On the shelves<\/p>\n
Larung;
\nBy Ayu Utami;
\nKepustakaan Populer Gramedia, in
\ncooperation with Jurnal Kebudayaan Kalam, 2001;
\n259 pp;
\nRp 30,000<\/p>\n
After three years, 55,000 copies sold (and counting) and a bit
\nof skepticism about whether she really wrote it herself, author
\nAyu Utami has published the sequel to her highly acclaimed first
\nnovel, Saman.<\/p>\n
When it was published in 1998, Saman was said to be a fragment
\nof a longer work called Laila Tak Mampir Di New York (Laila
\nDidn't Stop By in New York).<\/p>\n
However, Ayu, now 33, had a change of heart and instead wrote
\na separate, though related, novel called Larung.<\/p>\n
Her new work focuses on the five main characters who appeared
\nin the first novel, Saman, Laila, Cok, Shakuntala and Yasmin,
\nplus a new character called Larung.<\/p>\n
It is difficult to summarize the plot of the novel as it
\nfocuses on the personal struggles and anxieties of the
\ncharacters.<\/p>\n
Of course, there are some sections which touch on social and
\npolitical events in this country, such as the massacre of alleged
\ncommunists in 1965 and the bloody takeover of the headquarters of
\nthe Indonesian Democratic Party in 1996. But these events are not
\nreally the point.<\/p>\n
The book begins with Larung recounting his past, which centers
\naround his grandmother, a woman more than 100 years old but who
\nshows no sign of dying.<\/p>\n
Here, Ayu delves into the world of mysticism and black magic,
\nand the misogyny surrounding the mystical world.<\/p>\n
The writing here is dark and bitter, but beautiful. It is
\nprobably the strongest section of the book.<\/p>\n
Other characters then take turns telling their stories, which
\nmostly focus on sex.<\/p>\n
There is Shakuntala the bisexual, Laila the virgin, Cok the
\ngoddess of promiscuous sex, Yasmin the masochist and Saman the
\npriest turned sexual object for Yasmin.<\/p>\n
And what does Larung have to do with them? Larung, apparently
\nschizophrenic and psychic, is an activist who works with Saman.
\nThe book ends with their helping a number of activists escape the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
Ayu, however, spends too much time telling the backgrounds of
\nthe three activists Saman and Larung are trying to save.<\/p>\n
And then there is the sex. Yes, it is a complicated issue for
\nwomen, but the book explores the subject ad nauseam. Do women
\nreally think about sex that much?<\/p>\n
Overall, Larung is a splendid novel that is in many ways
\nsuperior to Saman. But what really makes the book shine is its
\nreflection of the beauty of Bahasa Indonesia. I didn't realize
\nour language was this rich until I read Larung.<\/p>\n
Hera Diani<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/on-the-shelves-1447899208", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }