The Other Side Of Paradise
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Product Description
Book Description
An epic love story under the shadow of war
Product Description
She lived only for pleasure...until war forced her to find courage she did not know she had, and love where she least expected it.
It is 1941, and while Britain is in the grip of war, life in the Far East is one of wealth and privilege. In Singapore Susan Roper, secure in the supremacy of the British Empire, enjoys dancing,clothes and fast cars, tennis and light flirtations with visiting naval officers- her life is devoted solely to pleasure. When she meets an Australian doctor who warns her of the danger that they all face she dismisses him as an ignorant colonial.
Singapore goes on partying, oblivious to the threat of invasion. The British flag will, they believe, protect them from all enemies. But when Japan invades, Susan finds herself in grave danger. She become an ambulance driver and is taken prisoner by the Japanese. Gradually and reluctantly she realises that she has fallen in love with the tough, arrogant and totally unsuitable doctor, but she has to face many hardships and witness terrible events before she can acknowledge the truth.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Margaret Mayhew's research into the setting and context of the Japanese invasion of Singapore is very good - her local knowledge of British colonial society; their complacency and disdain of the Japanese as a military threat and the portrayal of their life style - servants/clubs/Raffles/cricket on the padang/ stengahs/kebuns/ mems, tuans - convincing. The book, however, reminded me very much of Neville Shute's "A Town Like Alice" - similar settings (of course!) with similar story lines - the heroine approaching the headman in the kampong asking permission to stay after surviving a sinking near Sumatra (cp. with Jean, in "A Town Like Alice" approaching her headman in the kampong in Trengganu); the torture of the hero by the Japanese and his surprise survival (Joe in a "A Town Like Alice" beaten by the Japanese in Kuantan and Mayhew's hero Ray, beaten and surviving the Sandakan Death March) - in both cases the heroes feared dead, only to be found alive at the end of the book. As an Australian, I found the Aussie dialogue trite and very cliched, even allowing for historical licence of Mayhew trying to capture the idiom of the time. Like Shute, Mayhew too overuses the phrase "Oh my word!" and there were even a few "crikeys" in there. Of course, there are the usual digs at the unattractive Australian accent - nasal and grating which all English writers indulge in as they compare it with an Oxbridge accent rather than an incomprehensible Yorkshire/Cockney or Somerset accent for example (ho hum!!)
Mayhew certainly succeeds in creating an exciting atmosphere of the impending disaster about to hit Singapore. Her descriptions of life as internees of the Japanese are graphic and convincing. The book was hard to put down, but I kept waiting for "the love story" to develop - for me, there was no chemistry whatsoever between the hero and the heroine, and the ending was very abrupt and unconvincing (especially when compared with Jean and Joe in "A Town Like Alice") I found the book very contrived; the story was almost incidental to the author's desire to evoke authenticity. If you are interested in the fall of Singapore, this is a worthwhile read. If you are interested in a love story, don't bother! A couple of nit-picking facts about Australia at the time: first, Australia would NEVER have permitted a cat from Singapore to enter the country without a year's quarantine (no rabies in Australia, so need to safeguard against any alien kitties coming in) and secondly, the heroine speeds across the outback (?) in Australia's own car, a Holden, presumably in 1945/46. The first Holden didn't roll off the production line until 1949, so she was probably in a Ford.
Mayhew certainly succeeds in creating an exciting atmosphere of the impending disaster about to hit Singapore. Her descriptions of life as internees of the Japanese are graphic and convincing. The book was hard to put down, but I kept waiting for "the love story" to develop - for me, there was no chemistry whatsoever between the hero and the heroine, and the ending was very abrupt and unconvincing (especially when compared with Jean and Joe in "A Town Like Alice") I found the book very contrived; the story was almost incidental to the author's desire to evoke authenticity. If you are interested in the fall of Singapore, this is a worthwhile read. If you are interested in a love story, don't bother! A couple of nit-picking facts about Australia at the time: first, Australia would NEVER have permitted a cat from Singapore to enter the country without a year's quarantine (no rabies in Australia, so need to safeguard against any alien kitties coming in) and secondly, the heroine speeds across the outback (?) in Australia's own car, a Holden, presumably in 1945/46. The first Holden didn't roll off the production line until 1949, so she was probably in a Ford.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
There are so few stories out there that look at the WW2 conflict in SE Asia from a women's point of view. This one does not disappoint with a few caveats.
