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The Harmony Silk Factory

by Tash Aw
Compare to estimated retail price: RM57.00 MYR  

The item you've got your eye on is secondhand. You probably already know that, but just in case!

The estimated retail price shown next to any listed item represents the first-hand prices we've seen elsewhere, or the estimated original retail price of a comparable item of the same quality, construction and material offered elsewhere in new condition.

The Harmony Silk Factory - Thryft
The Harmony Silk Factory
The Harmony Silk Factory - Thryft

Love and turmoil in pre-war Malaysia.

The Harmony Silk Factory is an excellent read for those who love historical fiction with a hint of romance. Tash Aw masterfully weaves together the perspectives of multiple characters, including a notorious Chinaman, a beautiful but tragic woman, a Japanese officer, and an Englishman. The journey that these characters take into the jungle reveals not only their personal struggles, but also cultural tensions of the era. Suspenseful and haunting, this novel is a must-read for those interested in Southeast Asian history and diverse perspectives.

  • Booker Prize Nominee for Longlist (2005)
  • Guardian First Book Award Nominee for Longlist (2005)
  • Whitbread Award for First Novel (2005)
  • Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book in South East Asia and Pacific (2006)
Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

The Harmony Silk Factory

by Tash Aw
Compare to estimated retail price: RM57.00 MYR  

The item you've got your eye on is secondhand. You probably already know that, but just in case!

The estimated retail price shown next to any listed item represents the first-hand prices we've seen elsewhere, or the estimated original retail price of a comparable item of the same quality, construction and material offered elsewhere in new condition.

Condition guide

Book Condition Guide

Books in Like New Condition

This book may contain very minor cosmetic defects, but it is in pristine condition. There should be no yellowing, no foxing, no water damage, and no annotations of any kind on the cover and the pages. For paperbacks, there should not be any crease marks on the spine. This book is good as new — lucky you!

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Very Good Condition

This book has been used, but it is still in a clean condition. There should be no foxing or annotations of any kind on the inner pages, but a sparse amount may be present on the cover, title pages, or outside edges of the book. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be light crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Good Condition

We do our best to ensure the quality of our books, but there is no escaping the wear and tear that comes with time. Slight foxing and some annotations may be present on the pages and the cover. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be several crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Well Read Condition

This is a well-read book, which means that the previous owner probably really enjoyed it! The cover and pages may include moderate foxing and annotations, but the text is not obscured and still readable. Moderate cosmetic defects and minor water damage may be present on the edges of the book. For paperbacks, there may be multiple crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

 

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ISBN: 9780007232284
Authors: Tash Aw
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Date of Publication: 2006-01-16
Format: Paperback
Related Collections: Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction
Related Topics: Asian Literature, World War II
Goodreads rating: 3.46
(rated by 2770 readers)

Description

A landmark work of fiction from one of Britain’s most exciting new authors, The Harmony Silk Factory is a devastating love story set against the turmoil of mid-twentieth century Malaysia. Set in Malaysia in the 1930s and 40s, with the rumbling of the Second World War in the background and the Japanese about to invade, The Harmony Silk Factory tells the story of Johnny, an infamous Chinaman – a salesman, a fraudster, possibly a murderer – whose shop house he uses as a front for his illegal businesses; Snow Soong, the beautiful daughter of one of the Kinta Valley’s most prominent families, who dies giving birth to one of the novel’s narrators; Kunichika, a Japanese officer who loves Snow too; and an Englishman, Peter Wormwood, who went to Malaysia like many English but never came back, who also loved Snow to the end of his life. A journey the four of them take into the jungle has a devastating effect on all of them, and brilliantly exposes the cultural tensions of the era. Haunting and highly original, The Harmony Silk Factory is suspenseful to the last page.
 

Love and turmoil in pre-war Malaysia.

The Harmony Silk Factory is an excellent read for those who love historical fiction with a hint of romance. Tash Aw masterfully weaves together the perspectives of multiple characters, including a notorious Chinaman, a beautiful but tragic woman, a Japanese officer, and an Englishman. The journey that these characters take into the jungle reveals not only their personal struggles, but also cultural tensions of the era. Suspenseful and haunting, this novel is a must-read for those interested in Southeast Asian history and diverse perspectives.

  • Booker Prize Nominee for Longlist (2005)
  • Guardian First Book Award Nominee for Longlist (2005)
  • Whitbread Award for First Novel (2005)
  • Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book in South East Asia and Pacific (2006)
Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.