georgina_bawden's review against another edition
4.0
On the whole I felt this struck the right balance of informative and entertaining. I liked the structure, where the author's journey through various parts of the country lead to musings on specific themes such as religion, commerce, politics and tradition. I learned a lot!
I did find the dated way of referring to trans women grating. I'm choosing to see it as dated usage (since trans language has evolved fast in recent years) rather than transphobia, but it still felt like the trans identity of individuals was referenced when it wasn't necessary to the narrative.
I think this sits under the creative nonfiction umbrella as the tone is part travelogue, part memoir. It's a form I have been particularly enjoying of late.
I did find the dated way of referring to trans women grating. I'm choosing to see it as dated usage (since trans language has evolved fast in recent years) rather than transphobia, but it still felt like the trans identity of individuals was referenced when it wasn't necessary to the narrative.
I think this sits under the creative nonfiction umbrella as the tone is part travelogue, part memoir. It's a form I have been particularly enjoying of late.
cofetty's review
4.0
What I loved about this book were all the intimate insights into the daily life of rural Indonesians. It is not easy for an average traveler with no knowledge of Indonesian language to venture so deep into the rural parts, but thanks to Elizabeth Pisani we can get a glimpse! The book provides a ton of hilarious anecdotes about local traditions and customs, most of which warmed my heart towards the Indonesians, but also got me wondering if we are truly in the same century.
What I didn't love was the unnecessarily complex structure of the text, which made it a tedious and slow read. The narrative itself was easy to follow even with non-linear timeline due to woven-in references to Elizabeth's prior trips a decade or two earlier. But I felt like there were many unnecessary details and over-complicated language structures without which I would have enjoyed the book twice as much!
What I didn't love was the unnecessarily complex structure of the text, which made it a tedious and slow read. The narrative itself was easy to follow even with non-linear timeline due to woven-in references to Elizabeth's prior trips a decade or two earlier. But I felt like there were many unnecessary details and over-complicated language structures without which I would have enjoyed the book twice as much!
annabookbananza's review against another edition
4.0
It was interesting learning more about Indonesia. Did not know about how diverse the different islands were. Just got a little dry for some of the historical parts for me.
n_nazir's review against another edition
4.0
Charming, funny and engaging, the author does a great job of documenting the country without being patronising. It’s made me want to go to Indonesia, warts and all.
inquiry_from_an_anti_library's review
adventurous
challenging
informative
tense
medium-paced
2.0
Overview:
Indonesia is composed of various islands. An archipelago. Collectively they are a very diverse community. Diverse ethnicities, religions, and languages. The archipelago has very little common culture. Attempts at creating a national identity, yielded little. Even decades after Indonesia became a sovereign state, some regions refer to their local region as the political entity rather than the state. Even with the diverse people, they are considered very kind, but also corrupt.
The region was a trading hub for various empires, and colonized for their resources such as spices. The colonizers did not invent exploitation in the islands as the various local leaders had been exploiting their populations before they were colonized. The colonizers just tapped into the corrupt systems, and made them more efficient. But in the 1940s, Indonesia declared their independence. Forming a sovereign state, through violent means.
Violence that continued after gaining sovereignty, to keep the people together. Violence had become routine, along with corruption. Seeking unity through finding a common enemy. Corruption was very problematic, but provided for more stable investments. Even with the violence, corruption, and political repression, people’s lives seemed to improve. Mob violence and justice was a common occurrence, but the law matured over time. As well as the culture becoming market oriented.
Caveats?
This book is part history, part memoire. Showcasing the diverse cultural experiences. This organizational structure had mixed results. Sometimes getting lost in the local and personal experiences without explaining how everything fits together. The memoire details can distract from the historic understanding. Other times the local experiences facilitate an understanding of the improbable nation.