Take an ambitious businessman drunk on being so close to power, a media baron who uses his political acquaintances to strengthen his own newspaper’s position, the highly idealistic radical who talks of empathy with the common worker with his middle class friends all the while telling said workers their leaders know best, as well as a civil servant knowing the only way to appease his ambitious wife is usually to turn corrupt.

No, these aren’t recent stories taken by the local English language newspapers. These are just some of the characters at the heart of Mochtar Lubis’ novel, Twilight in Jakarta, which takes place from the years after independence.

Mochtar’s work was considered highly controversial at the time as well as indeed was banned by a sensitive government with the writer spending time in jail. the idea was also the first Indonesian novel to be translated into English. Indeed, given of which many viewed the book when the idea was written as a thinly veiled attack on the Sukarno government during the early years of independence, the idea was initially released in English as well as Malay before earning its Discharge from the author’s native tongue in 1970, several years after being originally penned.

A political leader approaches a powerful businessman. He needs to raise big money for the party to fight the next election as well as they come up having a scheme where the businessman, his second wife as well as his son set up quite a few companies to sell lucrative import licenses. The money flows in as well as the son gives up his job working as a meager civil servant to become a gentleman of leisure, frequenting high class prostitutes, buying expensive cars as well as generally enjoying the trappings of wealth.

He attends a smaller group who meet on a regular basis where they discuss the ills of which afflict Indonesian society. This kind of talking shop much resembles a scene by Monty Python’s Life of Brian where they gather round a table as well as talk a great deal about various problems to do nothing about solving them.

One of the group’s members is usually all for exploring Islam as a means to improve people’s livelihoods, another has very strong left leanings, expressing strong concern as well as links with the common working man however in fact looks down on them as much as the people he claims to loathe look down on him.

The book paints a picture of people out to enrich themselves as quickly as possible as well as while one or two of the characters start to have twinges of doubt the idea makes a depressing, yet enthralling read.

The famous old cliché says, “The pen is usually mightier than the sword”. of which adage was proved correct when Max Havalaar was released towards the end of the 19th century. Written by a Dutch Civil Servant who had spent several years from the then Dutch East Indies, Max Havalaar created quite a storm from the Netherlands as the idea lifted the long, brutal as well as oppressive colonial system many thousands of miles away.

Written by Edward Douwes Dekker under the pseudonym Multatuli, a Latin construction meaning ‘I have carried much’, Max Havalaar recalls Dekker’s time from the region of Lebak, near Rangkasbitung in modern day Banten province. He was appointed Assistant Resident in Lebak after spells in Ambon, West Sumatra as well as Manado so he had grown familiar with the way of life from the colonies. He was no angel himself; an early attempt at marriage fell through when the prospective father in law found out about his penchants for fighting as well as gambling.

Lebak was known as a particularly unattractive posting with the Regent or local ruler widely believed to be taking advantage of his people for his own gains. Dekker’s predecessor, Carolus, had been investigating on the quiet however his superior, the Resident, had not been supportive.

Dekker, given what he felt was approval by the very centre of Dutch power from the East, set about unraveling the corruption as well as the abuses he had heard about. When he heard by Carolus’ widow she suspected her husband had been poisoned he went into overdrive as well as within a month of arriving in Lebak as well as scared he would likely be next, he immediately filed a report concerning the Regent’s activities.

Instead of getting a pat on the head as well as told he had done a not bad job, the Governor General ordered his removal by Lebak as well as assigned him elsewhere. He quit before taking up the fresh post.

He wrote Max Havalaar after returning to Europe, basing the idea on his experiences in Lebak as well as the frustrations he felt during those four or all 5 weeks. however rather than coming across as the bitter rants of a crusty old expat with too many years from the tropics the idea brought about a rethink of colonial policy. For years after, Dekker tried, unsuccessfully, to clear his name as well as return to the Indies having a not bad stipend however they weren’t having the idea. Reform they must under pressure by home, seemed to be the attitude however they were damned if they were going to all of which infernal whistle blower back in to their lands.

the idea’s not an easy book to read. In an introduction to the American edition, no less a person than D. H. Lawrence opined of which, “As far as composition goes the idea is usually the greatest mess possible”, as well as certainly a casual first time reader can find themselves moving by a trading house in Amsterdam where the narration comes by a reluctant coffee broker to sitting in a coach on the road by Serang with no explanation. as well as by chapter eight we have Havalaar talking about himself from the third person before becoming an ‘I’ in Chapter 9!

as well as so the idea continues with the reader desperately gasping for air, wondering who is usually doing the narrating as well as where as he is usually zipped around the earth with all the comfort of a frequent flyer however without the jet lag.

the idea is usually right of which two of the greatest pieces of literature about Indonesia should focus on abuse of power as well as injustice. of which is usually what literature does. the idea may not change things overnight however the idea does make people start to question their own ingrained attitudes. Consider, for example, Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist or Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Both were books of their time. Catalysts for future change for a future generation.

Certainly Dekker as well as Mochtar never got to enjoy any literary fame their works may have deserved. They were too close to the truth however they opened many eyes to of which truth as well as each fresh pair of eyes opened was a step closer to change.