Trois autres Malaisie—Reviewed in easyvoyage.com

Here's the third book review of Trois autres Malaisie, the French translation of Lovers and Strangers Revisited, from easyvoyage.com. The review is also below.

Livre: Trois autres Malaisie

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Trois autres Malaisie

Un livre a le pouvoir de faire voyager son lecteur, tout en restant immobile. Et c'est particulièrement le cas de Trois autres Malaisie. Ce recueil de quatorze nouvelles permet de découvrir les trois principaux visages de la population malaise. Qu'il soit Malais, Chinois ou Indien, chacun possède une histoire, des coutumes et des traditions... des origines différentes qui contribuent à la force du pays. A travers 14 nouvelles, le livre relatent des histoires de la vie. On apprécie particulièrement le choc des cultures relaté dans Mat Salleh, nouvelle présente dans la partie malaise du livre ; tout comme celle des amoureux déchirés par la routine quotidienne, que l'on trouve dans la partie chinoise du recueil. Ces histoires ont été écrites par Robert Raymer, adopté par la Malaisie depuis plus de 20 ans, et qui vit aujourd'hui sur l'île de Bornéo avec femme et enfants. Facile et rapide à lire, on en ressort grandi. Cet ouvrage est disponible au prix de 18,85 € sur le site troisautresmalaisie.blogspot.com.

Note : 

Prix moyen : 18,85 €

             

*Update, the 20th anniversary of Lovers and Strangers Revisited, my collection of short stories set in Malaysia

**Update: Book orders for Trois autres Malaisie.   E-book orders.  Or recommend it to your friends, especially those who would like to know more about Malaysia or have an interest in Southeast Asia.

  

Here's a link to the intro and excerpts, and to four reviews of Trois Autres Malaisie in eurasie.net, Malaisie.org, easyvoyage.com, and Petit Futé mag.

***Here’s an update to the French blog about Trois autres Malaisie and my meeting the French translator Jerome Bouchaud in Kuching, and my involvement in a French documentary for Arte (June 2017) on The Sensual Malaysia of Somerset Maugham.

Here are links to some of my author-to-author interviews of first novelists:

Ivy Ngeow author of Cry of the Flying Rhino, winner of the 2016 Proverse Prize.

Golda Mowe author of Iban Dream and Iban Journey.

Preeta Samarasan author of Evening is the Whole Day. 

Chuah Guat Eng,  author of Echoes of Silence and Days of Change. 

Plus:

Five part Maugham and Me series

Beheaded on Road to Nationhood: Sarawak Reclaimed—Part I 

Trois Autres Malaisie—Another Review in Malaisie.org

Trois autres Malaisie, the French translation of Lovers and Strangers Revisited, not only has a second review in Malaisie.org but also my Wikipedia page  is now in French Wikipedia!

*Update: Here's a link to the intro and excerpts, and links to four reviews of Trois Autres Malaisie in eurasie.net, Malaisie.org, easyvoyage.com, and Petit Futé mag.

 

             

*Update, the 20th anniversary of Lovers and Strangers Revisited, my collection of short stories set in Malaysia

**Update: Book orders for Trois autres Malaisie.   E-book orders.  Or recommend it to your friends, especially those who would like to know more about Malaysia or have an interest in Southeast Asia.

***Here’s an update to the French blog about Trois autres Malaisie and my meeting the French translator Jerome Bouchaud in Kuching, and my involvement in a French documentary for Arte (June 2017) on The Sensual Malaysia of Somerset Maugham.

Here are links to some of my author-to-author interviews of first novelists:

Ivy Ngeow author of Cry of the Flying Rhino, winner of the 2016 Proverse Prize.

Golda Mowe author of Iban Dream and Iban Journey.

Preeta Samarasan author of Evening is the Whole Day. 

Chuah Guat Eng,  author of Echoes of Silence and Days of Change. 

Plus:

Five part Maugham and Me series

Beheaded on Road to Nationhood: Sarawak Reclaimed—Part I 

Trois Autres Malaisie Gets Reviewed on Eurasie.net

Trois autres Malaisie, the French translation of Lovers and Strangers Revisited was just reviewed on eurasie.net by Emmanuel Deslouis on 15 February 2012.

Here it is for those who can read French (sorry, I don’t either, but please pass along to any friends who do, especially if they have an interest in Malaysia or Southeast Asia.  Thanks!)

