by Tash Aw (2005)
This novel juxtaposes three accounts of the life of an enigmatic man at a pivotal and haunting moment in Malaysian history. The author slices his first novel into three segments, wherein three characters dissect the nature of Johnny Lim, a controversial figure in 1940s Malaysia. Depending on the teller, Johnny was a Communist leader, an informer for the Japanese, a dangerous black-market trader, a working-class Chinese man too in awe of his aristocratic wife to have sex with her, or a loyal friend. Long after Johnny's death, we hear these conflicting accounts of his life.
William Wall
Teenage parents, growing up. Hard-hitting, tense and deeply moving novel that sets power and corruption against the fragile defences of love, friendship and family. As gritty as it is tender, as funny as it is dark, it tells a riveting tale of survival against the odds.
Kazuo Ishiguro
Ishiguro explores what it means to have a soul and how art distinguishes man from other life forms. But above all, *Never Let Me Go* is a study of friendship and the bonds we form which make or break while we come of age.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is an acclaimed literary masterpiece celebrating major critical honors and timeless storytelling.
Joseph Heller
Portrait of an artist, as an old man is a celebrated work by Joseph Heller (American Master), recognized for masterclass storytelling and lasting literary resonance.