Tales from Djakarta

Thirteen short stories from Pramoedya, written in a storyteller sort of style, all set in Jakarta.

Primarily these deal with the trials and tribulations of the common people, but very much written from a male eye. The stories were written in the period 1948 to 1957 - the period of Indonesia's independence. For the period 1945 to 1948 the Dutch had retained rule, after they had been ousted by the Japanese invasion and occupation. Indonesia was, of course, a Dutch ‘possession' for almost 200 years.

The forewords make mention of the difficulty of translating these stories from Indonesian. They are nuanced with meaning which is unlikely to follow through to a translation, contain Javanese and Sundanese phrases, as well as puns and the like. These are explained in footnotes, but made me stumble in the reading.

For me some of the stories worked very well, others felt more like excerpts than a story, and some I just missed the intent, or the meaning of. There were a couple I skipped over after losing the thread in the first half.

A few of stories that stood out for me were:

Gambir: The story of baggage coolies at Gambir, a train station in Jakarta. It describes their way of life, sleeping illegally in the unused carriages, gambling addiction and revenge against local thug who had abducted his wife. 5 stars

Maman and his World: As a child, Maman witnessed the death of his younger sister. Growing up poor, and teased, he makes his way slowly in life, thankful for his small chances. His dreams remain haunted by his sisters death, but eventually takes inspiration from them and makes a doll. From this he begins a business making dolls and makes his fortune. 4 stars

Mrs. Veterinary Doctor Suharko: A story about a motorcycle, and the young, second wife of a veterinarian who once owned it. A story told within a story. 4 stars.

News from Kebayoran: The simple story of a prostitute and her hard life. 3 stars.

The Mastermind: A story of power and corruption - how the powerful can cover up their faults and continue to receive praise. A hero during the revolution, our main character becomes a bureau chief, then a government minister. When exposed as ineffective by a subordinate he uses power to have him dismissed. He then forces himself on his maid, and tries to sidestep the repercussions. 3 stars.

Overall, they were entertaining, and showed an array of ways the lower class live (in 1950s Jakarta). A bit hit and miss, and I am unclear how much is lost in the translation, but readable in the most part.

Averages out at 3 stars.