Djenar's story collection naughty but not so nice

--------------------------------------------------------------- Jangan Main-main (Dengan Kelaminmu) By Djenar Maesa Ayu, PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama, Jakarta, 2004; 122 pp Rp 30,000; In Bahasa Indonesia ---------------------------------------------------------------

Do not blame Djenar for still harping on the sex theme, because it sells. Take note of the lucrative career of Britney Spears, for instance.

A sophomore effort after 2002's Mereka Bilang Saya Monyet (They Say I'm a Monkey), Jangan Main-main (Dengan Kelaminmu) (Don't Play (with Your Genitals)) is a compilation of 11 short stories, 10 of them previously printed in several local publications.

Like its forerunner, infidelity, fornication and sexual decadence pour out in gritty words and description, with Djenar saying she wanted to poke at the hypocrisy in society.

She also seeks to take the side of marginalized people (the prostitute in Ting!, for instance) and the betrayed (the wife in the title story).

Menyusu Ayah (Suckling Father), meanwhile, is about child abuse while Cermin (Mirror) tells about a dysfunctional mother/daughter relationship.

Unlike the previous book, there are barely any metaphorical words and strange creatures (four-legged people, men or women with any animal's tail or head you could think of) appearing here.

Instead, Djenar plays with repetition, working the same sentence or paragraph over and over again to emphasize the point.

Metaphors or repetition become tiring and irritating when overworked, rather than amusing, moving or shocking.

The only people who will be shocked, perhaps, are teenagers, so the publisher better get rid of the "for adults only" blurb on the cover.

If taking aim at morality or hypocrisy is the intention, this book fails in that department, too, as it lacks depth and delicacy, and force-feeding of sex renders it superficial and forced.

The "testimony" of a penthouse used for orgies, the poor girl who seeks refuge in cheap porn books her father sells, the revenge of a mistress -- even a romance novelist knows better than this, and the latter's works are more enjoyable.

In fact, Djenar shows more prowess when she does not try too hard to bring sex in. Examples are Waktu Nayla (Nayla Time), a contemplative story about a woman with cancer, which appeared on the first book, and Cermin, although the story needs more shaping.

But, hey, there is always a market for titillation. And if it leads to more hype than recognition of talent, then who can blame Britney, or Djenar?

-- Hera Diani