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Saman: A Novel

Book — Women in Translation


Saman: A Novel

by Ayu Utami
Translated by Pamela Allen

Format: Paperback, English
184 page(s)
ISBN/ISBN13: 9793780118/9789793780115
Published Aug 15, 2005 by Equinox Publishing

View on Goodreads | Google Books



Saman tells stories about four urban middle class women who have been best friend from schools, and their connection to Saman, an ex Catholic priest turned activist. Saman is hunted by the military regime. The female characters in this story help him to flee abroad. The novel is set in the era of General Soeharto.

Saman won the best novel competition of The Jakarta Arts Council in 1998. The jury considered its narrative form and the opennes of its content as a breakthrough that had expanded the horizon of the Indonesian literature. It is considered to be daring in tackling the issues ranging from politic, religion and sexuaIity. I was awarded the Prince Claus Award in 2000 for the same consideration.

Saman was a national bestseller. It has gone to 32 reprint in 16 years. Saman has been published in Dutch, Japanese, English, French, Italy, Chzechs, German, Korean, and, will soon in Amharic (Ethiopia).1


  1. Ayu Utami’s Indonesia & World 


Other/Related Editions


Saman
2001
Le donne di Saman
Italian / 2010
Saman
2013
Saman
English / 2015


As seen as


We human beings are, after all, not seamless, through-written works. Anyone seeking to portray us honestly must find a way to reflect this unevenness. The violence, and the humour too.
Ann Morgan  in Saman by Ayu Utami (Personal Blog, Jun 28, 2021)
Behind Yenni Kwok  in Leader of the flak (SCMP, Mar 05, 2006)


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