In 'The South,' Tash Aw explores themes of family, estrangement, and economic struggle through the lens of two brothers and their children on a family farm. Set in rural Malaysia during a sweltering summer in the 1990s, the narrative centers on the familial tensions that arise following their grandfather's death. The contrasting backgrounds of the two boys, Jay and Chuan, highlight their divergent paths influenced by wealth and education, illustrating social disparities and personal longing in a densely packed emotional setting.
"The South takes place on a single farm in rural south Malaysia over a single summer in the 1990s, and shows Aw breaking into newly empathetic and impactful territory."
"Aw is brilliant at compressing sociological insight into intimate scenes, and here the boys' differences of wealth and education emerge implicitly."
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