8.2 /10 1 Votes8.2
Country United Kingdom Publication date 1991 Nominations Booker Prize | 4.1/5 Goodreads Language English Originally published 1991 Genre Fiction | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Similar Timothy Mo books, Fiction books | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Redundancy of Courage is a novel by Timothy Mo published in 1991. It is set in the fictitious country of Danu in Southeast Asia, which is based on East Timor. It is narrated by Adolph Ng, an ethnic Chinese businessman educated in Canada. It was shortlisted for the Booker Prize for Fiction.
Plot introduction
Like East Timor, Danu is a former Portuguese colony north of Australia. It is invaded and occupied by its giant neighbour, which is not named, but is based on Indonesia. The people of the occupying country are referred to throughout the book as the malai. This similar to malae, the word for foreigner in Tetum, East Timor's main language. Danu is annexed by the malai and declared their 'fifty-eighth province', over which their green and white flag is raised.