Customer Reviews

Child of All Nations (Buru Quartet)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I want to correct a serious error in the last sentence of the first review posted on this page. It says that Toer's books "are banned in his native MALAYSIA." This is not the correct country. Toer is a native of INDONESIA, and the Buru quartet chronicles the emotional, political and social emergence of that nation. I met the author when I had the opportunity to translate for him during his trip to the US in 1999 -- I strongly feel that he would want people to know that his country is Indonesia!

This follow-on tale from This Earth of Mankind has some interesting stories woven throughout -- for instance the tale of the young maiden who willingly contracts smallpox to avoid a life of shame as a concubine. However, the book lacks the momentum (and uniqueness) of his first novel. It also lacks subtlty and tends to be somewhat preachy. In this book the reader gets beaten over the head mercilessly in contrast to the gentle pats from This Earth. It just wasn't as fun. That said, it still has some interesting angles on a life and culture so very foreign to a turn-of-the-21st century American. And it has some poignant fragments, particularly those insights on the life of Minke's strong-willed concubine mother-in-law. It's still worth reading even though it's not of This Earth. I'm looking forward to Footsteps.

Pramoedya's ability to illustrate the conflicts among the pure Javanese natives, half-breed Indos, and the Dutch colonialist masters is nothing short of phenomenal. The rights of the natives proved to be meaningless when it came face to face against the greeds of the colonial masters.

I read "This Earth of Mankind" about a year ago and since then, I was wondering what happened with the characters. I don't like to stick with the same story for a long time, so I needed a few months to pad. In the meantime, I dedicated my time with other books and after I finished "The Pillars of the Earth", somehow I decided that it was time to go back to Minke & co.

I was very disappointed with "Child of All Nations". First of all, you will need to read "This Earth of Mankind" before touching this book. These books are not independent. If you don't read "This Earth of Mankind" first, you won't have any idea of what is going on. Or maybe let me correct myself... You may get an idea of what is going on because basically there is no much going on.

Proer spends pages, pages and more pages preaching on Indonesian cast society and all the craziness that was the Dutch colonization. I got the point!!! He was obviously more interested in that than in the story. All the action on this book could fit 5-10 pages.

I like historical novels, not history books. This is 95% history and 5% novel.

Two stars because at least I read until the end (although I totally forgot if there was a conclusion). This book was mostly waste of my time and I lost my interest on the "Buru Quartet".

Even more compelling than his first in the series, this book continues the story of Menke, Nyai, Darsam et al. and the Dutch sugar baron occupation of Eastern and Central Java. More detail on the odious treatment of the natives in the name of European corporate greed. As a Dutch descendent married to a Javanese woman I now understand much better than she could tell me about that oppression, and marvel that they don't seem to stll hate us. Human love and concern for one another are seen to shine through though and it is hard to end this book without a tear. In addtion to a good story and interesting history, springled through it are jewels of universal wisdom worth quoting. These books should be required reading and a part of any world citizen's education. On to book number 3 - then I may re-read the 4th, which I read first.

This book is a great novel about Dutch occupation of Indonesia. Very interesting and good history presented in novel form.

This is the second book in the wonderfully written Buru quartet. Originally composed and recited orally while the author was in prison for political reasons, the story was published in 4 volumes. The main themes are colonialism, class structure, and injustice in 1900 Indonesia. The main characters are a young native (Javanese) student, and native Nyai (concubine of a Dutch colonialist), her children, and various other characters as they confront their roles, the expectations of that society, and the injustices that entails. So far, this has been one of the best series I have ever read. One just gets totally into this world and deeply enmeshed with the characters. This particular volume continues where the last one left off. The native/Dutch daughter of Nyai has been sent to the Netherlands, where she suffers from deep depression. The family in Indonesia are frantic to help her. What will happen? I don't dare say here because it will give too much away. Another continuation from Book 1 is the reappearance of "Fatso," as we discover who he is and why he is following members of the family. Finally, we discover what has happened to Anneliese's brother, Robert, and what dreadful fate awaited him. I recommend this book highly and hope that everyone will read this wonderful author.

How could the Editorial review from Booklist get it oh so wrong? Pramoedya Ananta Toer is not a Malaysian and his books are not banned in Malaysia. I am from Malaysia and I read his book "Keluarga Gerilya" (Guerrila Family)for Malay Lieterature during my school days sometime in 1985. Pramoedya is an Indonesian and his books are banned in his native Indonesia. Please get these kind of informations correct, as otherwise it would be seriously embarassing.

I love this book. The language, struggles and emotional conflicts allow the reader to visualize the time and be move by the story page by page. Pramoedya Ananta Toer is a great writer and I would recommend him to everyone.

This book, the second volume of the widely-acclaimed Buru quartet, allegedly written up later from recollections of stories told aloud in prison by one of Indonesia's most famous political prisoners, reads more like a tract written by a committee with a strong political agenda. The prose is turgid and tension builds up to a certain point and then peters away in the weakest prose I have read in print in many years. The poverty of the story line is striking. There is only one memorable character and she is so, I suspect, only because I remember her from volume one, where she was reasonably well presented.

Even when something vaguely dramatic happens, it occurs off stage and is reported by a letter or by somebody who heard of it from somebody else. This absence of on-scene action is the fatal flaw of amateur fiction the world over. I keep wondering how this book and the series it comes from could have obtained such a great reputation, unless the story sounds infinitely better in the original Indonesian. But the loudest praise comes from reviewers in overseas publications who would not have read it in the original. Did they read it at all? Or was it the politically correct thing to praise?