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Map of the Invisible World
From the author of the internationally acclaimed, Costa Award-winning The Harmony Silk Factory comes an enthralling new novel that evokes an exotic yet turbulent and often frightening world.
16-year-old Adam is an orphan three times over. He and his older brother, Johan, were abandoned by their mother as children; he watched as Johan was adopted and taken away by a wealthy couple; and he had to hide when Karl, the Dutch man who raised him, was arrested by soldiers during Sukarno’s drive to purge 1960s Indonesia of its colonial past.
Adam sets out on a quest to find Karl, but all he has to guide him are some old photos and letters, which send him to the colourful, dangerous capital, Jakarta. Johan, meanwhile, is living a seemingly carefree, privileged life in Malaysia, but is careening out of control, unable to forget the long-ago betrayal of his helpless, trusting brother.
Map of the Invisible World is a masterful novel, and confirms Tash Aw as one of the most exciting young writers at work today.
16-year-old Adam is an orphan three times over. He and his older brother, Johan, were abandoned by their mother as children; he watched as Johan was adopted and taken away by a wealthy couple; and he had to hide when Karl, the Dutch man who raised him, was arrested by soldiers during Sukarno’s drive to purge 1960s Indonesia of its colonial past.
Adam sets out on a quest to find Karl, but all he has to guide him are some old photos and letters, which send him to the colourful, dangerous capital, Jakarta. Johan, meanwhile, is living a seemingly carefree, privileged life in Malaysia, but is careening out of control, unable to forget the long-ago betrayal of his helpless, trusting brother.
Map of the Invisible World is a masterful novel, and confirms Tash Aw as one of the most exciting young writers at work today.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published April 30, 2009
69 people are currently reading
1,535 people want to read
About the author
Tash Aw
19books418followersBorn in Taiwan to Malaysian parents, Tash Aw grew up in Kuala Lumpur before moving to England in his teens. He studied law at the University of Cambridge and University of Warwick, then moved to London to write. After graduating he worked at a number of jobs, including as a lawyer for four years whilst writing his debut novel, which he completed during the creative writing course at the University of East Anglia. Based on royalties as well as prizes, Aw is the most successful Malaysian writer of recent years. Following the announcement of the Booker longlist, the Whitbread Award and his Commonwealth Writers' Prize, he became a celebrity in Malaysia and Singapore, and is now one of the most respected literary figures in Southeast Asia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 205 reviews
February 21, 2016
I hate to say this, but I've found myself to possess a certain bias against stories set in Asia. Frequently they feel as though they're trying to do to many things, to take the full weight of the culture upon themselves as well as tell a coherent story, which makes them very beautiful and culturally significant, yes, but rarely makes them a good read. None of these concerns came up when reading Map. I read it in two breaths, broken up only because I stupidly decided to start reading at midnight and had to go to sleep halfway. I woke up and finished it the next day.
I realise that saying that has no significance to anyone except myself, so for context: I'm easily distracted, I multitask, and I rarely finish a book in one sitting.
Map reads smoothly but looks incredibly difficult to write, much less so elegantly. The characters aren't likeable or unlikeable - they sound like real people, never falling into the trap of becoming archetypes, which is often the hardest to achieve in fiction. The book feels deliberate, is variously funny ("Truth hurts, call me.) , and occasionally heartbreaking. It does things to you. And, perhaps the most significant thing for me, it made me want to pick up more books set in Asia.
Would recommend.
I realise that saying that has no significance to anyone except myself, so for context: I'm easily distracted, I multitask, and I rarely finish a book in one sitting.
Map reads smoothly but looks incredibly difficult to write, much less so elegantly. The characters aren't likeable or unlikeable - they sound like real people, never falling into the trap of becoming archetypes, which is often the hardest to achieve in fiction. The book feels deliberate, is variously funny ("Truth hurts, call me.) , and occasionally heartbreaking. It does things to you. And, perhaps the most significant thing for me, it made me want to pick up more books set in Asia.
Would recommend.
December 21, 2018
It seems to be trying far too hard to be ‘Important� - Clearly the author wanted to write a novel about a Time and a Place; he did that quite successfully but a plot and interesting characters would have helped.
The writing is lovely but there’s no plot. The characters are amorphous figures I could never get hold of, couldn’t connect to and nothing very much happens to them. It’s a series of tales: individuals who never mesh; they move in and out of each other’s lives but no weave occurs, they stay separate and alone which leaves you with a sense of dissatisfaction.
There is a rudimentary plot; a major character disappears, others try to find him while Adam and his long-lost brother occasionally think about each other � and that’s it, for 342 pages; it’s just not enough.
The writing is lovely but there’s no plot. The characters are amorphous figures I could never get hold of, couldn’t connect to and nothing very much happens to them. It’s a series of tales: individuals who never mesh; they move in and out of each other’s lives but no weave occurs, they stay separate and alone which leaves you with a sense of dissatisfaction.
There is a rudimentary plot; a major character disappears, others try to find him while Adam and his long-lost brother occasionally think about each other � and that’s it, for 342 pages; it’s just not enough.
June 25, 2023
Romanul se deschide în Indonezia anilor '60, dar ne poartă prin mai multe insule și locuri exotice. Iar harta lumii nevăzute este harta gândurilor, sentimentelor și a alegerilor ce definesc personajele cărții, care de multe ori se intersectează în moduri inedite.
Povestea este centrată în jurul a doi frați, doi copii orfani: Johan și Adam.
Johan este cel mai mare dintre ei și este înfiat de o familie înstărită din Malaysia. Ajuns la adolescență, tânărul este descumpănit, deprimat, fără scop, iar amintirile din orfelinat cu fratele său mai mic îi tot revin în minte și nu le poate uita.
Adam este adoptat de artistul Karl de Willegen, un olandez prin naștere și nume, dar trăiește de atât de mult timp în Indonezia, încât o consideră țara lui. Așa ca Adam ajunge în Indonezia, alături de Karl, însă și el se gândește la fratele său. Ajuns și el la adolescență, ar dori să-și găsească fratele.
DAR se întâmplă că începe o revoluție, iar Karl este arestat, mai ales datorită originilor lui, iar Adam se trezește singur pe lume. Deci cum să se descurce fără Karl?
Reușește cumva să ajungă în Jakarta și să o găsească pe Margaret Bates, o cercetătoare americană care lucrează acolo și a fost îndrăgostită de Karl în tinerețe, poate ea l-ar putea ajuta.
Adam se trezește prins între activiștii comuniști, birocrație, corupție și e destul de greu să-ți dai seama în cine să ai încredere.
Povestea se termină cu un nou început pentru toți cei implicați, chiar dacă puțin previzibil, dar a mers bine cu șirul evenimentelor.
