The Silk Harmony Factory

I am of two thoughts about this novel.

It has a promising start and I was totally absorbed by the plot and the characters initially. Halfway through the book, however, when I was reading the diary entries by Snow, I was greatly disturbed by the apparent inconsistencies running through the writing. I remember flipping the pages to check certain details, playing detective. Alas, the consistencies remained and were at certain parts too great to be acceptable.

Granted, I later learned that the inconsistencies were deliberate, Tash Aw’s intention being to show his readers how assumptions can be misleading and how events are perceived differently by different people.

Still, in my opinion, it is unsatisfactory that the whole story cannot be weaved together in its entirety.

This is clearly not something Sherlock Holmes enthuthiasts will enjoy.