« Trois autres Malaisie » de Robert Raymer

éditions GOPE, 216 pages.

mercredi par Emmanuel Deslouis“Tout voyageur qui met un pied en Malaisie s’aperçoit assez rapidement que le pays a – au minimum – trois visages principaux : malais, chinois et indien. Une composition triple qui découle de siècles de commerce, d’échanges et de rencontres. L’auteur de ce recueil de nouvelles, Robert Raymer pouvait difficilement échapper à cette tripartition. Qui donne lieu à des variations très différentes les unes des autres. Côté malais, on assiste à l’arrivée d’un étranger à la peau blanche dans sa belle famille malaise. Et on réalise qu’il est fort compliqué d’être un « mat salleh ». Le choc des cultures, bien entendu, mais aussi celui des traditions, présenté dans une autre nouvelle, où de jeunes musulmanes vont avoir toutes les difficultés du monde à lutter contre les traditions. Dans la partie « chinoise », changement de ton : l’heure est aux relations amoureuses... qui tournent mal. Un couple d’amants tombe dans les excès de la routine jusqu’au déchirement. Un second duo se retrouve de manière effrayante au-delà de la mort. Enfin, la partie indienne nous présente une histoire effrayante : celle d’un avocat, assis devant le comptoir d’un bar, et dont l’ivresse cache un terrible secret. Au final, un enchevêtrement d’histoires qui glissent entre les cultures, les langues et les traditions. Très dépaysant."                                                                                                                                                   

    

             

*Update, the 20th anniversary of Lovers and Strangers Revisited, my collection of short stories set in Malaysia

**Update: Book orders for Trois autres Malaisie.   E-book orders.  Or recommend it to your friends, especially those who would like to know more about Malaysia or have an interest in Southeast Asia.

  

Here's a link to the intro and excerpts, and to four reviews of Trois Autres Malaisie in eurasie.net, Malaisie.org, easyvoyage.com, and Petit Futé mag.

***Here’s an update to the French blog about Trois autres Malaisie and my meeting the French translator Jerome Bouchaud in Kuching, and my involvement in a French documentary for Arte (June 2017) on The Sensual Malaysia of Somerset Maugham.
 .

Borneo Expat Writer

Here are links to some of my author-to-author interviews of first novelists:

Ivy Ngeow author of Cry of the Flying Rhino, winner of the 2016 Proverse Prize.

Golda Mowe author of Iban Dream and Iban Journey.

Preeta Samarasan author of Evening is the Whole Day. 

Chuah Guat Eng,  author of Echoes of Silence and Days of Change. 

Plus:

Five part Maugham and Me series

Beheaded on Road to Nationhood: Sarawak Reclaimed—Part I 

My Copy of Trois autres Malaisie has arrived!

 

My copy of Trois autres Malaisie  has arrived!  The whole process, from the initial contact by Editions GOPE to explore the possibility of translating Lovers andStrangers Revisited into French to my receiving this copy took about one year. 

Although the cover is the same, it’s not—it’s better (though it's not as sharp in jpeg, above).  But holding the books side by side, you'll see (and feel) the difference.  The cover is now glossy, which makes the colors appear more alive and the woman more real; her exposed eye seems even more mysterious.  The cover type is also bolder and stands out, though my name is smaller (on the spine, too).  The thickness is about the same, even though there are three less stories; the height is shorter.  Inside, other than the obvious language difference, you'll  notice another big difference.  There are ten illustrations from different artists and a hibiscus is used as a colophon (to denote breaks such as major scene changes). 

Also, in back, Editions GOPE, has added illustrations and a synopsis of several of their books, including Trois autres Thailande and Le Monde de Suzie Wong, the French translation of Richard Mason’s The World of Suzie Wong.  This is good; it means that in future books and in new editions of past books, Trois autres Malaisie will be added, too. There is also Trois autres Malaisie translator, Jerome Bouchaud’s Malaisie: Modernite et traditions en Asia du Sud-Est.

The stories are regrouped into three sections: The Malays, The Chinese, The Indian.  Since the majority of the characters in “Neighbors” are Chinese it’s placed at the beginning of the Chinese section.  Here is the table of contents (I added in the original titles—some I could guess at, most I could not)  

LA MALAISE…

Mat Salleh (Mat Salleh)

Les pierres saintes (Smooth Stones)

Le regard (The Stare)

Les vendredis (On Fridays)

Hari raya (Home for Hari Raya)

Symetrie (Symmetry)

Naufrage ( Only in Malaysia)

LA CHINOISE…

Les voisins (Neighbors)

A l’hotel de la gare (The Station Hotel)

Le guetteur (The Watcher)

Les amants anonymes (Lovers and Strangers)

ET L’INDIENNE…

Le futur avocat (The Future Barrister)

La chambre de grande soeur (Sister’s Room)

Teh-o a Kuala Lumpur (Teh-o in K.L.)

