Gods and Demons

by Deborah Cassrels

Behind the tourist veneer of Bali and greater a foreign correspondent's memoir

In 2006, journalist Deborah Cassrels embarked on a personal odyssey to the Indonesian island of Bali. She was quickly enchanted by everything that most tourists find - its beauty, easy lifestyle, exotic culture, stunning beaches and striking landscapes. Three years later she moved there and became The Australian newspaper's first Bali-based correspondent, covering events throughout Indonesia. Peeling back the tourist veneer, Cassrels soon found herself caught up in a tapestry of beauty, mystery, power, corruption and violence. From the newly jailed, reeling Bali Nine drug gang and the gruesome executions of their condemned bosses, to stories of shackled people, infamous terrorists, powerful tycoons and lavish royal celebrations, Cassrels reveals a hidden side to the mystical Hindu paradise and vast Indonesian archipelago in which all is not as it seems.

Genres: Travel, Audiobook, Nonfiction, Memoir

346 pages, Paperback

Published October 5, 2021

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the break up of her marriage in Australia, Cassrels takes a job as a foreign correspondent in Bali and ends up staying for almost two decades. Cassrels takes the reader through her experiences in Indonesia and her time covering major stories like the Bali bombings and its aftermath, as well as the Bali Nine and the eventual executions of Chan and Sukumaran.

I found her recollections of covering illegal mercury mining, environmental degradation and religious extremism to be the most captivating parts of the book. As a visitor to Indonesia, it's hard to understand why things are a certain way beyond suggestions of it being in 'cowboy country'. Cassrels goes deeper than this to show how a culture a political corruption, impunity and a legacy of dictatorship still plague Indonesia. An interesting subtext to the book is the mysticism and traditional spiritual practices which still inform the Balinese worldview.

[Denita · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really opened my eyes to the true Bali. I must admit though Bali was never on my 'bucket list' in the first place but after reading this its a place that on the surface looks like a fun filled place but really has a very sinister underbelly. This is a book written by a journalist who has lived there and knows what lurks beneath the surface.

[Sunshine Biskaps · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Gods and Demons" by Deborah Cassrels
Reviewed on 6 May 2022

As an audiobook, I was able to make it through listening easily while I walked my dog. As a physical book, I expect I may have struggled a bit. I found the prose very as a matter of fact and not full of life or emotions, just as expected from a journalist. I enjoyed listening about the different cases and situations in Bali and Indonesia. The chapters about the Bali 9 and executions bored me a bit; meanwhile, the issue that resonated with me the most was the mention about younger woman hooking up with older expat men to get out of their existing situation. I lived in Jakarta on two separate occasions totalling 7.5 years and saw if often. There is so much history in Indonesia and Cassrels does a good job documenting the issues of drugs, executions, and how this country has plenty of attractions and temptations. I found it very "reporty" and am still glad I listened to it.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vast aspects of Balinese and Indonesian culture are exposed in these memoirs. From prisoners on death row, missing tourists, Bali bombings, property development, chaining of mentally ill, to political corruption, covered up atrocities against communists and emerging issues of animal and environmental conversation, a decade of journalistic accounts are recounted with enough background to fill in gaps that you might have missed from the media over the years. Read by the author, the pace is steady, almost slow, so you can process all the dates, places and facts. Certainly makes me reconsider future travel to Bali.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

A low three stars. I didn’t like the style. I felt that Cassrels jumped around a lot, sometimes giving information later in a chapter that would have made more sense earlier. She didn’t seem sure if the book was all about Indonesia or if it was about her, so there were bits about her breast cancer, family illnesses, and romantic interludes that didn’t fit, or were mentioned briefly but intensely and then never acknowledged again. I wondered if she partly wrote the book to get back at her ex.

I did learn a lot about Indonesia, and about the relationship between some Australians and Indonesia, and between the two countries.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting to delve into the underbelly of Bali...I can’t help but feel the author is slightly out of touch as it does give an air of arrogance at times throughout the book, particularly early on. A map of the island of Bali and the greater Indonesia would definitely have been helpful!

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating look at the Hindu-majority island of Bali, and recent history. Well researched and easy to read.

[Vicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am glad that I read this book after visiting Bali. I came back from a nice holiday full of good memories. As any holiday there were ups and downs, but after reading the Gods and Demons I realized that I did not even scratched the surface or understood anything about the place I visited.
This book was a very depressing read for me, there were many aspects of the culture, mentality and religion that I could not even imagine. Regardless the information I hope to see this country again one more time.

[Julia Jeffries · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating description of a journalist’s personal experience of reporting from the tropical haven Bali, as she delved beneath the tourist veneer. Especially enjoyed the revealing first-hand analyses of BaliNine and other criminal cases, conundrums such as the attraction of Western males to younger Balinese women, and the author’s personal challenges skillfully woven into the narrative.

[Sheila Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting journalistic, focussing on politics, terrorism and less than I’d hoped on environment, society and traditions.