This Earth of Mankind (Buru Quartet Book 1) Kindle Edition

I'm in Indonesia now--Java, to be exact. If you're looking to visit Indonesia, especially the island of Java, you've got to read this book. Mere exposure to the vocabulary will help you acclimate and understand much more around you, whether long-term expat or casual tourist. For example, my local movie theater is playing a horror film titled Nyai. In the book, we learn Nyai (aka Njai) means a concubine, often of a foreigner, and often bought in a procedure similar to slavery.Another example: you'll notice stores with the word "Batavia" all over Indonesia, especially in European-funded retail establishments. It makes sense once you learn Batavia is the former colonial name for Jakarta, something referenced in the book. Sometimes, the language can be confusing. For instance, when the author uses "Indies," I'm not always clear whether he's referring to the Dutch Indies or the Dutch East India Company, but at least I can identify the issue if it arises in conversation.It's not just the vocabulary that'll open your mind--the entire story is remarkable. Based on the true life of a political dissident deemed so dangerous he was jailed by Dutch *and* the post-WWII so-called "independent" Indonesian government, you'll learn a great deal about the roots of European colonialism and how lawyers reinforced segregation not just in America, but everywhere Western armies went. Part love story, part colonial history, this book should be assigned reading in 11th and 12th grade history classrooms all over the world. (December 2018)

This book is really, really good. It is meant to show the creation of "a new historical consciousness" (to quote the introduction) through the evolution of Manke, the protagonist, a native Javanese finishing up secondary school in the late 19th century. As the book goes on, Manke learns how to reconcile his European education with his Javanese experience, learning about racism, love and sex, nationalism, and work. But it's much more than a typical postcolonial bildungsroman, as it troubles the easy division of Europeans as villains and natives as heroes, and refuses to wholly condemn or condone European education and culture on the one hand and Javanese tradition on the other, instead showing how their intermixing leads to a "new historical consciousness."The book is somewhat light on direct action--though lots does happen!--and is instead structured as a series of conversations that serve as lessons for Manke. If you need something with lots of dramatic sequences, then, the book won't please you. But the dialogue is well-written, the characters are vivid and surprising (especially the concubine, Mama), and the plot has some shocking twists and turns.My favorite aspect of the book, as a non-Muslim American reader, is how it shows what the West and its values look like from the outside, and nudges you into relating with the Javanese as opposed to Europeans. I don't want to give anything away, but at one point, you'll find yourself rooting for the strict imposition of sharia law instead of Dutch law, which comes off as far more inhumane and unjust than the (in the Western media) much-condemned sharia law. But it does this subtly, as I mentioned above, by making you relate to the characters and their plights, not by caricaturing all Europeans as evil (in fact, most of the European characters are helpful to Manke).

Typically remains from the point of view from the main character, Minke, but every now and then switches to another perspective. The book, however, is fantastic. Some of the original meaning is lost in translation, and I prefer the Indonesian version, but this translation captures the whole of it very well and is a great read. Pramoedya is one of the greatest Indonesian authors, and this book certainly shows that.Fun fact about it before you read: The author was placed on an island prison because his writings were seen as potentially dangerous to the regime at the time. He wrote the book by reciting it to his fellow inmates since he didn't have paper. It wasn't until years later, after he was released, that he wrote the story down - contacting his old friends from the island to help him get the story correct.

This is a very evocative novel set in Dutch East India (Indonesia) . I can read and re-read it.

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Love it

Toer was a real revelation to me, a world-class author. His tetralogy is undoubtedly his best work, a real masterpiece

One of the greatest writers of the 20th century.