Review Bukan Pasar Malam (A Novel by Pramoedya Ananta Toer)
January 22, 2019
“On this earth men aren't born into the world in swarms nor do they return to the earth in swarms. One by one they come. One by one they go. And those who have not gone anxiously await the moment when their souls will fly away to who knows where...."
Great words from one of an Indonesian greatest author, Pramoedya Ananta toer. The only Indonesian writer who was once in a Nobel nominee. The book that I will review in this moment is a book which has a good title. “Bukan Pasar Malam” or “It’s Not an All Night Fair” in the English version.
Well, hi peeps!
Generally,
the book tells about a revolutionary child who eventually become so mellow when
faced with the reality. When he got out of prison and received a letter from
his uncle which tell that his father is in a hospital and the condition is
getting worse. Poor family members, and a building where they spent almost
whole of their life to share some loves and stories is going to run out of
time. Bang! Kinda hard to imagine to be in his position honestly.
Then,
during the trip back to the village, he was struck by mixed feelings. Moreover,
his wife didn’t stop talking and grumbling. On the sidelines, the author also
perfectly creates a situation that makes us seem to be on the trip. Especially
for those who have traveled by train. Out the window pane, we can see some
schemes which may have changed a lot as the time goes by.
His
father was a teacher since the Dutch era. He was a big man with great
enthusiasm and fought hard for the opening of school during the war. For his
services, and the great influence he had, several times he was offered to
become the people's representative council. But he always refused and continued
to serve in the field he loved so much, school and education.
In
this book, the reader will be drifted into an extraordinary level of emotion.
How we will be presented with some pieces of a very interesting story from an
ex-young idealist revolution army. Struggling to understand his reticent
father, he embarked on a personal quest to find value and meaning not only in
his father's life but also in his own.
A
thin book actually, with a very simple story, but successfully blended in such
a way that it becomes very large. And finally, most importantly, this book has
a very deep message for its readers.***
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