My Top Ten Novels

I used to read a lot of novels. Recently, however, the number of novels I read has dwindled to perhaps around 2-3 a year, mainly due to competitive substitutes in the form of non-fictions and the internet. In trying to compile my list of top ten novels, I did not realise what a mammoth task it would be until I got down to shortlisting. Thus, I have set out the following criteria for myself:

1. The novel must have resisted the passage of time. It should be an event that lingered in the mind long after the novel is finished.
2. The novel should have an impact or influence on my life. Or it should have added considerable useful knowledge to my database or set me thinking. Thus, "lightweight" fictions, though highly enjoyable, will be disqualified.
3. The enjoyment factor must still be there.

So, tah-dah, my favourite novels of all times (not in any particular order):

1 Jung Chang - Wild Swans

For one who wants to know more about China and its recent history, but is not ready to plough through volumes of history books on the subject, Jung Chang's eminently readable book serves as a good source. It was from here that I launched on to reading Mao's biographies and other books related to China. But none beats this book, auto-biographical in nature, spreading over three generations in the turbulent 20th century years of Mao's China, which remains etched firmly in my mind.

2 Amy Tan - The Kitchen God's Wife/Joy Luck Club and others

Amy Tan is an expert on the complex mother-daughter relationship. Her accounts of the conflicts faced by overseas Chinese trying to adjust to their New World are told with humour and deep insight. Her books are a must-read for all Chinese daughters and those who want to understand the Chinese women in their lives. Her autobiographical essays, published under The Opposite Of Fate, provide interesting glimpses to the live of the author and her influences.

3 Leon Uris - Exodus/ Mila 18 and others

Leon Uris was a writer of Jewish descent and he wrote historical fictions based on events in the first half of the 20th century, mainly the Second World War. I learnt much about the persecution of the Jews in the various European communities, well beyond what history textbooks can tell you, as well as the controversies surrounding the creation of Israel and the Palestinian conflict, through his books. Some say his accounts are biased, but still... all writers are entitled to their points of view.

The most vivid memory for me of Leon Uris was that I was caught reading one of his novels under my desk during an English lesson when I was in Secondary Four. So riveted was I with his narrative that I could not put his book down - not even during lessons and to think I have always been a model student! The teacher did not punish me - maybe she thought reading the book was just as good a way of learning English as paying attention in her English class, lol.

4 Rohinton Mistri - A Fine Balance

This is a recent novel that I read and it took my breath away with its eclectic mix of characters and multi-faceted story-line. The novel is definitely one book that I will want to read again in the future. The writer is Bombay-born and now living in Canada. His book describes the struggles of the disadvantaged in inner-city Bombay, with the Emergency as the back-drop (70's). The revelations of the decay, corrupt, impoverishment and injustice in this crowded city are both eye-opening and heart-rending. I love the main characters - a student, a widow and two tailors who are uncle and nephew. The ending is beautifully executed - with just that touch of irony tinged with optimism.

5 Vikram Seth - A Suitable Boy

Vikram Seth's epic novel (close to 1,500 pages) was my introduction to the genre of fictions by Indian-born writers. The book followed the parallel lives of several protaganists from upper-middle class background as their characters converged and diverged in the vast rich canvas that is India. I have learnt so much about India from this book - the political developments in the post-Independence era, the conflicts between the various castes, races and religions (Hindus versus Muslims) and their cultural practices/sensitivities. At the core is a family/love story as the mother attempts to choose a suitable groom for her independent-minded but traditionally obedient daughter, thus the title of the novel.

I chose to read this novel during the confinement period after Son No 3 was born. What better time is there to read when one is advised to stay in bed all day to rest - ya, the body can rest but the mind is active :) Even during feeding times, the book would be propped in front of me - it is now known as multi-tasking! If one chooses to read this epic, one must set aside time for it. It is easy to lose track of the many characters and plots in the book if the focus is not there.

6 Barbara Kingsolver - The Poisonwood Bible

The novel tells the story of a missionary family, consisting of the over-zealous minister, his passive wife and their four daughters, venturing into the heart of Congo to "save" the unenlightened souls of Dark Africa. This rich, rich text is to be studied for its many themes and messages, such as the many hypocrisies in personal, religious and political confrontations, but what stood out for me most memorably is one incident in the book when the mother had to make a decision on which daughter's life to save in a certain crisis situation. While this is not the central theme of the book, it really got me thinking.

7 Jane Austen - Pride & Prejudice

I am not a big fan of English Literature classics but this book did have an impact on me when I was younger. I read this book many times when I was in high school and was drawn into the strange Victorian world where women sit around the whole day and do nothing but wait to be married off! The wealthy, handsome and silent Mr Darcy in the novel must be the dream of all young girls. And yes, I enjoyed the movie based on the book. I note this is yet another book with a family of daughters, just like Louisa May Alcott's Little Women and Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible. A family of daughters probably provide more fodder for emotional plots than a family of sons!

8 Erich Segal - Doctors

The title says it all. The book is about a group of medical students in the Harvard Medical School and their professional lives thereafter. Medical students have attested that their experiences fairly resemble those that are fleshed out in the book. On my part, I always liked well-researched books and many of Erich Segal's novels are. His most famous novel is perhaps Love Story, also beautifully-written, and now immortalized in the movie of the same name starring a very young Ryan O'Neal and Ali McGraw.

9 Maeve Binchy - Echoes/Circle of Friends and others

Maeve Binchy's heartwarming stories have more or less the same formula. The setting is mainly in small Irish towns that face the perils of development, the characters experience socio-economic class divides and the generation gap, the stories are female-centric. What works for me are the wholesome old-fashioned values depicted in the stories - values such as hard work, honesty, loyalty, friendship and love. Reading her novels, especially the earlier ones, is like going home after a hard day's work.

10 Harper Lee - To Kill A Mockingbird

The story of a black man charged with the rape of a white woman set in the 1930's in Alabama, this is a timeless gem that gets better with each reading. It was my literature text in high school and as I read it again this year, now with a matured eye, I am able to appreciate the book even more. To some readers, the build-up of the story is considered slow (the court scenes start somewhere in the middle of the book), but the various early experiences of Scout, through whom the story is narrated, and Jem, her brother, are relevant to the understanding of their development maturity.

In the above list, I know I have left out some good contenders for the top ten but I had to stop somewhere. But nvm.... by listing down these books, I can't help but hope that one of these days, at least one of my sons will enjoy reading, and not just reading, but reading novels, as much as I do.