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A review by anneliesb
Oeroeg by Hella S. Haasse
3.0
This one is short and therefore quite popular in schools. But...short as it is, it does pack an unexpected punch.
This little book (book week gift 1948) focusses on the friendship between the son of Dutch colonialists and the son of one of the tea plantation workers. After their mothers are pregnant together they grow up side by side as the best of friends. But through the years their friendship changes and they grow more and more apart until they find themselves opposites in a war.
This novella raises questions about friendship and otherness. Was this friendship always doomed? Can it only exist in the naivete of childhood? Who is to blame for the waning of the friendship? Is it in their character or is it the influence of their environment?
Although I was pleasantly surprised by this work, it's only 3* for me. There are too many loose ends, too many interesting characters that could have been delved into. Too many voices unspoken.
This little book (book week gift 1948) focusses on the friendship between the son of Dutch colonialists and the son of one of the tea plantation workers. After their mothers are pregnant together they grow up side by side as the best of friends. But through the years their friendship changes and they grow more and more apart until they find themselves opposites in a war.
This novella raises questions about friendship and otherness. Was this friendship always doomed? Can it only exist in the naivete of childhood? Who is to blame for the waning of the friendship? Is it in their character or is it the influence of their environment?
Although I was pleasantly surprised by this work, it's only 3* for me. There are too many loose ends, too many interesting characters that could have been delved into. Too many voices unspoken.