Another excellent book by J.G. Farrell, this one is about the final days leading up to the Japanese invasion through the comings and goings of one of the families owning a rubber company.
Well researched and with very well-drawn characters, it really pulled me in.

Walter Blackett is running the colony's oldest company and while engaging in business, he is also planning the company's anniversary party. Indeed, this obsession in times of war makes a lot of the satire in the book, a group of society removed from what is happening in Europe and what is about to happen on their doorstep.
Farrell doesn't just look at the privilidged elite, but also the military men passing through to fight the Japanese in the Far East, and people from the under belly of Singapore. A lot of this is seen through the eyes of Matthew, the heir to the founder of the firm, Blackett's partner, who arrives for the first time on the island, a fresh pair of eyes, if not a very naive pair. Poor Matthew, I did wonder which character would eat him alive first, his father's partner, the partner's cold fish of a daughter or the beautiful Eurasian girl trying to flee the Japanese.

As I said, the book was well researched and the descriptions of the fair and the volunteer firefighters really captured my imagination.

But what is a Singapore grip, this is what newcomer Matthew wants to know, read to find out!

Thanks so much for your donation soffitta1!

This book is now part of the 1001-library. If you want to take this book from the library but don't know how to proceed, please refer to the 1001-library bookshelf.

To be sent to Mafarrimond.

Sent with Troubles.

The books arrived today. I am looking forward to reading them. Thank you.