*Update, the 20th anniversary of Lovers and Strangers Revisited, my collection of short stories set in Malaysia

**Update: Book orders for Trois autres Malaisie.   E-book orders.  Or recommend it to your friends, especially those who would like to know more about Malaysia or have an interest in Southeast Asia.

  

Here's a link to the intro and excerpts, and to four reviews of Trois Autres Malaisie in eurasie.net, Malaisie.org, easyvoyage.com, and Petit Futé mag.

***Here’s an update to the French blog about Trois autres Malaisie and my meeting the French translator Jerome Bouchaud in Kuching, and my involvement in a French documentary for Arte (June 2017) on The Sensual Malaysia of Somerset Maugham.

Introduction and Excerpts for Trois autres Malaisie

228 pages, 13x19 cm, ouvrage illustré.

Trois autres Malaisie is printed and now available!  Editions GOPE has just provided me the introduction to Trois autres Malaisie, written by the translator, Jerome Bouchaud, as well as the excerpts to four of the stories.

Orders for Trois autres Malaisie, the French translation of Lovers and Strangers Revisited, a collection of short stories set in Malaysia and winner of 2009 Popular-The Star Reader's Choice Award, can now be made at:

           

ACHETEZ TROIS AUTRES MALAISIES, 17.90  € (-5%, LIVRAISON GRATUITE)

           

           

           

           

           

           

Click on the middle book will link you to the introduction and excerpts of four of the stories. Editions GOPE is offering free shipping to anywhere in the world and 5% discount.  The books are now available.

Again, please inform others who speak French, even as a second or third language (or are learning French), and who has an interest in Malaysia or would like to know more about it.  Think of your family and friends back home or those living overseas, even those who might have been here years ago or are thinking about visiting someday.  Or send them a copy of Trois autres Malaisie as a present!  Thank you!

*Update: Here's a link to the intro and excerpts, and links to four reviews of Trois Autres Malaisie in eurasie.net, Malaisie.org, easy voyage.com, and Petit Futé mag.


**Update: Book orders for Trois autres Malaisie.   E-book orders.  Or recommend it to your friends, especially those who would like to know more about Malaysia or have an interest in Southeast Asia.

 

***Here’s an update to the French blog about Trois autres Malaisie and my meeting the French translator Jerome Bouchaud in Kuching, and my involvement in a French documentary for Arte (June 2017) on The Sensual Malaysia of Somerset Maugham.

*Update, the 20th anniversary of Lovers and Strangers Revisited, my collection of short stories set in Malaysia.

La Malaisie vue de l'intérieur avec 14 nouvelles de Robert Raymer.

Advance orders for Trois autres Malaisie!

228 pages, 13x19 cm, ouvrage illustré.

Orders for Trois autres Malaisie, the French translation of Lovers and Strangers Revisited, a collection of short stories set in Malaysia and winner of 2009 Popular-The Star Reader's Choice Award, can now be made at:

   

ACHETEZ TROIS AUTRES MALAISIES, 17.90  € (-5%, LIVRAISON GRATUITE)

   

   
   
   
   
   

   

*Update, the 20th anniversary of Lovers and Strangers Revisited, my collection of short stories set in Malaysia

**Update: Book orders for Trois autres Malaisie.   E-book orders.  Or recommend it to your friends, especially those who would like to know more about Malaysia or have an interest in Southeast Asia.

  

Here's a link to the intro and excerpts, and to four reviews of Trois Autres Malaisie in eurasie.net, Malaisie.org, easyvoyage.com, and Petit Futé mag.

***Here’s an update to the French blog about Trois autres Malaisie and my meeting the French translator Jerome Bouchaud in Kuching, and my involvement in a French documentary for Arte (June 2017) on The Sensual Malaysia of Somerset Maugham.
 

La Malaisie vue de l'intérieur avec 14 nouvelles de Robert Raymer

A French Translation for Lovers and Strangers Revisited-- it's Official!

