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A review by misspalah
Beauty Is a Wound by Eka Kurniawan
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
“The world is changing,” said Comrade Salim. “For hundreds of years, more than half of the face of this earth has been controlled by European countries and turned into colonies, and the Europeans have sucked up whatever they could find, brought it all home, and made themselves rich. But not Germany and Japan; they didn’t get anything. But now they have just as much power as any other developed country, and so they are demanding their share. That is the origin of this war, a war between greedy nations.” (Comrade Salim asked if there were any cigarettes, and Kliwon went to fetch his tobacco from his room.) “The natives are the most pathetic people, as wretched as can be. After so many years of living under rajas and being lied to by kings, all of a sudden the Europeans came, and they didn’t even understand the excessive and crazy sense of respect that was still alive in the land of Java”“ Farmers, after they have been forced into labor and forced to hand over most of their harvest to the colonial government, still bow in the street whenever a young Dutch girl is passing by. Communism was born from a beautiful dream, the likes of which there will never be again on the face of this earth: that there would no longer be lazy men who eat their fill while others work hard and starve.” Kliwon asked whether revolution was the way to achieve that beautiful dream. “It’s true,” replied Comrade Salim, “that oppressed people only have one tool of resistance: run amok. And if I have to tell you, revolution is nothing more than a collective running amok, organized by one particular party.”
- Beauty Is a Wound by Eka Kurniawan
.
• 1 star : 1 star for the excessive number of rape scenes that feel completely unnecessary to the plot.
• 2 Stars: 2 stars for a disappointing ending—especially after getting so invested in the plot, only for it to turn out like that.
• 3 Stars : I’m giving this score primarily because it’s far too vulgar and violent for my taste. I tried to understand the intention behind presenting the story this way—whether it served the narrative—but most of the time, it felt unnecessary and didn’t quite fit.
• 4 stars : Over the course of roughly 100 years, the author intricately weaves together the narrative of Dewi Ayu, connecting her to her parents, grandparents, and her dark past, as well as to her daughters and sons-in-law—Alamanda, Adinda, Maya Dewi, Shodancho, Kliwon, and Maman Gendeng. The story then extends to the next generation, exploring how their lives intertwine with Nurul Aini, Rengganis the Beautiful, and Kirisan, Dewi Ayu's grandchildren. What stands out is how every single character is meticulously crafted to serve the story's purpose—a feat that few authors can achieve so masterfully.
• 5 Stars : This book written specifically to the Indonesian readers. To fully grasp the essence of the novel, one must appreciate the complexities of Indonesian history, spanning the colonial era, the Japanese occupation, and the independence period. Without a solid understanding of this context, much of the story of Dewi Ayu and her four daughters may be difficult to comprehend. Furthermore, Eka Kurniawan showcases his storytelling mastery by weaving elements of Indonesian folklore and magic into the narrative, seamlessly integrating ghosts, spirits, and local legends throughout the story.
.
Side Note : So i am stuck in giving a solid rating for this book - because i fucking hate how there’s so many RAP* and violence againts women is being depicted in the book. So i let those who read my review to choose it. This is my third book that i read from Eka Kurniawan but it still did not prepare me for the amount of indignation that i have seen suffered by the women characters in the book. Suffice to say, this will be my last book of him because i have had enough
- Beauty Is a Wound by Eka Kurniawan
.
• 1 star : 1 star for the excessive number of rape scenes that feel completely unnecessary to the plot.
• 2 Stars: 2 stars for a disappointing ending—especially after getting so invested in the plot, only for it to turn out like that.
• 3 Stars : I’m giving this score primarily because it’s far too vulgar and violent for my taste. I tried to understand the intention behind presenting the story this way—whether it served the narrative—but most of the time, it felt unnecessary and didn’t quite fit.
• 4 stars : Over the course of roughly 100 years, the author intricately weaves together the narrative of Dewi Ayu, connecting her to her parents, grandparents, and her dark past, as well as to her daughters and sons-in-law—Alamanda, Adinda, Maya Dewi, Shodancho, Kliwon, and Maman Gendeng. The story then extends to the next generation, exploring how their lives intertwine with Nurul Aini, Rengganis the Beautiful, and Kirisan, Dewi Ayu's grandchildren. What stands out is how every single character is meticulously crafted to serve the story's purpose—a feat that few authors can achieve so masterfully.
• 5 Stars : This book written specifically to the Indonesian readers. To fully grasp the essence of the novel, one must appreciate the complexities of Indonesian history, spanning the colonial era, the Japanese occupation, and the independence period. Without a solid understanding of this context, much of the story of Dewi Ayu and her four daughters may be difficult to comprehend. Furthermore, Eka Kurniawan showcases his storytelling mastery by weaving elements of Indonesian folklore and magic into the narrative, seamlessly integrating ghosts, spirits, and local legends throughout the story.
.
Side Note : So i am stuck in giving a solid rating for this book - because i fucking hate how there’s so many RAP* and violence againts women is being depicted in the book. So i let those who read my review to choose it. This is my third book that i read from Eka Kurniawan but it still did not prepare me for the amount of indignation that i have seen suffered by the women characters in the book. Suffice to say, this will be my last book of him because i have had enough