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View all search resultsI think he can be influential at various levels. In his more didactic and non-fictional writings, his message about facing the national past in a truthful way is very important, as history is often being misused to serve political needs. His call for fighting what he calls the kampung culture of Indonesia, the deep-rooted patriarchism, hierarchical attitudes and lethal violence against brothers, is a message that remains relevant.
A literary and arts event from Feb. 6 to 8 in Blora kicked off a yearlong centenary celebration of Pramoedya, but a misinformed protest shows that while this is a solid first step, a broader wave might be needed to restore the reputation of Indonesia's most renowned writer, almost 30 years after the downfall of the New Order.
One the one hand, he had a penchant for writing broad, sweeping historical novels like Arus Balik (Turning of the Tide) or the four novels under the Buru Quartet, but on the other, the rebel writer also penned personal and introspective works like Gadis Pantai (Girl from the Beach) and his magnum opus Nyanyi Sunyi Seorang Bisu (A Mute's Soliloquy), which he wrote when he was exiled in the Buru penal colony.
People in Blora, Central Java, gathered to celebrate the centennial of the birth of local legend Pramoedya Ananta Toer last week, as they reflected on the significance of the author’s work in the literary world, much of which still remains overlooked by many in the regency.
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