''The Serpent's Tooth'' is a novel by Singaporean writer Catherine Lim, first published in 1982 by Times Edition Pte Ltd. The title of the novel is taken from a quote from

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's ''

King Lear ''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane an ...

'': "Sharper than a serpent’s tooth/ It is to have a thankless child!"

Plot

Angela is exasperated by the behaviour of her 71-year-old mother-in-law, nicknamed the Old One – of her superstitious ways and her doddering, foolish manners. The Old One has an adopted son who is an imbecile named Ah Bock. While Angela's elder son Mark does well in school and wins a prize in a national oratory competition, she is worried by the influence her mother-in-law wields over her younger son, Michael. She also has to endure her husband Wee Boon's three younger brothers, including one in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

who has joined an fanatic

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

cult.

References

Singaporean novels 1982 novels Novels set in Singapore {{1980s-novel-stub