Narațiunea este plină de descrieri vii ale acelor locuri îndepărtate, amănunte culturale și detalii istorice despre relațiile tensionate dintre olandezi și indonezieni și nu numai. Cred că a fost multă muncă de documentare în spate și am apreciat aceasta.
Povestea este centrată în jurul a doi frați, doi copii orfani: Johan și Adam.
Johan este cel mai mare dintre ei și este înfiat de o familie înstărită din Malaysia. Ajuns la adolescență, tânărul este descumpănit, deprimat, fără scop, iar amintirile din orfelinat cu fratele său mai mic îi tot revin în minte și nu le poate uita.
Adam este adoptat de artistul Karl de Willegen, un olandez prin naștere și nume, dar trăiește de atât de mult timp în Indonezia, încât o consideră țara lui. Așa ca Adam ajunge în Indonezia, alături de Karl, însă și el se gândește la fratele său. Ajuns și el la adolescență, ar dori să-și găsească fratele.
DAR se întâmplă că începe o revoluție, iar Karl este arestat, mai ales datorită originilor lui, iar Adam se trezește singur pe lume. Deci cum să se descurce fără Karl?
Reușește cumva să ajungă în Jakarta și să o găsească pe Margaret Bates, o cercetătoare americană care lucrează acolo și a fost îndrăgostită de Karl în tinerețe, poate ea l-ar putea ajuta.
Adam se trezește prins între activiștii comuniști, birocrație, corupție și e destul de greu să-ți dai seama în cine să ai încredere.
Povestea se termină cu un nou început pentru toți cei implicați, chiar dacă puțin previzibil, dar a mers bine cu șirul evenimentelor.
Narațiunea este plină de descrieri vii ale acelor locuri îndepărtate, amănunte culturale și detalii istorice despre relațiile tensionate dintre olandezi și indonezieni și nu numai. Cred că a fost multă muncă de documentare în spate și am apreciat aceasta.
November 24, 2013
In his second novel, Tash Aw moves the setting from Malaysia to Indonesia. The story takes place on a fictional remote island and in Jakarta, the capital. Indonesia, due to many twists of fate involving both Asian and Western conquests, calls itself a country. In actuality it is a string of islands, large and small and distinct from each other.
One of those islands is Bali, well known to Americans thanks to Margaret Mead's books and lectures. A cultural anthropologist, she made studies during the 1930s of native culture on Bali, resulting in hundreds of photographs and even film. In my young feminist days I became fascinated by Mead's findings in Bali and for many years dreamed of visiting, though I never did.
Therefore reading Map of the Invisible World was bittersweet for me. The time frame of the story is the 1960s with Sukarno in power. Indonesia achieved independence from its colonial Dutch masters in the 1950s but within a decade was beset by unrest, communist antagonism to American influence, and outcry against Sukarno's corrupt government. The idyllic life portrayed by Margaret Mead became strained by the influx of modern life and industry in the cities, with those effects felt even on the small remote islands.
Adam, the main character, was adopted at the age of five by Karl, a single Dutch man born in Indonesia before independence. When Karl's family returned to the Netherlands, he failed to adapt to life in the cold Northern European country, so as a young man he returned to Indonesia with plans to become a painter. He made his home on a small remote island similar to Bali.
Adam's origins are unknown because the orphanage where Karl found him had not kept records. It is assumed by his looks that he is of mixed parentage. Karl raised Adam to speak English, disciplined him according to Western standards but also taught him the tales and legends of Indonesia.
When Karl is arrested by communist soldiers, Adam at 16 is aware enough to know that Karl's fantasy of being one with the Indonesian people is not going to save him from either being killed or deported. So begins Adam's quest to find the father who raised him, leading the young man to Jakarta and smack into the middle of the conflicts there.
I finally get to go to Indonesia, at least in a novel, and everything is in turmoil. This is a sad story but also a look at Indonesian history from a Southeast Asian viewpoint. One of the characters is a middle-aged professor in Jakarta who could have been Margaret Mead's daughter. In fact, her name is Margaret Bates (Mead's married name was Bateson.)
Adam learns that Margaret used to be a lover of Karl's. She also has connections to the American Embassy, so he looks her up as someone who could help him save his father. I am falling into trying to tell the plot but this plot is as convoluted as a Balinese trance. So I will say no more except that Tash Aw created a story of contrasts and of history as it impacts the lives of individuals.
He seems to be telling us that circumstances bring about terrible loss and trouble resulting in individuals who are driven by guilt and rootlessness. No truly happy endings exist and many things are left unresolved for most of us. By chance, and again by circumstance, some find hope but most are haunted by what they cannot control.
I found this refreshing. I found it to be true. It made me question the characteristic Western or American belief in always being able to "fix" things, to "find closure," to assign blame and cause. In the hands of Tash Aw, those beliefs or goals became laughable if not impossible.
May 29, 2019
Tash Aw’s debut novel, The Harmony Silk Factory, was an impressive affair set in 1940’s British Malaya that offered a beguiling case of unreliable, multiple narrative viewpoints. This one, his follow-up effort, is set mostly in the Indonesia of the 1960’s with quick detours to neighboring Malaysia in between.
It starts off promisingly enough. The story is around two orphaned brothers who were brought up in entirely different lifestyles. The elder, Johan, was taken in by a wealthy Malaysian couple and is wracked with guilt on what he perceives to be an unforgivable abandonment of his younger brother, Adam. It is from Adam’s perspective that most of the story unfolds. He is brought up by an Indonesian painter of Dutch origin, Karl, in a remote seaside village in Indonesia in a simple but mostly content existence. However, it is the age of Sukarno’s leadership and the threat of violent rebellion and communist uprising is never too far. There is also a lot of pending resentment against the erstwhile colonial masters, the Dutch, and anyone linked to the place. Karl is taken away by soldiers and Adam is left fending for himself and trying to figure out where his adoptive father has been taken to. In a parallel narrative track, we have Margaret, a now world weary woman who had moved to this side of the world when she was young and full of life’s possibilities. She works at the university, but is aware of the growing restlessness of the students studying under her. And what of her associate, Din? Is he the simple local guy he portrays himself to be or is there another darker story there?
Adam unearths an old link between Karl and Margaret and sets off in search of her as the only tenuous link he has in finding Karl. But the city and his fragmented memories of his brother hold many uncertain promises for him. Will Margaret be able to provide the help he so desperately needs? As the country heads towards civil war, these disparate characters try to find succor and a vague sense of belonging to anything they can cling on to but, in Adam’s case at least, this could be the very thing which leads them onto a path of no return.
