Dear Reader, Let’s start with an excerpt from a novel I am reading, A Dark Tale From Cottonwood Grove, by Mahfud Ikhwan, translated by Annie Tucker. “He was well-acquainted with death. His mother had died giving birth to him. His grandfather, the person who loved him most in the world, had … [Read more...]
Review
The outcast and the village beauty: A tale of Indonesian star-crossed lovers
Mahfud Ikhwan’s novel blends love, murder mystery, and sociopolitical intrigue rooted in Indonesia’s colonial and postcolonial history. The silky filaments of cottonwood seeds float across the dark Javanese landscape of Mahfud Ikhwan’s mysterious account of a murder foretold with teasing … [Read more...]
Bali Beyond the Postcard: Unveiling the Island’s Hidden Complexities
The tale of humanity in 10 short stories
This is an Indonesian-language book, but I’m writing the review in English because its quality deserves the broader attention as a hidden gem of Indonesian literature. It is a book of 10 short stories, that aims to portray the many different point of views in a diverse society: 1. A crippled boy … [Read more...]