[Dr.
Lalita Sinha reviews Uthaya Sankar
SB’s Cerpen which stands out as a perceptive and bold social commentary,
making it a significant work in contemporary Malaysian literature.]
A collection of 28 short stories, Uthaya Sankar SB’s Cerpen (Fixi, 2024) is intriguing in several ways, including the choices
of a black-and white cover and enigmatically simplistic book title. I interpret
it as, less is more, or less telling, more showing!
Each story is meticulously crafted, a mirror to society from 30 years
ago to today, and still as relevant. I would go so far as to say, the author
demonstrates the role of “poet or prophet” at play.
Not the iGen or Gen Alpha reader to whom it is dedicated, I let my inner
comparatist reign in choosing which story to read first. OK, the titles seem to
be arranged in chronological order, so I started with the first, most recent
one perhaps from this year, one from the middle, and ending with the last
story, written when the author was 21.
Scammer has a large measure of mystery, personal struggles, and a relatable
“urban poor” ungendered protagonist who is a nameless everyman. Frankly, I
found the initial repetitive accounts of phone calls unwarranted and barren,
only to realise how purposefully utilised, for a dystopian, disturbing, story
on a prevailing social phenomenon.
Typically, the reader is taken along a certain path, to realise they are
left on an entirely different one. The reveal, albeit dramatic, is not
completely a reveal. It leaves me startled, with questions. In the present
tense, because it has such a lingering effect.
I must revisit this story, in the hope of finding crumbs left by the
author that may lead to answers. The story’s simplicity belies a complexity and
sophistication of plot and theme, and particularly, characterisation.
Ingenious!
Sasterawan Pulau
Cinta is a thinly
veiled, hard-hitting satire that prevails in a “neighbouring land”. On the
limited canvas of this story, every element is purposefully provocative. I
would describe it, in Manglish, as “Everybody also kena.” God
(including demi-god and semi-demon), humans (the literary, religious,
political, social) and the environment (natural disaster), all highly topical
elements.
The exposition is a tragedy, and the narrative, a consummate portrayal
of the effects of self-righteousness and foolishness, at a level bordering on
comedy. Yet is serious, as in deadly serious. The resolution is chilling, even
more so because it is a self-fulfilling prophecy! What the “sasterawan”
felt in 1995 comes true in 2002. Can’t be brave? Try bravado!
(2)
Postmortem is the last story in this collection. Perhaps the
format of the title is a play on “Postmodern”? It begs the question: Shouldn’t
it be written as, “Postmortem–2” like, referring to a sequel? And how could the
reality portrayed have meaning and reason?
Basically, it is a narrative of life involving death, betrayal, child abuse,
pimps and prostitutes, injustice and dirty politics in linear progression.
Again, close encounters of the dystopian kind. Except, the sharp and
captivating observations of peculiarities of ethnic Malaysian speech and
behaviour (“Mak Kiah mencebikkan bibir ke arah rumah jirannya”) feel
like rays of light lending relief and even hilarity from the general feeling of
physical and mental overwhelm as I read the story.
Without giving any more of the story away, it is a cleverly written,
fearless and unique expose of sociopolitical realities. Based on these three
stories (and a couple of others I transcreated previously for The Painted Cat collection last year), this book is
a keeper. It is a perceptive and bold social document presenting as
fiction. Cerpen reflects
an unusual and gifted Malaysian writer’s choice to swim
against the tide, to battle issues, and to preserve ideas and ideals that few take on.
(Dr. Lalita Sinha is a literary scholar, translator, and critic. Specialising in the
field of Comparative Literature, Lalita’s works cover a range of disciplines,
from mysticism and literary translation to children’s literature. This review was
published in Eksentrika on 22 September 2024.)