Virtual Lotus: Modern Fiction of Southeast AsiaTeri Shaffer Yamada Virtual Lotus is the first anthology to represent diverse writers throughout Southeast Asia. Their short stories reflect the tremendous social, political, and cultural changes experienced in the region during an age of rapid modernization. Both award-winning writers and new talent are represented, including Pramoedya Ananta Toer (Indonesia), Shahnon Ahmad (Malaysia), and Duong Thu Huong (Vietnam). With keen wit, satire, and pathos their stories poignantly illustrate contemporary life and literary currents in Southeast Asia during the twentieth century. Short introductions to each story provide a sketch of the country's literary history, revealing the interaction between individual writers and their sociopolitical situations. Many of the stories are ethnographic and provide snapshots of cultures at a specific historical moment. The stories also reflect gender balance, diversity of style, and quality of literary expression. Exploring everything from the realities of being a middle-aged woman in Burma in the witty drama "An Umbrella" to the difficult choice between appeasing a troubled Vietnamese community or tending to an ailing father in "Tu Ben the Actor," this collection is sure to appeal to a variety of readers the world over. This anthology will be useful in courses in comparative translation and culture, postcolonial studies, political science, Asian history, and gender studies. It is also appropriate for a literary reading public interested in comparative world literature. Teri Shaffer Yamada is Associate Professor, California State University, Long Beach. |
Contents
III | 1 |
IV | 4 |
VI | 11 |
VII | 18 |
VIII | 25 |
IX | 37 |
X | 39 |
XI | 41 |
XXX | 158 |
XXXI | 165 |
XXXIII | 170 |
XXXIV | 173 |
XXXV | 178 |
XXXVI | 182 |
XXXVII | 190 |
XXXVIII | 194 |
XII | 45 |
XIV | 53 |
XV | 56 |
XVI | 70 |
XVII | 74 |
XVIII | 82 |
XIX | 96 |
XX | 103 |
XXI | 105 |
XXIII | 108 |
XXIV | 116 |
XXV | 119 |
XXVI | 130 |
XXVII | 137 |
XXVIII | 146 |
XXIX | 157 |
XXXIX | 201 |
XL | 210 |
XLI | 218 |
XLII | 221 |
XLIV | 236 |
XLV | 254 |
XLVI | 262 |
XLVII | 269 |
XLVIII | 272 |
L | 278 |
LI | 284 |
LII | 298 |
LIII | 321 |
325 | |
LV | 331 |
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Common terms and phrases
Ah Leong asked Ba Gyi Kyaw beautiful became boss Burma Burmese Cambodia Cambodian Chinese Consuelo Corner dark Detective Sarman Don Julio door Duong Thu Huong eyes face father feel felt fiction Filipino ginseng girl Grrrr hand head heard Hern Hieu husband Indonesia Jakarta K. S. Maniam keroncong knew kyat laughed literary literature living Loan looked Malay Malaysia modern mother Moum never night Nonoy Pamuji Philippines Phnom Penh plankway play pretty-face pregnant woman publish granted rain Ravana road Sawitri Shahnon Ahmad short stories silent Singapore sister Sita smiled song stood stopped Straits Chinese suddenly Supyan talk tattooed corpses teacher teacher's aid Thadun Thai Thailand thing Thom Thongsy thought toilet told Tosakan Trang Tuy Translated turned University Vietnam Vietnamese voice waiting wife women young