Augustus John Polly is a restless academic, uncomfortable in the colonial environment of 1950s Hong Kong. Prompted by sexual fantasies, he is drawn into a conspiracy that unfolds disastrously.

“Amidst the decline of empire, a restless colonialist in Hong Kong debates the meaning of history. By turns funny and philosophical, this story of one man’s whimsy – but also courage – in taking a side challenges our own complacencies with political notions of right and wrong, as well as the inequalities of our own time.”
– Cyril Wong, poet and fictionalist.

“Mr. Polly’s world is a rich tapestry. The reader is transported to a world already gone, but not forgotten. It’s a cornucopia of themes, impressions, and moods. Like preparing a magical potion in a sorcerer’s cauldron, Malcolm Jack’s prose effectively uses a number of fascinating ingredients: The blend is sensuous, lascivious, delicious, funny, witty, ironic, intellectual, philosophical, political, historical, and human – a true cornucopia of life.”
– João Mendonça, translator and author.

“Malcolm Jack’s latest is a page-turner, a taut political thriller that never loses its momentum. The text has a cinematic quality, the protagonist a quiet Briton who contemplates the end of history and the fragility of empire. Hong Kong is lovingly and nostalgically depicted in glorious Technicolour as a city on the brink of change, at once beguiling and inscrutable.”
– Kennie Ting, historian and curator.

Malcolm Jack was brought up and schooled in Hong Kong before returning to university in the UK. As a child, he learnt Cantonese at the same time as English. He has had a career both as a public servant and a writer. His writing includes articles, reviews on history, literature, philosophy, politics and a number of books. Among his travel histories are Lisbon: City of the Sea (2007) and To the Fairest Cape: European Encounters in the Cape of Good Hope (2019). His last book, My Hong Kong (2022), deals with writers’ mainly fictional impressions of the city from the 1950s onwards. He is a frequent visitor to Hong Kong.

Customer Reviews

4.8

29 reviews

David Robson

Set in 1950s Hong Kong, where the author grew up, Mr Polly’s Bonfire is simultaneously an affectionate portrait of a vanished world and an incisive political critique of that world. The titular Mr Polly is a university historian struggling to interest his students on dusty subjects like the Ottoman Empire while all too aware that, on the mainland, Chairman Mao and the Red Army offer a clear and present danger. How long can the scholarly teaching of history last, never mind the colonial merry-go-round of cocktail parties and skinny-dipping and casual flings with colleagues? It is a remarkably assured first novel from a writer whose previous publications have been works of non-fiction. All the ingredients of a David Lodge-style campus comedy are there: the snobberies, the one-upmanship, the impossibly pretentious conversations. But better still is the charting of the creeping authoritarianism which so cannily prefigures the Hong Kong of today. In what is probably the best scene in the book, the main character is interviewed by the Chief of Police, who is simultaneously scrupulously polite and coldly uncompromising. Throw in some amusingly steamy sex, and descriptions of Chinese food which will make the reader salivate, and you have the complete package. If the ultimate yardstick of a novel of this kind is how well it conveys a sense of time and place, Malcolm Jack has passed the test with flying colours.
Stanley

A great read and an amazing / articulate author! Hong Kong story for Hong Kong lovers
Kennie Ting

A thoroughly enjoyable read, which bears re-reading. There are layers of suspense in this tale, and the pacing is excellent. Readers who miss “old Hong Kong” will not be disappointed.
Joao Mendonca

Malcolm Jack has excelled in this most delightful novella. All the ingredients for a great story are combined with mastery. A book to savour each and every page.
Gary Woollacott

I really enjoyed this jewel of a tale. Twists and turns, with a dose of naughtiness thrown in, it's a captivating read. I read it twice, that's how much I liked it. Malcolm Jack teases us to think one thing, when the truth is elsewhere. Thoroughly recommended.