The start of the book and the world building were wondrous in their enactment. The intricate descriptions of the squalor and smells of Jakarta envelop and effortlessly transports the reader to the world the story is set in. The characters are well defined and deep insights provided into their mental makeup, particularly Margaret and Adam. Johan’s portions, while brief, do provide an insight into the self-destructive path he has allowed himself to drift into. However, after a point, the story seems to get stuck in a curious stasis, almost as if the author couldn’t figure out how to take it to a satisfying destination after setting up the premise. Adam’s arc especially is not always relatable; the drastic shift into almost criminal perpetrator is supposed to be a product of his confused identity but doesn’t play out effectively enough on the page. And a couple of passages of physical intimacy appeared forced into the narrative, a familiar problem of a lot of literary authors who can’t seem to envision their main protagonists without some sex thrown in.
That doesn’t mean this isn’t worth a read though, just that it isn’t as good as his winsome debut. This is still a decent enough read, especially for the carefully constructed sense of place and time.
It starts off promisingly enough. The story is around two orphaned brothers who were brought up in entirely different lifestyles. The elder, Johan, was taken in by a wealthy Malaysian couple and is wracked with guilt on what he perceives to be an unforgivable abandonment of his younger brother, Adam. It is from Adam’s perspective that most of the story unfolds. He is brought up by an Indonesian painter of Dutch origin, Karl, in a remote seaside village in Indonesia in a simple but mostly content existence. However, it is the age of Sukarno’s leadership and the threat of violent rebellion and communist uprising is never too far. There is also a lot of pending resentment against the erstwhile colonial masters, the Dutch, and anyone linked to the place. Karl is taken away by soldiers and Adam is left fending for himself and trying to figure out where his adoptive father has been taken to. In a parallel narrative track, we have Margaret, a now world weary woman who had moved to this side of the world when she was young and full of life’s possibilities. She works at the university, but is aware of the growing restlessness of the students studying under her. And what of her associate, Din? Is he the simple local guy he portrays himself to be or is there another darker story there?
Adam unearths an old link between Karl and Margaret and sets off in search of her as the only tenuous link he has in finding Karl. But the city and his fragmented memories of his brother hold many uncertain promises for him. Will Margaret be able to provide the help he so desperately needs? As the country heads towards civil war, these disparate characters try to find succor and a vague sense of belonging to anything they can cling on to but, in Adam’s case at least, this could be the very thing which leads them onto a path of no return.
The start of the book and the world building were wondrous in their enactment. The intricate descriptions of the squalor and smells of Jakarta envelop and effortlessly transports the reader to the world the story is set in. The characters are well defined and deep insights provided into their mental makeup, particularly Margaret and Adam. Johan’s portions, while brief, do provide an insight into the self-destructive path he has allowed himself to drift into. However, after a point, the story seems to get stuck in a curious stasis, almost as if the author couldn’t figure out how to take it to a satisfying destination after setting up the premise. Adam’s arc especially is not always relatable; the drastic shift into almost criminal perpetrator is supposed to be a product of his confused identity but doesn’t play out effectively enough on the page. And a couple of passages of physical intimacy appeared forced into the narrative, a familiar problem of a lot of literary authors who can’t seem to envision their main protagonists without some sex thrown in.
That doesn’t mean this isn’t worth a read though, just that it isn’t as good as his winsome debut. This is still a decent enough read, especially for the carefully constructed sense of place and time.
August 7, 2011
i enjoy reading this book in the summer heat typically indonesian weather. this book was introduced to me as my b'day present last april from a very good friend of mine.
it took me time to engaged in the first few chapter but after that i could not stop until the end. some historical details about indonesia did bothers me a little. like the use of abang karno towards the president soekarno (explain in javanese), abang is not javanese at all (more betawi or melayu). i would not be annoyed if it was written bung karno (this is more like it on those days). and having history as my educational background, some bits are too odd. the rest i tried to enjoy it a long the way.
i feel aw captured the strange and empty feelings of human regarding towards memory. i enjoy the way each character narrations. i just feel that aw haven't told much in the end. it felt like just an introduction towards something bigger. for me it has to be bigger, especially regarding the indonesian blackest history page after the period that aw ended his novel (1964).
the kuala lumpur part somehow i felt too little for me to grasp. i could say work by amitav gosh in the glass palace, capture much much more compare in this novel. i was expecting aw to write more about malaysia then indonesia. things i hope i could understand more about malaysia and their own history compare to ours. i was expecting that kind of voice.
in the end, i just expect more to come. despite all that, it's nice to see an emerging writer from southeast asia and so far it's a good attempt done by aw.
it took me time to engaged in the first few chapter but after that i could not stop until the end. some historical details about indonesia did bothers me a little. like the use of abang karno towards the president soekarno (explain in javanese), abang is not javanese at all (more betawi or melayu). i would not be annoyed if it was written bung karno (this is more like it on those days). and having history as my educational background, some bits are too odd. the rest i tried to enjoy it a long the way.
i feel aw captured the strange and empty feelings of human regarding towards memory. i enjoy the way each character narrations. i just feel that aw haven't told much in the end. it felt like just an introduction towards something bigger. for me it has to be bigger, especially regarding the indonesian blackest history page after the period that aw ended his novel (1964).
the kuala lumpur part somehow i felt too little for me to grasp. i could say work by amitav gosh in the glass palace, capture much much more compare in this novel. i was expecting aw to write more about malaysia then indonesia. things i hope i could understand more about malaysia and their own history compare to ours. i was expecting that kind of voice.
in the end, i just expect more to come. despite all that, it's nice to see an emerging writer from southeast asia and so far it's a good attempt done by aw.
February 5, 2013
If I could only find the words to express my deep love towards this book as beautifully as how the author had written it.
It gives me such pride and bubbling hope to know that this book is written by a fellow Malaysian. Tash Aw writes with "effortless fluidity", not even close to being pretentious or trying too hard. Reading his writing almost felt surreal. It is as if I have only just been imagining the whole thing, but it couldn't have been so, as I know I'd never be able to match my imagination to one as great as his.
To say that the book was "good" is an underrating statement. It's beyond that. It's incredible.
This one particular book that may seem simple or uninteresting to the eyes of those who have not experienced its words; is able to tug the stone-coated heart-strings of yours, push you into seeing this life and world we live in from a different perspective and just leave you - speechless.
It's a lie for me not to say that I wished it had a better ending, but after analyzing every bit of the story.. I realized that maybe it didn't need a predictable happy ending to qualify as a good book.
After all, endings aren't nearly as important as the journeys we face.
It gives me such pride and bubbling hope to know that this book is written by a fellow Malaysian. Tash Aw writes with "effortless fluidity", not even close to being pretentious or trying too hard. Reading his writing almost felt surreal. It is as if I have only just been imagining the whole thing, but it couldn't have been so, as I know I'd never be able to match my imagination to one as great as his.
To say that the book was "good" is an underrating statement. It's beyond that. It's incredible.
