The Consul's File

The Consul records his stint in Ayer Hitam through a sequence of tales in which he is both observer and participant. As his intimacy with the town grows, so does his motley cast of Asians and exiles: the son of a Cantonese cafe owner, dreaming of a Fuibright one day and a movie contract the next; Margaret Harbottle, writer of travelogues and freeloader extraordinary; an American ingenue dubbed "The Flower of Malaysia," who flirts with local mores and gets more than she bargained for. Cover A ......Page 1 Cover B ......Page 2 Copyright......Page 4 Title Page ......Page 6 Synopsis: The Consul's File......Page 8 Contents......Page 9 The Consul's File......Page 10 Dependent Wife......Page 16 White Christmas......Page 33 Pretend I'm Not Here......Page 47 Loser Wins......Page 62 The Flower of Malaya......Page 70 The Autumn Dog......Page 85 Dengue Fever......Page 105 The South Malaysia Pineapple Growers’ Association......Page 122 The Butterfly of the Laruts......Page 129 The Tennis Court......Page 140 Reggie Woo......Page 151 Conspirators......Page 158 The Johore Murders......Page 171 The Tiger's Suit......Page 185 Coconut Gatherer......Page 200 The Last Colonial......Page 214 Triad......Page 233 Diplomatic Relations......Page 252 Dear William......Page 269 The Consul's File is a collection of short stories by Paul Theroux. All of the stories are set in post independence Malaysia, mostly in the small town of Ayer Hitam in Johor state and are narrated by the resident American Consul. Through his eyes the whole spectrum of life in 1960s Malaysia is brought to life with themes ranging from murder, political intrigue and adultery to ghosts, disappearances and simple character driven tales.