The Harmony Silk Factory by Tash Aw

This unusual story is the first novel by Tash Aw. Set in Malaya around the 1940s, it concerns Johnny Lim, who rises from humble beginnings to a position of power and influence. He marries a woman called Snow, who dies giving birth to a son, Jasper.
The first part is written by Jasper, who has a low opinion of Johnny;apparently he committed many terrible crimes. The second part is a diary kept by Snow before she died: in this we see a completely different picture. The final part, by their mutual friend Peter, makes everything clear at last.