Time for a Tiger

The first book of the trilogy, Time for a Tiger was written before Malaya's independence. When I first encountered the title, Time for a Tiger, like most people, I thought tiger here meant the animal, as tiger is usually associated with Malaya being a native of this country. However, if one recalled the illustration on the dust jacket of the first edition (and the subsequent paperback edition back in the 70s), Tiger in the title was associated with tiger beer, an iconic brand from this region. Tiger, Anchor and Carlsberg were certainly brandnames well publicised in the book, and are still today well known brands in Malaysia; at least for the drinking population.

The book was certainly written for a non-Malay language reader i.e. English in particular, as the entire novel was sprinkled with humourous and often "offensive" satirical use of the Malay and other Asian origin words. Like Orwell's Animal Farm, the book opened with a disclaimer claiming that all the places mentioned in this book are fictitious. We all know where most of the places are and where it is based upon and will attempt to make fun of it as well as to enlighten non-Malay language readers and other non-Malaysian (or Malayan), the Malay and other Asian words used in the book.

I will also try to associate the book with my personal knowledge and experiences in Malaysia being a Malaysian native myself as well as to compare and contrast what was written over 50 years ago with the Malaysia today.

Time for a Tiger

Wish to start a blog whilst reading "Time for a Tiger", Anthony Burgess first book.