Shortlisted for the 2012 Man Booker Prize

Shortlisted for Man Booker Prize for Fiction 2012 and Man Asian Prize 2012.

* An elegant and haunting novel of war, art and memory ... its beauty never comes to rest Independent * This book is to be kept and re-read and revered for its elegant, lyrical prose Red * Complex and powerful ... sophisticated and satisfying Sunday Times * Elegant and atmospheric The Times * It is impossible to resist the opening sentence of this sumptuously produced novel ... It showcases Tan Twan Eng as a master of cultural complexities Guardian * Tantalisingly evocative ... Suffused with a satisfying richness of colour and character, it still abounds in hidden passageways and occult corners. Mysteries and secrets persist. Tan dwells often on the borderline states, the in between areas, of Japanese art: the archer's hiatus before the arrow speeds from the bow; the patch of skin that a master of the horimono tattoo will leave bare; or the "beautiful and sorrowful" moment "just as the last leaf is about to drop" ... An elegant and haunting novel of war, art and memory Independent * The Garden of Evening Mists is an almost indescribably beautiful, rich and rewarding novel with multiple layers that are expertly weaved into a coherent work of art Library Thing * A good old-fashioned story with a plot that arcs gracefully, maintains suspense, and stays true to characterisation ... incredibly satisfying Asian Review of Books * 'Grace and empathy infuse this melancholy landscape of complex loyalties enfolded by brutal history, creating a novel of peculiar, mysterious, tragic beauty Kirkus Reviews * The layering of historical periods is intricate, the descriptions of highland Malaysia are richly evocative, and the characterisation is both dark and compelling. Guarding its mysteries until the very end, this is a novel of subtle power and redemptive grace -- Maya Jaggi, Chair Of The Man Asian Judges

Tan Twan Eng was born in Penang, Malaysia. His debut novel The Gift of Rain was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2007 and has been widely translated. He divides his time between Kuala Lumpur and Cape Town. www.tantwaneng.com