By the way, the lecturer who included the book is neither young nor gay. In fact, he was a quite an elderly, grumpy and old-fashioned Asian gentleman whose only saving grace was his impeccable British accent acquired from his education in the United Kingdom :D
”, written in the early 1990s was touted as THE first gay novel out of Singapore. HIV/AIDS was relatively unknown then so can you imagine the reception towards a gay-themed book in "conservative" Singapore?The novel tells the story of a well-to-do 19 year old Christopher Han, who returns to Singapore from a vacation in Australia and a painful break-up from his girlfriend. He joins the National Service and there, he gradually discovers his homosexual tendencies.
My course mates shied away from the book when my elderly, (presumably straight) male lecturer gave a brief synopsis – they feared reading about gay love, not knowing what “scary” or graphic sections they may encounter.
Since I read it when I was a naive, innocent and wide eyed student of 20 years old, it’s safe to say that “Peculiar Chris” does not contain any graphic or lucid descriptions of any his sexual encounters.
Instead, it focuses on his feelings and reactions about finding out that he’s gay. He’s puzzled, confused and scared in dealing with these newfound feelings. We read about the torment he goes through as he questions himself quite frequently if these feelings are real or just temporary. He can’t help but wonder if that’s the reason why he didn’t find his ex-girlfriend attractive at all, especially when he had sex with her. He just didn’t feel anything.
Eventually, Chris falls in love with someone (not an innocent, unsuspecting boy from the National Service!) but someone he meets. Sadly, he comes to terms with the reality of gay relationships when his partner contracts the AIDS virus.
I enjoyed reading the novel and truly felt sorry for “Chris” as he went through a late coming-of-age experience in such a conservative society. For the Chinese, to have a son turn gay is totally unacceptable as the boys hold the responsibility for continuing the family lineage.
Ultimately, most families cannot bear with the shame and stigma of having their children labelled as gay. Personally, I think that it's really sad when parents turn their backs on children who have "come out" - at the end of the day, they are still your children, your flesh and blood.
How can you turn your back on your own child? Especially at a time when he / she needs your love and acceptance the most?
I know a really talented Chinese boy who is now a very successful fashion / interior designer. He came from a rich family but his father disowned him when he told him that he was gay. The guy nearly went crazy and he started drinking and smoking heavily. It's a lucky thing that he didn't turn to drugs or worse. He was lucky to have a group of supportive friends who stood by him during this tough period...
Johann S. Lee wrote the book when he was 19 years old and serving his National Service. However, Johann says (in this interview with Fridae, Asia’s gay portal) it isn’t autobiographical. Instead, the novel was “something” he had to say and after he said it, he went to study law in King’s College, London because he wanted to
“run away from family, from Singapore… to be free… to be, well, gay.”I’m pleased to read that the novel has been adapted into a Singaporean drama titled “Happy Endings”. Too bad I couldn’t watch the play! It would have been great to see how Chris and the other characters are represented on stage.
Also, Johann released a second novel titled “To Know Where I’m Coming From” (Nov 2007) which is the story of a mature 36 year old banker’s gay life and love in London and Singapore (read a review here) Is it the story of “Chris” all grown up? I have no idea. All I know is that I’d love to find it among my Christmas presents this year :-)
