Pramoedya Ananta Toer

It is the 13th century in Java. Rebelliousness stirs among peasant farmers and Brahmin priests alike. Slavery has returned and men, women and children labour to find gold for Java’s rulers. Bearing the symbols of spiritual power, a young scholar-bandit and rebel appears, called Arok – “he who upturns everything”. As the rebellion spreads, it is Arok himself whom the rulers employ to suppress it. Thus emerges one of the epic political conspiracies of Javanese history. At stake is power in Java itself, the Lady Consort Dedes, and an end to slavery and oppression. This novel presents Pramoedya’s version of a great legend emerging out of the mists of historical past, is a tale of palace politics, conspiracy and revolution. It sets out the beginning of historical process that began on Java and gives the most vivid picture of the political, cultural and social forces which Pramoedya sees as having remained crucial until even today: the castes of the Brahman intellectuals, the Satria military and the Sudra, the people, the farmers, the artisans and labourers.

The Chinese in Indonesia.

Collection of Pramoedya Ananta Toer's literary works written from 1947 to1956.

Indonesian comfort women during the Japanese occupation, 1942-1945.

Politics and literature in Indonesia; collection of articles & interviews.

Historical play of Mataram during the 16th century.

Biography of Kartini, 1879-1904, an Indonesian feminist.

"Coming to grips with the oppression and injustice of the European regime in his country, Minke, [the Dutch-educated javaese writer] struggles to assert his voice and the voices of his people - but he is met at every turn by the corruption of those he trusted and by the tragedies that befall those he loves most."--Back cover.

Pramoedya Ananta Toer (EYD: Pramudya Ananta Tur; 6 February 1925 – 30 April 2006), also nicknamed Pram, was an Indonesian novelist and writer. His works span the colonial period under Dutch rule, Indonesia's struggle for independence, its occupation by Japan during World War II, as well as the post-colonial authoritarian regimes of Sukarno and Suharto, and are infused with personal and national history. Pramoedya's writings sometimes fell out of favour with the colonial and later the authoritarian native governments in power. He faced censorship in Indonesia during the pre-Reformasi era even though he was well-known outside Indonesia. Dutch authorities imprisoned him from 1947 to 1949 during the War of Independence.

Author's account of his political imprisonment in Buru, 1969-1979.

"In a poor coastal fishing village, a beautiful girl unknowingly attracts the attention of a local aristocrat. Before she knows it, she is forced to marry this man she has never seen and leave behind all that is familiar to her - her carefree days spent helping her mother with daily tasks, dreamily listening to the sounds of the wind and the waves, and watching boats come and go. She is taken away to her husband's manor in the city and plunged into a strange world of opulence and quiet severity.". "Gradually the Girl from the Coast grows acclimated to the ways of the household but becomes increasingly plagued by doubts. Where does her husband go for days on end? What does he really think of her? Why is everyone so afraid of him? Too timid to ask him these kinds of questions directly she repeatedly turns to the maidservant who has been assigned to her; and it is from her conversations with this older woman that the girl begins to understand the truth about her new life.". "What follows is a tale of a young woman's journey down a lonely and painful path to maturity. Along the way, she confronts the harsh realities of a society in which females are little more than property, a society made up of those who issue orders and those who carry them out."--BOOK JACKET.

Historical novel.

With House Of Glass comes the final chapter of Pramoedya's epic quartet, set in the Dutch East Indies at the turn of the century. A novel of heroism, passion, and betrayal, it provides a spectacular conclusion to a series hailed as one of the great works of modern literature. At the start of House of Glass, Minke, writer and leader of the dissident movement, is now imprisoned - and the narrative has switched to Pangemanann, a former policeman, who has the task of spying and reporting on those who continue the struggle for independence. But the hunter is becoming the hunted. Pangemanann is a victim of his own conscience and has come to admire his adversaries. He must decide whether the law is to safeguard the rights of the people or to control the people. He fears the loss of his position, his family, and his self-respect. At last Pangemanann sees that his true opponents are not Minke and his followers, but rather the dynamism and energy of a society awakened.

"This book was originally published in Indonesia under the title Bukan Pasar Malam."

"Many of the stories in this volume are based on Pramoedya's own childhood and depict children struggling to make sense of adult motives and behavior. A boy bursts into uncontrollable tears when his father, who always tucks him in bed, doesn't come home one night and his mother cannot offer him a reasonable explanation. An eight-year-old girl, who is soon to be married off by her parents for money, brags to her playmate about the pretty clothes and makeup she will acquire. And a child's heart pounds in terror as he awaits his ritual circumcision, but he remains determined to do what it takes to become a true Muslim." "Other stories portray the disillusionments of adulthood, in particular the brutality of war and the uneasiness of peace. An idealistic young soldier witnesses the barbaric beating of a man accused of being a spy. A blind paraplegic, a veteran of the war against the colonial government unleashes his rage and frustration on his mother. And a middle-aged patriot is left with no choice but to comply when Communist troops knock on his door and take him away."--Jacket.

Politics and literature in Indonesia in the 1950s ; a paper.