This one particular book that may seem simple or uninteresting to the eyes of those who have not experienced its words; is able to tug the stone-coated heart-strings of yours, push you into seeing this life and world we live in from a different perspective and just leave you - speechless.
It's a lie for me not to say that I wished it had a better ending, but after analyzing every bit of the story.. I realized that maybe it didn't need a predictable happy ending to qualify as a good book.
After all, endings aren't nearly as important as the journeys we face.
August 13, 2016
I bought this novel because its cover is the map of Java Island, the very place where I grew up. Reading it for the first time, it got my interest since it took settings in Indonesia 1960s. This book is filled with a lot of wisdom quotes and contemplation on things that we take for granted.
Unfortunately, when I came into the middle part of the story, the engagement was simply deteriorated. I don't know why, but I need to put effort to continue reading. Nonetheless, I eventually finished reading it on an airplane flying to Surabaya from Singapore. And, since the ending part of this book mostly talk about a journey, a travel on finding self, it engaged me so much.
Overall, although the story itself doesn't have a great plot and consists of too many coincidences, this book is well written (I like it, how the writer depict the details, as if I were thrown back to Indonesia 1960s) and full of "finding one's self" type of wise words. One more, it's interesting to know how a foreigner might love my country so much even though she/he was not a citizen of Indonesia.
I like it!
Unfortunately, when I came into the middle part of the story, the engagement was simply deteriorated. I don't know why, but I need to put effort to continue reading. Nonetheless, I eventually finished reading it on an airplane flying to Surabaya from Singapore. And, since the ending part of this book mostly talk about a journey, a travel on finding self, it engaged me so much.
Overall, although the story itself doesn't have a great plot and consists of too many coincidences, this book is well written (I like it, how the writer depict the details, as if I were thrown back to Indonesia 1960s) and full of "finding one's self" type of wise words. One more, it's interesting to know how a foreigner might love my country so much even though she/he was not a citizen of Indonesia.
I like it!
December 22, 2012
I really enjoyed this story that took place in Indonesia. It followed the lives of two brothers separated while young in an orphanage. The way the fighting between the government and radicals and how the young kids get caught up in all the action. I liked the descriptions the author painted of the scenes in the country. I love books that take you to distant places.
December 28, 2012
La carte du monde invisible
« Le style de Tash Aw est à la fois puissant et fascinant,
autant par sa construction narrative que son acuité psychologique ».
The San Francisco Examiner
Indonésie, 1964 : « l'année de tous les dangers ». La vie d'Adam, un jeune Indonésien de 16 ans, bascule le jour ou son père adoptif, Karl, peintre d'origine hollandaise, est enlevé par les hommes du président Sukarno. Adam, déjà hanté par le souvenir de son frère Johan, dont il a été séparéà l'orphelinat, quitte alors son île idyllique et se rend à Jakarta pour retrouver celui qu'il considère comme son vrai père. Il est aidé dans sa quête par une universitaire américaine, Margaret, le grand amour de jeunesse de Karl, qui, à l'instar de ce dernier, se sent aussi chez elle dans ce pays, que Sukarno veut pourtant purger par le feu et le sang de toutes traces du passé colonial.
L'auteur nous emmène dans les rues de Jakarta de plus en plus gagné par le chaos, en compagnie de personnages hantés par cette question lancinante, « Ou est ma maison ? ». Passé et présent s'entremêlent dans ce roman, épique lorsqu'il retrace l'histoire de l'Indonésie, et intime lorsqu'il révèle avec sensibilité le passé des protagonistes. Si La Carte du monde invisible est un grand roman de la littérature postcoloniale, les thèmes qu'il aborde � l'identité, la mémoire � sont universels.
« Le style de Tash Aw est à la fois puissant et fascinant,
autant par sa construction narrative que son acuité psychologique ».
The San Francisco Examiner
Indonésie, 1964 : « l'année de tous les dangers ». La vie d'Adam, un jeune Indonésien de 16 ans, bascule le jour ou son père adoptif, Karl, peintre d'origine hollandaise, est enlevé par les hommes du président Sukarno. Adam, déjà hanté par le souvenir de son frère Johan, dont il a été séparéà l'orphelinat, quitte alors son île idyllique et se rend à Jakarta pour retrouver celui qu'il considère comme son vrai père. Il est aidé dans sa quête par une universitaire américaine, Margaret, le grand amour de jeunesse de Karl, qui, à l'instar de ce dernier, se sent aussi chez elle dans ce pays, que Sukarno veut pourtant purger par le feu et le sang de toutes traces du passé colonial.
L'auteur nous emmène dans les rues de Jakarta de plus en plus gagné par le chaos, en compagnie de personnages hantés par cette question lancinante, « Ou est ma maison ? ». Passé et présent s'entremêlent dans ce roman, épique lorsqu'il retrace l'histoire de l'Indonésie, et intime lorsqu'il révèle avec sensibilité le passé des protagonistes. Si La Carte du monde invisible est un grand roman de la littérature postcoloniale, les thèmes qu'il aborde � l'identité, la mémoire � sont universels.
January 2, 2013
Beautifully written. Learned a lot.
Read
October 19, 2015blah!!!
Awalnya gw penasaran banget sama buku ini. Penasaran karena penulisnya bukan penulis lokal dan settingnya di Indonesia pasca-kolonialisme, tahun 1960-an. Gw tertarik "melihat" sudut pandang pengarang non-Indonesia tentang Indonesia itu sendiri. Dan apa yang terjadi? Gw sampe nggak tau kudu ngasih rate berapa, saking sebelnya sama buku ini!
Tokoh sentral dalam buku ini:
1. ADAM de Willigen: seorang bocah peranakan Indonesia - yang yatim piatu dan diangkat anak oleh pelukis Karl de Willigen. Adam terobsesi untuk bertemu dengan keluarga Masa Lalu-nya dan saat Karl “ditangkap”Adam terlunta-lunta di Jakarta, berusaha mencari keberadaan abangnya sekaligus membebaskan Karl.
2. MARGARET Bates: seorang antropolog dari Amerika, yang gw-gak-tau-sebenernya-ngapain-dia-di-Jakarta-selain-merasa-nggak-betah!! Margaret ini memiliki hubungan Masa Lalu dengan Karl, sehingga terpaksa membantu Adam menemukan Karl.
3. JOHAN : kakak Adam yang terpisah sejak kecil. Johan diadopsi oleh sebuah keluarga Malaysia, dan hidup dalam kemewahan sembari mengubur luka hatinya dari Masa Lalu-nya.
Tokoh lain (yang ternyata penting):
KARL de Willigen: ayah angkat Adam, keturunan Indo-Belanda. Karl setengah mampus berusaha mengubah cara berpikir Adam, bahwa mereka sama Indonesianya dengan orang-orang pribumi di pulau mereka tinggal (Nusa Perdo, ada yang tahu ini dimana atau pernah ke sana nggak sih?)
