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...]
The tale of humanity in 10 short stories
January 11, 2025 by
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...]
Nuril Basri’s Maya is a lightweight coming-of-age tale set on board a cruise ship
September 14, 2024 by
Sold as a “tragicomic tale of an Indonesian migrant worker’s voyage through love and betrayal”, Indonesian writer Nuril Basri’s third novel does not accomplish enough emotional depth to qualify as tragedy, comedy or anywhere in between. Maya is, at best, an episodic and lightweight account of the … [Read more...]