PETALING JAYA: Imagine this. You’re a young adult, a college graduate who has been in the workforce for a while now. Despite having hopes and dreams, the realities of life have taken their toll, and now you prefer to keep your head down and just try to survive.
One day, a mysterious person passes you a strange object, and you start receiving calls from a woman who knows everything about you.
An eerie coincidence, or is there something bigger going on? More importantly, would you try to find out what’s happening, or would you return to the tedium of everyday life?
This is the scenario that the titular character of Yeng K Tan’s “Mister Yam” is thrusted into, and boy, is it a mystery that baffles the mind.
“Mister Yam” is Tan’s debut novel and the realisation of a long-held dream.
Tan, an engineer based in San Francisco, tells FMT that while he had previously published short stories online, this is his first professional foray into the literary scene. It’s a point worth bearing in mind, given that the prose and structure of Tan’s writing do not resemble that of a novice.
While he does not drown his readers in a flurry of vocabulary, Tan – who cites Haruki Murakami and Hermann Hesse as among his favourite authors – is very descriptive in his writing, taking time to elaborate on his characters’ thoughts.
Despite his current location, Tan’s Malaysian eccentricities have not left him. This is evidenced by the amount of detail poured into his vivid descriptions of food.
“Already, I could imagine the warmth that would fill me as I drank two spoons, three spoons of the rich, delicious broth. Beef bones, ginger, scallions, star anise, fennel seeds, and cinnamon as a base, topped with basil, tendon, brisket and some rice noodles,” he writes.
“I plucked every single, squeezed every lime, and dumped all of the beansprouts into the soup. Like entering a cozy cabin in the middle of a winter storm, the broth was warm and delicious; the noodles were just the perfect texture – thin yet firm, smooth yet subtle.”
Philosophy and puzzlement
There’s more to the book than descriptions to make you salivate, of course. There is also the mystery at the heart of the story.
The titular character is a smart and quirky fellow, whom readers are likely to find relatable, embroiled in a situation beyond his control. It’s difficult to describe the mystery without giving too much away, but suffice to say that “Mister Yam” has lots of layers, and it is interesting to see how these parts interact and come together.
While there are elements of surrealism and silliness sprinkled throughout the book, there are also deeper themes that bring forth interesting questions: “Are you happy with where you are now? Or are you constantly trying to pursue a life that others expect of you?”
“Mister Yam”, in a way, advises readers to make their own path in life and to live true to themselves without conforming to the wants of others.
The novel also delves into topics such as the role of religion in people’s lives, as well as the untainted beauty of nature.
For readers seeking a mystery of a criminal nature, you might be disappointed as the book deviates from the path you might expect. It’s hard to shoehorn the novel into a specific genre, since it takes elements from several and makes them its own.
Tan two years to write “Mr Yam” and tells the story in his own way, keeping the reader intrigued with its twists and turns, invested in the journey his humble protagonist goes through.
It is an engaging read, a well-crafted product that speaks to the reader directly and leaves them thinking about life long after turning the final page.
Get your copy of ‘Mister Yam’ on Kindle or in paperback by clicking here. ‘Mister Yam’ will soon be available for purchase in local MPH bookstores.