**
Apa yang menyebalkan dari buku ini?
Pertama, karena Tash Aw sendiri NGGAK PERNAH mengalami masa itu. Semua kondisi Jakarta tahun 1960-an tersebut adalah hasil dari wawancaranya dengan seseorang bernama Judith Sihombing. Tengoklah baris berikut :
“Kau meremehkan Sukarno,”Mick berkata…”Segala tetek bengek soal Konfrontasi ini mulai menjadi obsesi, sesuatu yang sangat esensial atas eksistensi beliau. Kelihatan dari pemilihan kata-katanya, kupikir: beliau ingin mengkonfrontasi seluruh dunia, terutama Malaysia. Ia benar-benar membenci segala hal yang mewakili negara itu. Kupikir sebenarnya dia tidak menyukai gagasan tentang negara tetangga yang tanpa perlu bersusah payah memperjuangkan kemerdekaannya dan menjadi kaya, sementara negaranya sendiri kacau balau.� [hal.154]
Well, jujur, gw agak-agak gimana gitu pas baca baris itu. Memang dalam cerita, yang mengatakannya adalah Mick, salah satu tokoh berkewarganegaraan Amerika. Tapi, kan yang “melahirkan� tokoh dah apa yang diucapkan tokoh itu adalah Mr. Tash bukan? Dan Mr.Tash dibesarkan di Malaysia, meski dia lahir di Taipei. Mungkin gw agak-agak su’udzon sama Mr.Tash, tapi gw merasakan sentimen pribadi dalam kata-katanya. Sebel!!
Kedua, penokohannya kurang kuat. Korelasi tokoh satu dan lainnya nggak terlalu jelas.Bingung banget membaca Adam itu karakter yang gimana, Margaret itu seperti apa, Johan itu kayak apa�.semuanya tumpang tindih nge-blur gak jelas. Margaret kadang tampak menyepelekan orang-orang Asia. Hal itu tampak dalam kalimat ini :
“…dia mempekerjakan seorang anak tetangga untuk membawa cucian mereka ke penatu milik orang China,pakaian mereka akan tiba beberapa hari lagi, sudah tersetrika dan terlipat dengan rapi. Hal ini mengingatkan akan Eksistensi Primitif mereka, Margaret beralasan: mereka mungkin telah kehilangan kehidupan di hutan belantara namun setidaknya mereka masih punya orang-orang Asia yang melakukan tugas-tugas harian mendasar mereka.� [hal. 152]
What the heck is that???? Apakah karena Mr.Tash sekarang sudah menjadi warga negara Inggris dan sudah menjadi “manusia Barat� sehingga dia berpikir begitu?
Bolak-balik gw dibikin jengkel dengan ke-sok-tahuan Mr.Tash tentang kondisi negara gw pada saat itu. Well, jika Mr.Tash adalah orang Indonesia, atau minimal, dia pernah tinggal di sini beberapa tahun, atau mungkin (malah jauh lebih baik) mengalami masa tersebut, gw masih bisa menerima itu.
Berhubung, Mr.Tash tidak menjelaskan sama sekali kronologis penulisan buku ini, dan gw nggak menemukan satupun interview tentang bagaimana dia mengumpulkan bahan untuk penulisan buku ini, dengan sangat menyesal, gw kudu ngasih A BIG "BOOOOO" (jika ada yang bisa ngasih link tentang kronologisnya, mungkin opini gw bisa berubah).
Dengan latar belakangnya yang seperti itu dan meskipun novel pertamanya The Harmony Silk Factory mendapatkan Whitbread Award pada tahun 2005 (penghargaan yang sama untuk The Curious Incident of The Dog in The Night Time-nya Mark Haddon) buat gw, Map of Invisible World adalah jauh dari “exciting work�!
*
P.S : Buat yang ngasih gw buku ini, bukan berarti gw nggak menghargai pemberian kalian. Hanya, buku ini luar biasa menyebalkan. Ini hanya sebuah opini jujur dari seorang pecinta sejarah bangsa sendiri, yang merasa bahwa hal semacam ini sangat tidak pantas ditulis oleh seorang awarded novelist.
Awalnya gw penasaran banget sama buku ini. Penasaran karena penulisnya bukan penulis lokal dan settingnya di Indonesia pasca-kolonialisme, tahun 1960-an. Gw tertarik "melihat" sudut pandang pengarang non-Indonesia tentang Indonesia itu sendiri. Dan apa yang terjadi? Gw sampe nggak tau kudu ngasih rate berapa, saking sebelnya sama buku ini!
Tokoh sentral dalam buku ini:
1. ADAM de Willigen: seorang bocah peranakan Indonesia - yang yatim piatu dan diangkat anak oleh pelukis Karl de Willigen. Adam terobsesi untuk bertemu dengan keluarga Masa Lalu-nya dan saat Karl “ditangkap”Adam terlunta-lunta di Jakarta, berusaha mencari keberadaan abangnya sekaligus membebaskan Karl.
2. MARGARET Bates: seorang antropolog dari Amerika, yang gw-gak-tau-sebenernya-ngapain-dia-di-Jakarta-selain-merasa-nggak-betah!! Margaret ini memiliki hubungan Masa Lalu dengan Karl, sehingga terpaksa membantu Adam menemukan Karl.
3. JOHAN : kakak Adam yang terpisah sejak kecil. Johan diadopsi oleh sebuah keluarga Malaysia, dan hidup dalam kemewahan sembari mengubur luka hatinya dari Masa Lalu-nya.
Tokoh lain (yang ternyata penting):
KARL de Willigen: ayah angkat Adam, keturunan Indo-Belanda. Karl setengah mampus berusaha mengubah cara berpikir Adam, bahwa mereka sama Indonesianya dengan orang-orang pribumi di pulau mereka tinggal (Nusa Perdo, ada yang tahu ini dimana atau pernah ke sana nggak sih?)
**
Apa yang menyebalkan dari buku ini?
