Separation: A History by Christine Chia

Separation: A History Reviews

• 
  Alvin

  Sat down and read Christine Chia's new volume of verse, SEPARATION: A HISTORY (Ethos Books, 2014), in one sitting.
  
  A bold juxtaposition of family dynamics at the individual and national levels, it succeeds (but for a few oddly placed poems -- perhaps filler?) in evoking a sort of stereoscopic vision, with the reader having to hold both scales in mind at the same time. The big picture never quite resolves clearly -- but this astigmatic effect is perhaps not inappropriate for a collection about the disjunctive rather than the conjugal.
  
  I wanted more language; I wanted more poems; I wanted -- not closure, but the beginnings of a way out of the spare claustrophobia of two photographs, two histories, two mirrors endlessly reflecting each other.
  
  But there is, I gather, a closing chapter to this trilogy. If the technical leap from Chia's first book to the second is any indication, the third will be something to watch for. May it be soon, but not rushed.
• 
  Bobbinus

  An early reviewer mentioned how this book is not the best representation of history nor the border, but as someone who actually grew up traversing the Woodlands Causeway and between the histories of Malaysia and Singapore I am going to say that this collection was one of the truest pieces of Singaporean literature that I've read.
  
  Though, admittedly, "tropical winter" irked me a little too.
• 
  leia

  I don't know how to write poetry reviews, so this is based on the 'vibes'. Sorry.
  
  But I liked it! I liked how it uses a lot of historical quotes and all to supplement the poetry. To me, it really enhanced the emotional overall idea of these poems by tying them back to like Singaporean values of pragmatism. Out of the three Ethos poetry books I've read, I definitely like this the most.
  
  A thing I've personally found with Singaporean poetry is how a large amount don't seem to have a lot of meat? I mean this as a student who studies poetry, and Singaporean poems usually don't have enough to analyse for an essay, but I think most poems in this collection do, so instantly I love it.
• 
  Ernest

  Personal veers into the political, a tad too much. Thought-provoking and fantastically humanizing at some points (dancing in the dark, my lifelong struggle, the last leaf), trite at others (plenty in the first half- short, end). Some of the more on-the-nose poetry/prose poetry here does thus struggles to highlight the interplay between her own intimate, familial history and those of the nation.
• 
  Cheyenne Phillips

  I really needed to step away from the book so many times because there was so much raw emotion just spilling onto the pages. It was incredibly moving and if I had the guts to face all the emotion in one go, it would have been done in one siting.
• 
  R.

  3.5 stars*
• 
  Melvin Tan

  There is something disturbing about Christine Chia’s poetry. As a newbie poetry reader, I can’t quite place a finger on it. I grew up in a normal home so it might be her dysfunctional family. She weaves political tumult with familial discord and draws a parallel with her parents’ separation. She intersperses humor throughout and that shows she has moved on. She has forgiven ever since but not forgotten (who can?) Thanks for sharing, Christine!