Review of Tan Twan Eng event by Jessica Wortley
Acclaimed novelist Tan Twan Eng joined William Fiennes at Newcastle University on 3rd December, to discuss and read an excerpt from his latest book The Garden Of Evening Mists, which was long-listed for the Man Booker Prize.
Set in Malaya, The Garden Of Evening Mists tells the story of retired judge Teoh Yun Ling as she attempts to come to terms with her past, as the sole survivor of a prisoner of war camp, where she was held ‘as a guest of the emperor’.
There are many strong themes running throughout the novel, the most central of which is memory, with the garden serving as a metaphor for this, ‘all of us…who we are…we are made of our memories. What are we without memories?’
A warm and thought provoking speaker, Tan refused to be drawn on characters’ actions, saying, instead, that the reader must make up their own mind. On his characters’ morals, he said simply, ‘it’s more interesting to read and write about unlikeable characters, than to write about a character who is perfect… that’s real life. Except for me, nobody here is perfect!’
His views on the north east were evident ‘Newcastle is so beautiful…the people are so friendly!’ Let’s hope that means he comes back soon.