Pertama, karena Tash Aw sendiri NGGAK PERNAH mengalami masa itu. Semua kondisi Jakarta tahun 1960-an tersebut adalah hasil dari wawancaranya dengan seseorang bernama Judith Sihombing. Tengoklah baris berikut :
“Kau meremehkan Sukarno,”Mick berkata…”Segala tetek bengek soal Konfrontasi ini mulai menjadi obsesi, sesuatu yang sangat esensial atas eksistensi beliau. Kelihatan dari pemilihan kata-katanya, kupikir: beliau ingin mengkonfrontasi seluruh dunia, terutama Malaysia. Ia benar-benar membenci segala hal yang mewakili negara itu. Kupikir sebenarnya dia tidak menyukai gagasan tentang negara tetangga yang tanpa perlu bersusah payah memperjuangkan kemerdekaannya dan menjadi kaya, sementara negaranya sendiri kacau balau.� [hal.154]
Well, jujur, gw agak-agak gimana gitu pas baca baris itu. Memang dalam cerita, yang mengatakannya adalah Mick, salah satu tokoh berkewarganegaraan Amerika. Tapi, kan yang “melahirkan� tokoh dah apa yang diucapkan tokoh itu adalah Mr. Tash bukan? Dan Mr.Tash dibesarkan di Malaysia, meski dia lahir di Taipei. Mungkin gw agak-agak su’udzon sama Mr.Tash, tapi gw merasakan sentimen pribadi dalam kata-katanya. Sebel!!
Kedua, penokohannya kurang kuat. Korelasi tokoh satu dan lainnya nggak terlalu jelas.Bingung banget membaca Adam itu karakter yang gimana, Margaret itu seperti apa, Johan itu kayak apa�.semuanya tumpang tindih nge-blur gak jelas. Margaret kadang tampak menyepelekan orang-orang Asia. Hal itu tampak dalam kalimat ini :
“…dia mempekerjakan seorang anak tetangga untuk membawa cucian mereka ke penatu milik orang China,pakaian mereka akan tiba beberapa hari lagi, sudah tersetrika dan terlipat dengan rapi. Hal ini mengingatkan akan Eksistensi Primitif mereka, Margaret beralasan: mereka mungkin telah kehilangan kehidupan di hutan belantara namun setidaknya mereka masih punya orang-orang Asia yang melakukan tugas-tugas harian mendasar mereka.� [hal. 152]
What the heck is that???? Apakah karena Mr.Tash sekarang sudah menjadi warga negara Inggris dan sudah menjadi “manusia Barat� sehingga dia berpikir begitu?
Bolak-balik gw dibikin jengkel dengan ke-sok-tahuan Mr.Tash tentang kondisi negara gw pada saat itu. Well, jika Mr.Tash adalah orang Indonesia, atau minimal, dia pernah tinggal di sini beberapa tahun, atau mungkin (malah jauh lebih baik) mengalami masa tersebut, gw masih bisa menerima itu.
Berhubung, Mr.Tash tidak menjelaskan sama sekali kronologis penulisan buku ini, dan gw nggak menemukan satupun interview tentang bagaimana dia mengumpulkan bahan untuk penulisan buku ini, dengan sangat menyesal, gw kudu ngasih A BIG "BOOOOO" (jika ada yang bisa ngasih link tentang kronologisnya, mungkin opini gw bisa berubah).
Dengan latar belakangnya yang seperti itu dan meskipun novel pertamanya The Harmony Silk Factory mendapatkan Whitbread Award pada tahun 2005 (penghargaan yang sama untuk The Curious Incident of The Dog in The Night Time-nya Mark Haddon) buat gw, Map of Invisible World adalah jauh dari “exciting work�!
*
P.S : Buat yang ngasih gw buku ini, bukan berarti gw nggak menghargai pemberian kalian. Hanya, buku ini luar biasa menyebalkan. Ini hanya sebuah opini jujur dari seorang pecinta sejarah bangsa sendiri, yang merasa bahwa hal semacam ini sangat tidak pantas ditulis oleh seorang awarded novelist.
January 5, 2014
I really, really liked right up until the non-ending. I was worried this was a sign that just can't write endings, but I wanted to give another one of his books a try because I loved his writing so much. I'm pleased to report that while Map of the Invisible World doesn't tie up all its loose ends in a completely tidy bow, it comes close enough that the reader can leave feeling like they've read a complete story.
In Map of the Invisible World, two brothers are orphaned and then separated into different adoptive homes. We learn about little pieces of older brother Johan's life in Malaysia, but the story focuses on Adam during the civil unrest in 1960s Indonesia. We also learn about Margaret Bates, a white woman who was born in Indonesia and grew up all over the world and is now a university professor; her assistant, Din, who is heavily involved with a radical communist group; and Adam's adoptive father, a Dutch painter named Karl.
The book manages to tell very personal stories against a very political backdrop - the reader gets a sense of what was going on in Indonesia in the 1960s as they asserted themselves as a free country apart from Dutch rule, even while the main focus has to do with the connections between each of the characters and Adam's search both for his brother and for his father, who has been arrested for being Dutch.
Map of the Invisible World isn't a perfect novel, but it's very, very well done, and I'm excited to read and anything else Aw writes.
In Map of the Invisible World, two brothers are orphaned and then separated into different adoptive homes. We learn about little pieces of older brother Johan's life in Malaysia, but the story focuses on Adam during the civil unrest in 1960s Indonesia. We also learn about Margaret Bates, a white woman who was born in Indonesia and grew up all over the world and is now a university professor; her assistant, Din, who is heavily involved with a radical communist group; and Adam's adoptive father, a Dutch painter named Karl.
The book manages to tell very personal stories against a very political backdrop - the reader gets a sense of what was going on in Indonesia in the 1960s as they asserted themselves as a free country apart from Dutch rule, even while the main focus has to do with the connections between each of the characters and Adam's search both for his brother and for his father, who has been arrested for being Dutch.
Map of the Invisible World isn't a perfect novel, but it's very, very well done, and I'm excited to read and anything else Aw writes.
March 24, 2013
I liked this book a lot. It has some good storytelling and some interesting and well crafted characters. It is getting only three stars because the storylines sort of couldn't keep me interested towards the end of the book. The writer sets up two major conflicts at the start of the book (someone gone missing, a big trauma in the past of one of the main characters which has caused him to lose memory of most of his childhood) A classic way to get your story going and keep your readers interested. I do get that this is not the kind of book where finding the answers or resolving those conflicts is important. The characters and the circumstances of their lives and the way they think and live are what makes this book interesting. Still the conclusion of the book left me a bit empty and i didn't really care about the characters very much anymore at that stage, which can not have been the intention of the writer...
September 5, 2018
This was really very good. Two brothers, orphaned by Indonesia's transmigration policies, are separated in the 50s. One is adopted by a wealthy Malaysian family, one is adopted by a Dutch man in Indonesia. In the meantime, we head inexorably toward 1967.
At heart this is a sweeping family drama covering a lot of time and a lot of ground. In that way, he reminded me a bit of Pachinko, following the fortunes of a family and their connections as they are swept up in greater global and local events (which I know little about). Characterisation was generally very strong, and there is an insight into how good people come to do bad things -- Z using her wealthy connections, Din ruthlessly using people for communism's sake, Margaret reporting on her students at the university. The exploration of different groups in modern Indonesia is really well done. This wasn't drastically unusual or original content, but it was very well handled. Recommended.
