Revenge, Murder in Three Parts, is author S.L. Lim’s follow-up to her debut novel, Real Differences, (which won the UTS Glenda Adams Award for New Writing in the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards, and which I reviewed here). Revenge is a very dark novel indeed.
The central character, Yannie, spends a good deal of her life nursing resentments from family life which favours the male, and when she gets the opportunity to ‘overcome the monster’ she doesn’t hesitate. The novel debunks the stereotype of Asian family unity, and reinforces the preconception that Asian males are favoured. Along the way the reader recognises that progress in acceptance of gay relationships has a long way to go in Singapore.
The third person limited narration means that the reader knows only Yannie’s perspective. The story begins with the narrator describing the physical abuse that her brother Shan dishes out, and her parents’ refusal to do anything about it. (It’s more than just sibling rough-and-tumble, much more). Yannie’s gender means that she is not only expected to endure her parents’ favouritism, but also to defer to their decisions that lead to him having a great career while she has to give up ambitions for further study and has to work in their shop. He gets to go to Oxford, she stays with her parents and takes responsibility for supporting them until they die. It’s an old story, and still common to many women around the world, and it still happens sometimes, even in liberal western societies that have embraced women’s rights.
Yannie’s unhappiness is exacerbated by her inability to form supportive relationships. There are a number of reasons for this, but the most difficult one to resolve is that she is not interested in the attentions of a young man called Jun… but can’t have a satisfying gay relationship either. Shuying, who is the love of Yannie’s life, opts for traditional marriage with husband and children instead. Loneliness, a mundane job, lack of money and nursing her grievances make it impossible for Yannie to have a satisfying life.
Well, as the title implies, she gets her chance at vengeance… and she exploits the bonds of family to achieve it.
An audio book will be released at the same time as the book on September 1st by Wavesound.
Author: S.L. Lim
Title: Revenge, Murder in Three Parts
Cover image by Piyapong Sayduang, cover and book design by Peter Lo
Publisher: Transit Lounge, 2020
ISBN: 9781925760583, pbk., 236 pages
Review copy courtesy of Transit Lounge
ANZ LitLovers LitBlog 
This looks like another one for me, Lisa. You’ve done it again ;-) Thank you.
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By: Jennifer on July 28, 2020
at 9:58 am
Yessssss!
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By: Lisa Hill on July 28, 2020
at 11:26 am
This scenario could easily be set in many other Asian countries or in the Middle East, where similar attitudes prevail towards women.
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By: BookerTalk on July 28, 2020
at 8:52 pm
I hope she gets her revenge, and enjoys it. I’ll look out for the audiobook.
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By: wadholloway on July 28, 2020
at 9:11 pm
Sounds fascinating, Lisa. I think sometimes a violent revenge becomes the only option when all else fails…
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By: kaggsysbookishramblings on July 28, 2020
at 9:15 pm
*chuckle* Gosh, what a murderous lot you are! So much for my belief that readers are nice, gentle people full of compassion and love for their fellow man!!
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By: Lisa Hill on July 28, 2020
at 10:46 pm
Maybe not so different in Europe today, either – better than in the past, but there’s still much favouring of the male in families. I’d like to add that I don’t necessarily endorse murderous vengefulness (but it might depend on the victim)
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By: Tredynas Days on July 29, 2020
at 12:16 am
[…] Revenge, Murder in Three Parts, by S.L. Lim […]
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By: A Bookish Welcome to November: Spell the Month in Books! | ANZ LitLovers LitBlog on November 7, 2020
at 10:51 am
[…] Murder in Three Parts by S.L. Lim (Transit Lounge), see my review Smart Ovens for Lonely People by Elizabeth Tan (Brio […]
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By: 2020 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards shortlist | ANZ LitLovers LitBlog on December 7, 2020
at 7:00 pm
[…] SL Lim’s Revenge (fiction) (Lisa’s review) […]
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By: Stella Prize 2021 Longlist announced | Whispering Gums on March 4, 2021
at 9:09 pm
[…] Revenge: Murder in Three Parts by S.L. Lim (Transit Lounge) see my review […]
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By: 2021 Stella Prize shortlist | ANZ LitLovers LitBlog on March 25, 2021
at 9:02 am
[…] SL Lim’s Revenge (fiction) (Lisa’s review) […]
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By: Stella Prize and Christina Stead Prize for Fiction 2021 Shortlists announced | Whispering Gums on March 25, 2021
at 11:00 am
[…] other reviews of this book, please see Lisa’s review at ANZLitLovers and Kate’s review at Booksaremyfavouriteand […]
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By: ‘Revenge: Murder in Three Parts’ by S.L. Lim – Reading Matters on April 4, 2021
at 5:01 pm
[…] ones I’ve reviewed are Revenge; The Labyrinth; and The Fifth Season. The Rain Heron and Song of the Crocodile are on my […]
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By: 2021 ALS Gold Medal Longlist | ANZ LitLovers LitBlog on May 14, 2021
at 6:16 pm
[…] SL Lim’s Revenge (Lisa’s review) […]
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By: Queensland Literary Awards 2021 shortlist announced | Whispering Gums on August 5, 2021
at 9:40 am
[…] SL Lim’s Revenge, see my review […]
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By: 2021 Queensland Literary Awards shortlist | ANZ LitLovers LitBlog on August 5, 2021
at 10:44 am