AJO KAWIR CANNOT get an erection. He tries everything he can think of to fix the problem, including rubbing chopped up chili pepper on his genitals. Like the rest of his attempted treatments, it does nothing but cause him pain and humiliation. His “bird” — what the protagonist of Eka Kurniawan’s new … [Read more...]
Critical Eleven by Ika Natassa
August 10, 2017 by
It’s been awhile since I reviewed a book. Please forgive me about that. To tell you the truth, I have read some books but I haven’t got the time to write the review. I have a lot on my plate that I rarely have time to manage my blog. It’s been hectic days since the new year. So please, do spare me. … [Read more...]
Eka Kurniawan’s brutal novel on Indonesian masculinity is not for the faint-hearted
August 6, 2017 by
After Man Tiger and Beauty Is a Wound, the third work by the literary sensation to be translated into English is an unflinching examination of physical and sexual violence. Eka Kurniawan first ignited international interest in 2015, with the English translation of his 2004 novel, Man Tiger. By … [Read more...]
Eka Kurniawan: Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash
August 6, 2017 by
This is the third novel in translation from Eka Kurniawan, an Indonesian wunderkind whose Beauty Is a Wound was an unlikely smash in 2015 and was followed the same year by Man Tiger, which made the Man Booker International Prize longlist in 2016. Both books were noteworthy for their quality, but … [Read more...]
Riding high: The secrets of Indonesia’s finest novelist
July 14, 2017 by
Eka Kurniawan’s books are characterised by bold ideas and a rambunctious energy. EKA KURNIAWAN’S hugely inventive fiction is a potent blend of grounded realism and flighty fantasy. It has led some to describe him as Indonesia’s finest writer since Pramoedya Ananta Toer, who died in 2006. “Beauty … [Read more...]