At heart this is a sweeping family drama covering a lot of time and a lot of ground. In that way, he reminded me a bit of Pachinko, following the fortunes of a family and their connections as they are swept up in greater global and local events (which I know little about). Characterisation was generally very strong, and there is an insight into how good people come to do bad things -- Z using her wealthy connections, Din ruthlessly using people for communism's sake, Margaret reporting on her students at the university. The exploration of different groups in modern Indonesia is really well done. This wasn't drastically unusual or original content, but it was very well handled. Recommended.
September 15, 2013
Unfamiliar with Indonesian history, this novel presented an aspect of Asian history that revealed the impact of colonialism on the lives of native Indonesians and expats who adopted the country as their home. The story is told through the experiences of two orphaned brothers separated by their adoptions by different families in different countries and that of an American woman university instructor living in Jakarta during the turbulent sixties when mass demonstrations and uprisings were taking place in a movement to free the country from European imperialistic intentions under President Sukarno's autocratic rule. I was completely engaged in my reading of this novel by the author's descriptions which effectively portrayed the tensions and chaos of this era of Indonesian history and I'm anxious to read his books.
August 14, 2016
Its been 5 years since reading and its a wonder why.
Tash Aw's writing is incredible and you truly feel the full weight of Asian culture when reading one of her books. The writing is fluid and contains a lot of wisdom quotes on things that we take for granted.
I have never travelled to Jakarta - the main setting of the book - but have visited other areas of both Indonesia and Malaysia, and I thoroughly enjoyed the little pockets this book took me to.
Tash Aw's writing is incredible and you truly feel the full weight of Asian culture when reading one of her books. The writing is fluid and contains a lot of wisdom quotes on things that we take for granted.
I have never travelled to Jakarta - the main setting of the book - but have visited other areas of both Indonesia and Malaysia, and I thoroughly enjoyed the little pockets this book took me to.
September 20, 2016
Romanul ăsta te ține-n priză în pofida faptului că pe alocuri deraiază spre o telenovelă cu final previzibil. Aluzia la soarta vitregă a Indoneziei și Malaysiei, separate de niște frontiere schițate la nimereală de puterile coloniale, nu e foarte subtilă deși pertinentă. În schimb vastul material informativ și ritmul alert compensează îndesat micile beteșuguri.
October 26, 2013
It plays in Indonesia in the 60's. Starts off really well, but loses it a little towards the end.
August 13, 2016
Lu en français : La carte du monde invisible
Un roman captivant mélangeant histoire et quête identitaire se déroulant en Indonésie. Adam et Johan sont frères, inséparables, et orphelins. Johan est adopté (j'ose dire brutalement, un moment fort du roman) et disparaît de la vie du petit Adam. Ce dernier est adopté par Karl, un Indonésien d'origine hollandaise. Les liens se tissent entre les deux avec lenteur mais indéniablement. À 16 ans, Adam est témoin de l'enlèvement de son père adoptif. L'Indonésie est un pays indépendant depuis 10 ans, et les conflits entre communistes et révolutionnaires se font de plus en plus fréquents. Armé de quelques photos, dont celle d'une femme d'origine américaine - Margaret Bates - qui vit en Indonésie, Adam se lance dans les rues de Jakarta à la recherche de son père adoptif. Cette aventure se transformera rapidement en une quête identitaire, alors qu'il est confronté aux conflits sociaux et politiques qui agitent l'archipel.
Plusieurs aspects de ce roman ont de quoi plaire aux lecteurs aimant les quêtes identitaires sur fond historique : la façon dont l'auteur dépeint l'Indonésie de l'époque; le personnage d'Adam, déraciné dans son propre pays, extrêmement naïf ; l'exploration de l'identité de Karl et de Margaret ; les liens invisibles entre Adam et Johan. Un.e lecteur.trice cherchant un roman politique sera déçu.e, par ailleurs : les relations avec la Malaisie, les États-Unis et la Russie sont plutôt inférées puisque tout se passe en coulisses.
Un roman captivant mélangeant histoire et quête identitaire se déroulant en Indonésie. Adam et Johan sont frères, inséparables, et orphelins. Johan est adopté (j'ose dire brutalement, un moment fort du roman) et disparaît de la vie du petit Adam. Ce dernier est adopté par Karl, un Indonésien d'origine hollandaise. Les liens se tissent entre les deux avec lenteur mais indéniablement. À 16 ans, Adam est témoin de l'enlèvement de son père adoptif. L'Indonésie est un pays indépendant depuis 10 ans, et les conflits entre communistes et révolutionnaires se font de plus en plus fréquents. Armé de quelques photos, dont celle d'une femme d'origine américaine - Margaret Bates - qui vit en Indonésie, Adam se lance dans les rues de Jakarta à la recherche de son père adoptif. Cette aventure se transformera rapidement en une quête identitaire, alors qu'il est confronté aux conflits sociaux et politiques qui agitent l'archipel.
Plusieurs aspects de ce roman ont de quoi plaire aux lecteurs aimant les quêtes identitaires sur fond historique : la façon dont l'auteur dépeint l'Indonésie de l'époque; le personnage d'Adam, déraciné dans son propre pays, extrêmement naïf ; l'exploration de l'identité de Karl et de Margaret ; les liens invisibles entre Adam et Johan. Un.e lecteur.trice cherchant un roman politique sera déçu.e, par ailleurs : les relations avec la Malaisie, les États-Unis et la Russie sont plutôt inférées puisque tout se passe en coulisses.
February 9, 2010
Ta Da! Tash wa's new novel Map of the Invisible World, is now available. Once again just as there was in his first novel, The Harmony Silk Factory, there are multiple, disparate stories and ethnicities coming together in Map. That is a huge hook for me. As is any book set outside of the U.S. All the world is exotic to me.
In Map a distraught young orphan making his way to Jakarta to search for his Dutch foster father, the brother of that orphan raised in comfort in Malaysia questioning his luck in being adopted by a wealthy family, an American teacher, an American embassy attaché who may or may not be undercover CIA and a dangerous radical communist. None of these people are where life should have put them and none are safe. This is Indonesia in 1964. The country is one more riot away from civil war. It is the year of 'living dangerously'.
Map proves that Aw has mastered the difficult multiple storyline novel. He can sustain all the threads, the tensions and your interest over 400 pages. His writing is stunning. The details of the invisible worlds in a third world country of poverty, squalor, political machinations and murders, colonialism and the destruction of families are all brought before you. These are the big issues. Aw incorporates them and all the turbulence of a country falling apart effortlessly into the rich psychology of this novel.
September 22, 2010
The book’s setting (1960s Indonesia) is interesting and, to the best of my knowledge, Aw captures the time well. His writing is sprinkled with interesting historical information, which strung me along. But there’s not much more to this book. Taw isn’t a great writer. The plot and characters are forgettable and Taw drowns you in flowery symbolism.
