Published in 1940, Belenggu (or Shackles in its English reincarnation) is widely considered the first modern Indonesian novel. I agree with this assessment. Prior, Indonesian prose focused on the dramatic romances of star-crossed lovers with rotten villains twirling metaphorical moustaches. Granted, … [Read more...]
Disobedient women
February 14, 2018 by
When you hear the term “Indonesian woman”, what comes to mind? When Sihir Perempuan was published in 2005, Intan Paramaditha was only twenty-five and on the verge of leaving Indonesia for graduate studies in the United States. She has been wandering ever since. However, her debut collection of … [Read more...]
Tale of the Bidadari by Stephani Soejono
February 13, 2018 by
Eriang visits a remote village with his father, a doctor, on a mercy mission. From the architecture and headdress worn by the womenfolk, this community seems to be Minangkabau. Furthermore, the village chief is a woman: the Minangkabau are largest matrilineal society in the world. Drought has … [Read more...]
Stephani Soejono’s Tale of the Bidadari reviewed by Nin Harris
February 13, 2018 by
Stephani Soejono’s Tale of the Bidadari is a short graphic novel based on the Orang Bunian stories of West Sumatra. The Bunian are a race of nonhuman entities who feature in the folklore of the Malay Archipelagoes, so I was looking forward to reading an Indonesian treatment of it, particularly since … [Read more...]
Eka Kurniawan’s Vengeance Is Mine is limp venture into violence
February 5, 2018 by
Few novels offer a clearer line of sight into their thematic concerns than Eka Kurniawan’s Vengeance is Mine, All Others Pay Cash: “ ‘Only guys who can’t get hard fight with no fear of death,’ Iwan Angsa once said about Ajo Kawir.” There it is, one, two, three, neatly arranged for the reader’s … [Read more...]
