Agnes Chew, from Singapore, with her short story, Oceans Away From My Homeland, skillfully interlaces a seemingly ordinary subject with a popular narrative structure, ultimately in a deceptive manner securing the win from the Asian region in the Commonwealth short story prize 2023.
At this point, you may be wondering if I am a disgruntled individual for not being shortlisted for the 2023 Commonwealth short story writing prize. Rest assured, I harbor no ill feelings. Feel free to form your own opinions about me. Meanwhile, I will express my thoughts on various matters without reservation.
Don't hesitate to read this blog post as it contains no further spoilers. I will be discussing a Commonwealth prize-winning short story that has already been published in Granta. By clicking here, you can easily access and read the story without any hassle. I prefer you read her story before you read this “review” of mine.
Let me begin by noting that Chew chooses a subject matter that evokes emotional distress in many due to its association with a prevalent lifestyle disease, which, in numerous cases, proves fatal. However, its commonplace nature renders it mundane, even if it’s breast cancer. Nevertheless, it's a cleverly selected subject aimed at attaining broad popularity and extensive support.
To rouse readers from their slumber and engage them wholeheartedly in her story, Chew employs a tried-and-true technique from the fiction writing handbook: opening with a paragraph, sentence, or phrase that delivers a powerful impact. Impressively, Chew successfully accomplishes this, by talking about the protagonist suffering from breast cancer, thus immediately captivating us and drawing us into the narrative.
As we delve deeper into the story, we observe yet another writing technique frequently employed by many authors: the use of short sentences, and at times, short phrases or even a few words, to imbue the writing with style and intensity. However, if you seek a more exceptional and perhaps lengthier read, I wholeheartedly recommend Don Delillo's superb novel, "White Noise," which also has a film adaptation available on Netflix.
And the final blow? The concluding line in which Chew reveals her pregnancy, highlighting the potential risk she unknowingly places on an innocent life, even if unintentional. It is a tragic tale, yet I remain skeptical due to her overt lack of originality, whether deliberate or inadvertent. This oversight may have influenced the susceptible judges who play a pivotal role within the Commonwealth, potentially perpetuating a condescending colonial and imperial attitude towards lesser-known writers within the remnants of this esteemed organization.
Yes, my exact thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI could not find anything out of the ordinary. Nothing that made me sit on the edge of my chair.
The subject matter is now so commonplace that it is rendered largely banal. The opening surprise that seemed sensual but tragic & the ending line that is fused with hope & tragedy was perhaps everything there was to the story. Maybe I’m not getting it but those are precisely the ingredients of a great short story. Chekhov for instance could weave a story about a rusty nut on a railway line - something so totally ordinary but extraordinary because of the unique narrative woven into the story. Not just emotions but a depiction of rich culture & village life woven into it. I don’t know. I am just not getting something about Chew’s story. 😁