Love's dizziness

Author: Zhang Simin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-01-01
Features: Pandora was born into a middle-class Chinese family in Singapore. But from the moment she entered the world, she was considered an ill omen by her mother. She grew up in an extremely cold environment and, as a result, the more she failed to receive love from her parents, the more she yearned for it. She made every effort that a daughter could make for the family, but only disappointment awaited her. To escape, as well as to seek some form of compensation, she married the son of a Malaysian Chinese plantation owner, Zinatay. This was a wrong decision, one that also ruined Pandora's life, affecting not only her but also her family—her husband Zinatay and their daughter. This book places the reader on the land of Southeast Asia, deeply immersed in multicultural influences. Malaysia and Singapore, locals and ethnic immigrant communities, distorted and absurdly twisted traditional Chinese ethical concepts blended with the absurd mix of local culture and British colonialism. The conflicts among family members reflect clashes of different cultures and values. Zinatay and Pandora's move to Australia made matters worse. Their children became even more victims of multiculturalism, not knowing where their true homeland truly was. Time passed like a song, the daughter grew up, but Pandora took her own life. Her suicide made her daughter reconsider the history of this family. She discovered that every member of the family—father, mother, son, and daughter—all longed for love and to be loved, yet they failed to receive it from one another. Each had their own standards of love, hoping others would follow them, and as a result, the only outcome was disappointment and destruction. Ultimately, the daughter reached a conclusion: love alone is not enough.