It’s official—the contract has been signed—Lovers and Strangers Revisited is going to be translated into French by Éditions GOPE, who specialize in Southeast Asia.  The French version will be sold mainly in France, but also in Hong Kong, Thailand and Cambodia and marginally in Switzerland and Belgium. 

(*Update: here a link to the introduction and excerpts to four of the stories, and below are links to four reviews, and where to order books for yourself or for your friends.)

Although they’ll be using the same cover, the French title will be "Trois autres Malaisie" which literally translates as "Three Other Malaysia". As Éditions GOPE explains it, it’s a short way to say “let's discover three faces of Malaysia, the Malay, the Chinese and the Indian”.  (Living in Sarawak, I’m aware that is not true, but it is for most of Peninsular Malaysia.)   

The main reason for the title change is because the book will be a part of a series of three books. Trois autres Thaïlande by Etienne Rosse is the first book, already published, mine will be the second book, and the third will be about the Philippines. What these books have in common is that they’re collections of short stories that are mainly portraits of the people in the countries where they are set.

As you can see, when you compare the Thai book to mine, there’s even a one eye motif on the two covers.  Éditions GOPE has already set up a website/blog for Trois autres Malaisie similar to what they’ve done for the Thai book.

Translating it into French will add about 20% to the length, so two stories may have to be dropped.  For now we’re considering “Waiting” and “Dark Blue Thread” (since it deals with issues that are similar to “Only in Malaysia”, one of the two stories added to the MPH 2008 edition). *(update) I just found out that a third story will be dropped, "Transaction In Thai" since it is set in Thailand, though a French translation is being used for promotional purposes in Thailand.  

Yes, I will be re-editing the stories again; several have already been done in my on-going efforts to publish more of the stories in the US market.  No, I won’t be translating my story-behind-the-story blog series into French.  Then again, who knows?  

    

For an extra Malaysian touch, the French translator, Jerome Bouchaud has written a guidebook on Malaysia "Malaisie - Modernité et Traditions en Asie du Sud-Est", and is based here in Langkawi.

I’m hoping all of this will lead to the English version of LSR to finally break away from Malaysia/Singapore to a much wider audience, as have many of the individual stories including “On Fridays” recently published in Cha one of the two stories that initially attracted their attention.)

So the legacy of the original collection, Lovers and Strangers, published way back in 1993 by Heinemann Asia for their “Writing in Asia Series” continues to grow. . . .As of now, the collection has been published three times in English, and the 17 short stories set in Malaysia have been published 78 times in 11 countries, taught in SPM literature, several universities and private colleges, and the MPH edition even won the 2009 Popular-The Star Readers Choice Awards.  Not too bad, and now it’s getting translated and going to France!  

So it looks like Mrs. Koh  from “Neighbors” will soon be gossiping and bad-mouthing people in French!  There goes the neighborhood.

Here is the new cover:

*Update: Book orders for Trois autres Malaisie.    E-book orders.  Or recommend it to your friends, especially those who would like to know more about Malaysia or have an interest in Southeast Asia.

  

Here's a link to the intro and excerpts, and to four reviews of Trois Autres Malaisie in eurasie.net, Malaisie.org, easyvoyage.com, and Petit Futé mag.

**Here’s an update to the French blog about Trois autres Malaisie and my involvement in a French documentary for Arte (June 2017) on The Sensual Malaysia of Somerset Maugham.

***Update, the 20th anniversary of Lovers and Strangers Revisited

 

Here are links to some of my author-to-author interviews of first novelists:

Ivy Ngeow author of Cry of the Flying Rhino, winner of the 2016 Proverse Prize.

Golda Mowe author of Iban Dream and Iban Journey.

Preeta Samarasan author of Evening is the Whole Day. 

Chuah Guat Eng,  author of Echoes of Silence and Days of Change. 

Plus:

Five part Maugham and Me series

Beheaded on Road to Nationhood: Sarawak Reclaimed—Part I 

 

Pop Club (Popular Books) August 2009

Click on to read

Here are links to some of my author-to-author interviews of first novelists:

Ivy Ngeow author of Cry of the Flying Rhino, winner of the 2016 Proverse Prize.

Golda Mowe author of Iban Dream and Iban Journey.

Preeta Samarasan author of Evening is the Whole Day. 

Chuah Guat Eng,  author of Echoes of Silence and Days of Change. 

Plus:

Five part Maugham and Me series

Beheaded on Road to Nationhood: Sarawak Reclaimed—Part I