The prologue is written in first person. I had to keep checking the back cover as it seemed so real that I thought Margaret Mayhew was writing an autobiography. It had me fooled, so that can't be a bad thing.
The first Part of the novel, and the one that interested me most, was written in third person and is thoroughly fascinating. The author must have done a tremendous amount of research to write so convincingly.
Part Two is a bit disappointing. Most of the information is just rehashed from Margot Turner's recollections, and some of the characters are straight out of the TV series Tenko, which was based on Margot's biography. In fact, I even found myself using some of their exact voices as I read the text. The other disappointing thing is that it is a little rushed. It is a much smaller section than the first part. All I can say in Margaret's favour is that there is not a lot of information available to write a book like this, and it is better to write less, than make it up and get it wrong. The men's camps have been written about more often.
Part Three is again quite a small section, but that is all it needs to be. Repatriation with real life again, and here is where the love story kicks in, with a nice happy ending. It is all a little too convenient, but perhaps that is what a love story book should be like.
I have never read any other Margaret Mayhew books, and my interest came from wondering what life was like in Singapore before the War. I think the book satisfied my curiosity somewhat. A good solid read.
The prologue is written in first person. I had to keep checking the back cover as it seemed so real that I thought Margaret Mayhew was writing an autobiography. It had me fooled, so that can't be a bad thing.
The first Part of the novel, and the one that interested me most, was written in third person and is thoroughly fascinating. The author must have done a tremendous amount of research to write so convincingly.
Part Two is a bit disappointing. Most of the information is just rehashed from Margot Turner's recollections, and some of the characters are straight out of the TV series Tenko, which was based on Margot's biography. In fact, I even found myself using some of their exact voices as I read the text. The other disappointing thing is that it is a little rushed. It is a much smaller section than the first part. All I can say in Margaret's favour is that there is not a lot of information available to write a book like this, and it is better to write less, than make it up and get it wrong. The men's camps have been written about more often.
Part Three is again quite a small section, but that is all it needs to be. Repatriation with real life again, and here is where the love story kicks in, with a nice happy ending. It is all a little too convenient, but perhaps that is what a love story book should be like.
I have never read any other Margaret Mayhew books, and my interest came from wondering what life was like in Singapore before the War. I think the book satisfied my curiosity somewhat. A good solid read.
9 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Excellent story. Very good and you have to finish the book. A real romantic story that does not seem to exist any longer. As usual with all her books, you have to finish them!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
The other side of Paradise - Margaret Mayhew.
This book arrived in excellent condition and on the
date specified. Looking forward to reading it,
as I enjoy Margaret's books.
date specified. Looking forward to reading it,
as I enjoy Margaret's books.
Published 9 months ago by Maggiemay
Brilliant
This is the first book i have read by Margaret Mayhew and I was impressed. Edge of the seat war story about the arrival of the Japs entering Singapore in 1942. Read more
Published 11 months ago by claire sinclaire
A Real Page Turner
If you enjoy books related to the Far East as I do, then this book is a MUST.
For me it contains a mixture of suspense, fear, romance and tears all rolled into one. Read more
For me it contains a mixture of suspense, fear, romance and tears all rolled into one. Read more
Published 15 months ago by catgirl
An insightful read
I bought this book for my husband, he has just started reading Margaret Mayhews books. He said it is a well written & thought provoking book. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Cath
The Other side of Paradise
Found the book slow to get into at first, but later was really hooked I love these stories about the war and escapes and resistance
Published on 11 Aug 2009 by Tony Reed
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