In November last year, I participated in a competition organised by a university in Indonesia, the prizes for which were books of our own choice with a limited total price. We were able to choose quite a number of books from a bookstore there.
Needless to say, I was elated and began searching online for must read Indonesian books and authors while I have the chance to get them. And in every search result, this very novel, Bumi Manusia, tops the list. It intrigued me, but I couldn't include it in my list because it was out of stock :")A few months passed, and I thought, I have to read this even if that means buying it myself. Luckily enough, alhamdulillah, I found one eventually and I bought the whole quartet.
A few chapters in, I was hooked! The novel is around 530 pages long, but it didn't feel that way because of how much I enjoyed it. Flipping through every next page like it's simply another line that I can't save for later. I read it before bed, between classes, all the time. I usually avoid reading my books between classes because then I would get too immersed and potentially not focus on my other obligations. But this time around, everytime I peeked at it at the right corner of my desk, it's like the novel just screamed, "Pick me up, you know you want to read me!"
And then the busy weeks came, and I forced myself to put it on my bedpost where I place my TBR and current reads, and focus on my school work. Last Wednesday, I resumed reading and finished right away.
So how do I feel about this novel? I honestly view it as a literature masterpiece. It has every element for that which can also be found in, say, 1984, or even Pride and Prejudice.
That's because the words are so elegantly phrased that each sentence feels so flowy and pleasant to the mind. Not to mention the intelligently chosen phrases which emanate the spirit of patriotism, fiery against the European supremacy, and internal fights against society's skepticism which coloured the novel theme. It really is a work of art.
It gives us a look at the harsh reality of life for our Nusantara brothers in the previously called Hindia-Belanda, simply for being the natives, feeding the ego of colonisers who think they are the better ones. I read this knowing very little about the times over there during their colonisation period, but reading this have gifted me illustrations of how the situation were which I am unlikely to forget.
On the other hand, I'm still very much curious about the Islamic practices of the natives during that time. Minke, here, was a Muslim, declared himself as one, and married according to Muslim rites, but many parts of his lifestyle simply don't go in line with that. That includes his premarital relations with Annelies and his, I would say, carefree decision about staying in the home of two women. I simply assumed that it was still early times with little exposure of Islam's whole teaching, based on the time setting and what I have seen in a few movies set in the Java yesteryears.
Another thing that really piqued my interest was the remark on the coldness of law towards the end of Minke's fight against the 'pengadilan putih' or the European centered justice system. Law is described as 'dingin' or cold, in the sense that the law will only work insofar as the way it is designed. Even if the law implies heartbreaking rules and result in soul-killing decisions, it will remain that way no matter how much we desist it and cry for injustice. It will remain that way, until and unless we gain enough consciousness to do something about it and take control in changing the law.
It was an eye opening remark, and touched me deeply because of how true it is and how I have never been reminded of it before. I even included this in one of my recent school presentations, hehe.
This was how the novel has impacted me - in so many ways and with memories I will always treasure. I now understand why it tops every list of must read books from Indonesia and why it's regarded very highly.
I do sympathise with some people who claim that unfortunately the greatness of this literature simply eluded them because they were able to only read its English translation. I do think that it is because I can read it in its original language that its beauty shines, and its messages reach me.
Now it's very near to Ramadhan and I'm already partnering up with other soup for the soul books with which I intend to fill my Ramadhan. As much as I can't wait to read the remaining three in the quartet, in shaa Allah it will be after Ramadhan ends.
Until we meet again!
p/s: In the photo is one of my many many favourite quotes from the book.
p/s: Featuring my treasured resin with real flower bookmark made by @artebyaliz and gifted to me by my dear friend Dijah.
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