resources (as his book is not intended to nor should it be our sole education) or visiting the country.
The novel is a brief snapshot in the life of Jonathan, a ten-year-old boy whose grandfather has just died. The cover is a bit misleading because it would appear he floats down a river in casket, and while there is an “escape” via caskets, it’s not down a river. The name derives from Jonathan’s preference (possibly obsession) with writing in black ink. His teacher insists on blue, but Jonathan prefers black. Particularly from his G2 pen. (I get that. I love a G2.) He is a Huckleberry Finn loving middle child who gets into a bit of trouble, but usually always for the right reasons. His mother has left them, and no one is really being honest about why and when or even if she’ll be back. His older brother has been kicked out of the home. And now, his grandfather has died. Jonathan, along with his sister and younger brother, must attend the funeral.
Jonathan goes on a “quest” to find his brother and bring him to the funeral. Along the way, he meets a few unsavory characters, including glue sniffing poklans, which he likens to the pirates of Brunei’s past. It’s a bit of a funny epic that hints at Huck while still being very much Brunei.
I look forward to seeing more literature out of Brunei.
A Girl Named Tommi 