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January14
ARTS&LEISURE
If you're looking for a good
read this month, here are our
thoughts on a selection of
recent releases.
PAGE
The Hunt (2nd edition)
Bernie Baskin and Jalean Wong
Gatehouse Publishing | 128 pages
Within days of bringing the
second edition of
The Hunt
back to my apartment, it
mysteriously began to get dog-
eared. Not messy dog-eared
from overuse, but neatly dog-
eared, with precisely folded-
down triangles on the corners
of certain pages.
Either we had a poltergeist or
someone else on the premises
had taken a shine to the book.
The fact that the articles on the
dog-eared pages were almost
all about clothing, shoe and bag boutiques led me swiftly to
the suspect.
At which point the book just, well, disappeared.
“You haven’t seen my copy of The Hunt anywhere, have
you?” I asked my wife.
“Sorry?” came the reply, and I could tell she was using
“sorry” not because she didn’t hear the question but because
My Singapore Lover
Judy Chapman
Monsoon | 254 pages
Sara arrives in Singapore on
a magazine assignment to
research and write about the
attraction between Western
men and Asian women. This
she does so well that the head
of the publishing house gives
her a chance to immerse
herself in the corporate world
and make a lot of money. Now
for the big question: will she
lose her “intuition, femininity
and grace” in this dog-eats-
dog world?
Aussie Judy Chapman is a former editor-in-chief of Spa
Asia, and this is her first novel. I didn’t like the self-obsessed
Sara, but then again, phrases such as “I radiated loveliness”
are not calculated to endear a protagonist to the reader.
What’s more, Sara’s relationship with a rich, tall, dark,
she was buying time while working out her answer.
“
The Hunt
. You know – useful little handbook about
Singapore’s cool neighbourhood restaurants and shops.
Divided into sections on Tanjong Pagar, Bukit Timah, East
Coast, and so on. 128 pages and small enough to fit into any
handbag. That one.”
“Ah. Yes. I know it. I took it to work.”
“Why?”
“I wanted to ask my colleagues if they knew a couple of
places it recommends.”
Then I asked her if I could get it back. After all, the book has
info on dozens of very awesome cafés and eateries whose
food I’m keen to try.
“Sure, I guess.”
Sounded fairly non-committal to me.
Here’s a tip: if you get yourself a copy of
The Hunt
– and I
suggest you do – keep close tabs on it.
Shamus Sillar
handsome (and married) Indonesian Chinese man didn’t
quite gel for me; neither did the coyly vague and rather
repetitive sex scenes.
(And – spoiler alert! – can you imagine a man at the end of
a relationship saying: “You have taught me to be vulnerable
again. What more could a man ask for?” Puh-leeze.)
The plot switches confusingly back and forth in time, in
a way that might work better in a movie. And the interesting
back story that emerges to partially explain Sara’s rackety
behaviour comes rather late; generally, I would have given up
before then. So, why did I read through to the end?
Well, I’m a sucker for anything set in Singapore, and this
book is peppered with descriptions of places such the Four
Seasons Hotel, Café le Caire in Arab Street, the Hyatt’s Martini
Bar, the Marriott’s Crossroads Café, Little India, Club Street
and more. If you love the Singapore life and enjoy the
Eat,
Pray, Love
genre, this book might just be worth a go.
Verne Maree