I thought this book was written by a graduate student taking a break from a dissertation on 1960s Indonesia. A graduate student stuck in cold bleak Ithaca, New York (where one of the protagonist’s lives) who one day woke up, decided they were fed up with academic writing and wanted to channel their knowledge to a creative venture. To me, this would explain two things: how Aw knows so much about Indonesia and its history, and secondly, why Aw is ultimately not a great writer. A smart graduate student who ultimately shouldn’t be publishing novels.
I was far from the mark. Aw’s first novel was on the long-list for the Man Booker prize. And his books have sold very well—he’s considered one of the most successful Malaysian writers. But ultimately, the idea that he’s a graduate student taking a break from a bleak Ithaca winter and a dry dissertation to try out writing novels makes more sense to me.
I thought this book was written by a graduate student taking a break from a dissertation on 1960s Indonesia. A graduate student stuck in cold bleak Ithaca, New York (where one of the protagonist’s lives) who one day woke up, decided they were fed up with academic writing and wanted to channel their knowledge to a creative venture. To me, this would explain two things: how Aw knows so much about Indonesia and its history, and secondly, why Aw is ultimately not a great writer. A smart graduate student who ultimately shouldn’t be publishing novels.
I was far from the mark. Aw’s first novel was on the long-list for the Man Booker prize. And his books have sold very well—he’s considered one of the most successful Malaysian writers. But ultimately, the idea that he’s a graduate student taking a break from a bleak Ithaca winter and a dry dissertation to try out writing novels makes more sense to me.
February 7, 2012
This is an intriguing book with layered stories told from third person perspectives. Adam is an orphan who has trouble remembering his brother due to a traumatic separation experienced at an orphanage when he was five. He is eventually adopted by Karl de Willegen, Dutch by birth but staunchily believes he's at home in Indonesia. Margaret Bates is an American expat who gets roped in to help Adam find Karl after the latter is detained by the police and Adam discovers a photo of the young Margaret and Karl. The last third of the story is told on Johan, Adam's brother who's living large in Malaysia, thanks to the comforts supplied by his rich, new parents. To me, this last perspective however is a bit dream like; the narrative is in italics which makes me feel the story is less real than the other two running stories. At first, the stories have tenuous links among them but the web strengthens as the stories progress. My theory is the last tale, the least visible one of the three, is that which maps out the searches happening in the earlier two.
A great read overall!
A great read overall!
March 23, 2016
Tash Aw tells a good story.
This book based in the mid 60s in Indonesia, it discusses the impact of the change from Dutch Colonialism on the people of Indonesia, the rich, the poor, and those Westerners who wanted to stay part of Indonesia as it seemingly moves into civil war.
The focus is on two brothers, orphaned and then separated. The oldest brother is adopted by rich Malaysians but in his late teens had been embittered and is on a path of self destruction. He is surrounded by wealth but his life has no purpose. The younger brother, Adam, is adopted by a Dutch artist, who has love and empathy for both the country and his son. The Dutch artist is arrested and goes missing and his son goes to Jakarta to find him. Adam is poor but is rich in knowing the importance of family, respect, honesty and fairness.
In Jakarta, Adam finds his father’s ex-girlfriend and soon finds himself in a whirlwind of communist activists, riots, corruption, greed and mistrust. The story ends with a new beginning
This book based in the mid 60s in Indonesia, it discusses the impact of the change from Dutch Colonialism on the people of Indonesia, the rich, the poor, and those Westerners who wanted to stay part of Indonesia as it seemingly moves into civil war.
The focus is on two brothers, orphaned and then separated. The oldest brother is adopted by rich Malaysians but in his late teens had been embittered and is on a path of self destruction. He is surrounded by wealth but his life has no purpose. The younger brother, Adam, is adopted by a Dutch artist, who has love and empathy for both the country and his son. The Dutch artist is arrested and goes missing and his son goes to Jakarta to find him. Adam is poor but is rich in knowing the importance of family, respect, honesty and fairness.
In Jakarta, Adam finds his father’s ex-girlfriend and soon finds himself in a whirlwind of communist activists, riots, corruption, greed and mistrust. The story ends with a new beginning
March 20, 2014
This book seems to purposefully confound my Western preconception that novels should have clear plots with everything resolved and tied up in a nice neat package at the end.
In a parallel with the Indonesian tendency to see life as uncontrollable and that "you have to just take things as they come" if you are trying to be just like everyone else in Indonesia, the story pulls one in a lot of different directions and leaves some things undecided.
So I guess it's a good picture of real life in Indonesia through the eyes of several characters who partially belong in Indonesia but who are also tied up with European ancestry and the background of colonialism. I feel it's a profound book, but reading it does not give one a superbly satisfying experience of reading a novel with a really good story.
In a parallel with the Indonesian tendency to see life as uncontrollable and that "you have to just take things as they come" if you are trying to be just like everyone else in Indonesia, the story pulls one in a lot of different directions and leaves some things undecided.
So I guess it's a good picture of real life in Indonesia through the eyes of several characters who partially belong in Indonesia but who are also tied up with European ancestry and the background of colonialism. I feel it's a profound book, but reading it does not give one a superbly satisfying experience of reading a novel with a really good story.
Read
January 20, 2010The first real book I read on my return to Ireland, in the aftermath of my brain-destroying, attention span-depleting thesis wind-up exercise. I'd been starting to have doubts as to whether some mental faculty had been permanently damaged in the process but in retrospect Proust and Joyce were not good companions to the writing process and all I'd really needed was a good story. This book, in addition to being very visually attractive, was that good story. Set in post-colonial Indonesia, against the backdrop of revolution and the confused struggle for national identity, an orphan Adam searches for his Dutch foster father who has been taken away by the Army. The characters are odd and lonely and ill at ease with their surroundings. Vivid story and very hard to put down.
March 15, 2014
I thought the plot to be a bit basic with some cliches here and there, and lots of 'feel-good' episodes. But definitely an opportunity to learn about this exciting period in Indonesia and Southeast Asian history. There are also different scenes that make you think deeply about poverty, freedom, and life in general.
May 10, 2010
I heard Tash Aw speak in Chengdu in March and like this book SO much more than The Harmony Silk Factory which I read before the talk. It's fun to read a book once you've heard the authors insight / background on why they wrote the book.
May 17, 2010
This is a very atmospheric book, from the same place/time as The Year of Living Dangerously, a film I enjoyed. The description is great and I feel like I know the characters. I think I missed some of the point, it would probably bear re-reading, as there's a lot here.
November 19, 2010
One of the best books I have read in quite a while. Good story telling. Very well developed characters. A wonderful canvas of an important time in Indonesia. A powerful flowing progress. Glorious sadness.
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