Works of fiction/history?

S.Workman · 23rd July 2017, 10:48 PM

Its been a long while since I was here; its very good to see some familiar names and that the interest is still strong in the keris.
I was wondering if anyone knows of works of fiction or historical fiction that deal with precolonial life, or early colonial life, in those parts of the world where the keris is found. It seems that in post colonial Africa, Southeast Asia, and most particularly Japan there is a whole body of this kind of literature. Do any similar works exist in Indonesia?

Rick · 23rd July 2017, 11:45 PM

The Outcast Of The Islands

Karain A Memory
https://archive.org/details/KarainAMemory

Victory

The End Of the Tether

Falk

Typhoon

The Rescue

Most can be read free these days with Google's help.

A. G. Maisey · 24th July 2017, 01:15 AM

Perhaps the best known and most influential novel of the colonial period in Jawa is "Max Havelaar" by Multatuli

Multatuli was the pen name of Eduard Douwes Dekker.

Here is a link that tells of the author, it is worth reading:-

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multatuli

S.Workman · 24th July 2017, 03:33 AM

Excellent, thank you so much for those recommendations. I will most definitely look into those.

Laowang · 24th July 2017, 04:42 AM

Joseph Conrad, Lord Jim

S.Workman · 24th July 2017, 01:27 PM

Has anyone written a book about precolonial times? Something like Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa but with the islands of Indonesia as a back drop? Perhaps the national character, if there is such a thing in a country that diverse, precludes it.

colin henshaw · 24th July 2017, 02:39 PM

I recently bought a copy of a biography (non-fiction) of Sir Stamford Raffles which has a fair bit of information on local culture etc. Some of the Malaysian and Indonesian artefacts he collected are in the British Museum. The book is "Raffles and the Golden Opportunity" by Victoria Glendinning 2012.

Rick · 24th July 2017, 04:04 PM

That one sounds interesting, Colin.
You can get Raffles' History of Java free as a kindle download, but it is unreadable unfortunately.

S.Workman · 26th July 2017, 12:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick

That one sounds interesting, Colin.
You can get Raffles' History of Java free as a kindle download, but it is unreadable unfortunately.

Unreadable as in formatted badly or unreadable as in soporific to the modern reader?

Bob A · 26th July 2017, 08:28 AM

If you enjoy historical fiction, George MacDonald Fraser fills the bill. His Flashman series of novels includes one, Flashman's Lady, which features our antihero, who chases pirates in 1841 in the company of James Brooke, later Rajah of Sarawak.

The whole series is a pleasant, amusing, raffish and informative read. Link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Flashman

S.Workman · 26th July 2017, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob A

If you enjoy historical fiction, George MacDonald Fraser fills the bill. His Flashman series of novels includes one, Flashman's Lady, which features our antihero, who chases pirates in 1841 in the company of James Brooke, later Rajah of Sarawak.

The whole series is a pleasant, amusing, raffish and informative read. Link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Flashman

I've read them all, they are really hilarious. Flash is just the worst.

Rick · 26th July 2017, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by S.Workman

Unreadable as in formatted badly or unreadable as in soporific to the modern reader?

Unreadable as in garbled, missing words, paragraphs etc.
Not to mention in physical book size; our member Naga Sasra had an old copy that was two very thick volumes.

Seerp Visser · 26th July 2017, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick

That one sounds interesting, Colin.
You can get Raffles' History of Java free as a kindle download, but it is unreadable unfortunately.

Look for "History of Java" at archive.org, they offer a number of copies from different editons, free to read and download.
Special the first edition of 1817 is of very good quality with beautiful drawings.

A. G. Maisey · 26th July 2017, 11:19 PM

I have an Oxford in Asia reprint, two vols., cased, 1978

It does contain a lot of statistics on commerce, production, trade, but it also contains a lot of very interesting information. Even though it was written in the first quarter of the 19th century, it is easy, maybe very easy to read. The style is not at all academic, and print size is such that if you speed read it is very easy to scan. I have seen this reprint come up for sale from time to time, it is expensive, but not prohibitive.

23rd July 2017, 10:48 PM	#1
S.Workman Member Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 116	Works of fiction/history? Its been a long while since I was here; its very good to see some familiar names and that the interest is still strong in the keris. I was wondering if anyone knows of works of fiction or historical fiction that deal with precolonial life, or early colonial life, in those parts of the world where the keris is found. It seems that in post colonial Africa, Southeast Asia, and most particularly Japan there is a whole body of this kind of literature. Do any similar works exist in Indonesia?

23rd July 2017, 11:45 PM	#2
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,293	Joseph Conrad The Outcast Of The Islands Karain A Memory https://archive.org/details/KarainAMemory Victory The End Of the Tether Falk Typhoon The Rescue Most can be read free these days with Google's help.

24th July 2017, 01:15 AM	#3
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,895	Perhaps the best known and most influential novel of the colonial period in Jawa is "Max Havelaar" by Multatuli Multatuli was the pen name of Eduard Douwes Dekker. Here is a link that tells of the author, it is worth reading:- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multatuli

24th July 2017, 03:33 AM	#4
S.Workman Member Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 116	Excellent, thank you so much for those recommendations. I will most definitely look into those.

24th July 2017, 04:42 AM	#5
Laowang Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: 40˚00' N, 83˚00' W Posts: 52	Joseph Conrad, Lord Jim

24th July 2017, 01:27 PM	#6
S.Workman Member Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 116	Has anyone written a book about precolonial times? Something like Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa but with the islands of Indonesia as a back drop? Perhaps the national character, if there is such a thing in a country that diverse, precludes it.

24th July 2017, 02:39 PM	#7
colin henshaw Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 1,430	I recently bought a copy of a biography (non-fiction) of Sir Stamford Raffles which has a fair bit of information on local culture etc. Some of the Malaysian and Indonesian artefacts he collected are in the British Museum. The book is "Raffles and the Golden Opportunity" by Victoria Glendinning 2012.

24th July 2017, 04:04 PM	#8
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,293	That one sounds interesting, Colin. You can get Raffles' History of Java free as a kindle download, but it is unreadable unfortunately.

26th July 2017, 08:28 AM	#10
Bob A Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 427	If you enjoy historical fiction, George MacDonald Fraser fills the bill. His Flashman series of novels includes one, Flashman's Lady, which features our antihero, who chases pirates in 1841 in the company of James Brooke, later Rajah of Sarawak. The whole series is a pleasant, amusing, raffish and informative read. Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Flashman

26th July 2017, 11:19 PM	#14
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,895	I have an Oxford in Asia reprint, two vols., cased, 1978 It does contain a lot of statistics on commerce, production, trade, but it also contains a lot of very interesting information. Even though it was written in the first quarter of the 19th century, it is easy, maybe very easy to read. The style is not at all academic, and print size is such that if you speed read it is very easy to scan. I have seen this reprint come up for sale from time to time, it is expensive, but not prohibitive.