Mister Yam

Yeng K. Tan’s Mister Yam is a spectacularly whimsical foray into the unknown a la the style of literary visionaries like Haruki Murakami and Franz Kafka. The novel’s titular character, Mister Yam, is a young man who is seemingly unremarkable but carries about himself the greatest wonder of all—an unabashed joy for life.The narrative is infused with a mix of casual observation and intellectual deep dives, giving the reader a balanced sense of the protagonist’s inner monologue with the grander contemplations of the universe. The novel delves into issues as diverse as the Church of Latter Day Saints, the solitude of Middle America, and the beauty of nature through eyes as fresh as those of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s.Tan tackles the art of storytelling in a manner that is extremely original and tactful, endowing the novel with enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing but still relate to the storyline. As an author, Tan excels at grounding the narrative in the Bay Area bubble while simultaneously heightening the stakes to a universal level. In addition, he is keenly aware of how to create compelling, down-to-earth characters.The most remarkable aspect of the novel is its ability to cross genres and literary registers, at times appearing like a mystery novel and at other times mirroring a slice of life tale wrought with tongue-in-cheek humor and random, quotidian details like humorous sinus conditions and strange food combinations.It is evident that Tan has relied upon a synthesis of influences to construct a narrative that is, all in all, extremely encompassing and engaging, and the result is a novel that interacts with the reader on a personal level and engrosses its audience successfully until the very end.

It's only a couple hours to finish this book, but I found it personally to be a very refreshing read. For context, I too am a SWE working in the silicon valley and identify a lot with the initial reflections that Mister Yam has with the "modern rat race". However, as the story progresses, we begin reflecting on the pleasures of life that exist outside the bubble that we normally live in -- as well as the deeper reasons for existing, fleeing, persevering, and overcoming.Not only that, but this book compels you to take some time to think about its themes -- and then read the book in its entirety once more. The physical journey gives way to the metaphysical; the clues you missed before are now omnipresent and even more thought-provoking.Yeng Tan provides an excellent story about courage and forgiveness that has different takeaways each time you read through it. I would highly recommend this book!

A mysterious adventure story with tasteful injections of introspective and philosophical thought. Numerous points of novelty in the plot that make it a real page turner. Currently halfway into a second read of the book and I found it to be a completely different experience that’s just as if not more thrilling than the first. Definitely pick this book up!

Like most things in life, the best books are those that can be enjoyed lightly and also appreciated deeply. Mister Yam is an approachable novel that offers insights into life and existence but leaves behind a trail of metaphors ripe for a second reading. Highly recommended to all those who are interested in reality.

retrospective and insightful read

it really buttered my muffin

An interesting insight

I will admit that I did not know what I was getting myself into when I started reading Mister Yam by Yeng K Tan. The bold, contrasting colors on the front of the book, overlaid by a red sheep with golden wings wasn’t much of an indication of what this curious book might be about.Sure, sure I had read the back-cover description: a twenty-something year old guy disillusioned by corporate life finds his life re-examined when a series of events propels him to embark on a mysterious quest to find answers only he can discover. Kind of generic, right? But let me tell you, this book was so much more than your run of a mill adventure pursuit of the unknown; it’s filled with transcendental wisdom, intimate psychological revelation, and a lot of good eats!It's is like the millennial’s version of a Burning Man revelations within one’s ho-hum life through a strange series of events that help Mister Yam get at the truth of the matter. There’s a mixture of Jung’s synchronicities with psychedelic revelations that come via perception of the mind, filled with the many tastes of Food Network. If this feels like a random jumble of things, I’ve made my point clear. There’s no one way to explain the deep message of Mister Yam, but reading it is a journey in itself — one that I highly encourage.Reading Mister Yam instantly reminded me why I adore independently published books. This story doesn’t have the same narrative plot that’s been churned out over and over again, making the read a wash-rinse-repeat type of experience. Tan’s writing style is unique, fresh, and one of a kind.