The medium of literature has often been used as a tool to record history, including Indonesian history. In order to make the reading experience more digestible, many writers choose the genre of historical fictionThis is where a historical story is given a fictional flavor that can be romance, horror or fantasy.
Historical fiction novels often use a particular moment in history as a backdrop and the characters are either part of that history or just ordinary people affected by their lives under the colonial era.
International classic novels such as War & Peace, The Count of Monte Cristo, and Crime & Punishment is an example of a novel historical fiction Best. Well From the Indonesian camp, there are actually many choices of historical fiction novels that were not written by Pramoedya Ananta Toer. In fact, some of these novels are quite creative in wrapping historical elements in the context of a fairly light and even humorous story.
Here are five genre novels historical fiction option Written that you must read, while trying out fun reading room in Jakarta.
Kretek Girl
Novel historical fiction by Ratih Kumala is about the search for a woman whose name was mentioned by a clove businessman named Soeraja before his death. In their search, the businessman's three children uncover his father's past life and the secret to his thriving business.
The plot of the novel Kretek Girl (2012) is set during Indonesia's time under Japanese colonization and continues through the G30S tragedy. Although it is fairly light and tends to center more on the romance between Soeraja and Jeng Yah, the Kretek Girl in the title, but the novel that has been adapted into Netflix series starring Dian Sastro is still an interesting read. Especially for those of you who are curious about how life was under the Japanese occupation, especially for indigenous people who have their own businesses.
Beauty is Wounded
Like to read historical stories but somewhat twisted? Check out Beauty is Wounded by Eka Kurniawan, one of the writers who is consistent with his unique and fantastic style of storytelling. A little trivia: Eka is Ratih Kumala's husband.
Story Beauty is Wounded rolling from the Dutch colonial period, Japan, to the Independence era. Novel historical fiction It has a diverse cast of characters headed by Dewi Ayu, a Dutch mulatto woman who, for the sake of survival working as a prostitute. The story of Dewi Ayu and her three daughters and Their relationships with the men in their lives become a plot that is split into chapters in the novel.
To formulate the story Beauty is Wounded In one sentence, it's actually a bit complicated because the storyline is very complex, and the novel combines various genres ranging from romance, horror, to a bit of a fairy tale. But underneath it all, the story of the struggle-and fighters-for Indonesian independence remains strong, with an emphasis on the savagery of human nature in times of war.
The Storytelling Sea
For the novel historical fiction which is more journalistic in nature, The Storytelling Sea by Leila Chudori is the best example. The author, a journalist by profession, tells the story of the activists during the 1998 Reformation through the eyes of two siblings, Biru Laut and Asmara Jati.
The novel is divided into two chapters: the first tells the story of Biru Laut, an English Literature student who disappears after he gets involved in the activist movement that would later overthrow Soeharto's 30-year rule; while the second chapter tells the story of Asmara Jati who tries to find his brother.
Novel The Storytelling Sea is a snapshot of Indonesia's dark history, and Leila ensured the accuracy of every detail of the story by conducting in-depth research and interviewing several activists. Not surprisingly, this historical fiction novel was shortlisted for the top 10 best novels of 2014 Khatulistiwa Award.
Manyar Birds
We may see the colonial era as a stain on Indonesia's history. But in fact at that time there were some people who did not mind the Dutch East Indies rule.
That's the interesting point in the novel Manyar Birds by H.B Mangunwijaya. The main character, Teto, is someone who (initially) opposed the independence struggle and preferred Indonesia to remain under the Dutch-not Japanese-occupation because of the political and economic situation that he considered more stable.
A somewhat controversial theme, but Manyar Birds offers a dynamic style of storytelling, conflict, and characterization, spiced with elements of romance and humor that makes the novel historical fiction not only educative but also entertaining.
Land of Red Paradise
The Free Aceh Movement is perhaps a slice of Indonesia's historical past that not many people know about. Well novel Land of Red Paradise, which made the top 10 list of the 2017 Khatulistiwa awards, could be a bridge to a deeper knowledge of the movement.
The story of this novel by Arafat Nur is led by the main character named Murad, a former member of the Free Aceh Movement who became a fugitive. After a long time disappearing in the jungle, he finally returns to his hometown to start a new life, although his plan does not go as smoothly as he imagined.
The realistic storyline interspersed with historical elements involving the conflict between GAM actors and the Indonesian military makes this book one of the best novels of its kind. historical fiction which is interesting to read.
