In this article My Neighbour, The Dictator Tari Lang
By Julia Suryakusuma, originally published in Jakarta Post
Jul 24, 2026
Read the full article here. / Subscription may be required.
By Julia Suryakusuma, originally published in Jakarta Post
Jul 24, 2026
Framed against the violent communist purges of 1965, Tari Lang’s debut memoir My Neighbour the Dictator weaves a gripping, Anne Frank–like coming-of-age story of a teenager thrust into Indonesia’s dangerous underground resistance.
Why are coming of age stories immensely popular? Most likely because in varying degrees and forms, we all go through this Sturm und Drang period in our lives. It is the universal human experience of personal transformation from childhood to young adulthood, often marked by powerful emotions, raging hormones, existential questions, intense first loves and the dialectic between the discovery of one’s inner self, with an exploration of the outside world.
Why are coming of age stories immensely popular? Most likely because in varying degrees and forms, we all go through this Sturm und Drang period in our lives. It is the universal human experience of personal transformation from childhood to young adulthood, often marked by powerful emotions, raging hormones, existential questions, intense first loves and the dialectic between the discovery of one’s inner self, with an exploration of the outside world.
Read the full article here. / Subscription may be required.
