Fragile Monsters by Catherine Menon review: truth and lies collide in this multigenerational story Madeleine Feeny
Some grandmothers are cosy, some indulgent, and others are craftier than any wolf in disguise. The grandmother in Catherine Menon’s debut novel
Fragile Monsters falls into the third category.
Australian-British Menon is a London-based lecturer in robotics whose CV combines a Pure Mathematics PhD with a Creative Writing MA. She draws on her Malaysian heritage in this multigenerational story that traces the country’s history from the 1920s to 1985: British colonial rule; the Japanese occupation in the Second World War; the rise of communism; the Malayan Emergency (the 1948–1960 fight for autonomy that saw the British inter civilians in resettlement camps); and the postcolonial legacy.
th century expedition to discover the shape of the world. The Yorkshire Vet,
Julian Norton, shares the challenges and hilarity of working with animals revealed in his new book
All Creatures, and the Poet Laureate,
Simon Armitage, will be reading from his latest collection.
On the lighter side, the programme includes several comedians. Writer and former
Bake Off presenter,
The Best Things, and
David Baddiel talks to Edward Stourton about the failures of identity politics outlined in his new book
Jews Don’t Count. One half of the
Peep Show comedy duo,
Come Again which follows the huge success of his memoir
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Fragile Monstersby Catherine MenonPenguin Reading Fragile Monsters was, for this Malaysia-born reviewer, akin to reliving a story that wasn't mine. Set in the state of Pahang, the family saga might seem "exotic and overdone" to those with Western sensibilities. But - borrowing from the protagonist, who is home after a decade in Canada - to the Malaysian eye it's real life. An important part of that reality is the atmosphere evoked, of a place.