Independence Day & Other Stories

by Pramoedya Ananta Toer, Willem Samuels (Translator)

In these three warm and nuanced tales, Indonesia's supreme storyteller Pramoedya Ananta Toer gives us vivid, memorable characters caught between optimism and a darker place. A disabled veteran of his country's war of independence against the Dutch slowly succumbs to despair; a child bride's lost innocence is cherished by her observant younger neighbour; and a young boy views his impending circumcision with anxiety and excitement on account of its significance - and the gifts that will accompany it.

Genres: Short Stories

96 pages, Paperback

Published March 15, 2020

About the author

Pramoedya Ananta Toer was an Indonesian author of novels, short stories, essays, polemics, and histories of his homeland and its people. A well-regarded writer in the West, Pramoedya's outspoken and often politically charged writings faced censorship in his native land during the pre-reformation era. For opposing the policies of both founding president Sukarno, as well as those of its successor, the New Order regime of Suharto, he faced extrajudicial punishment. During the many years in which he suffered imprisonment and house arrest, he became a cause célèbre for advocates of freedom of expression and human rights.

Bibliography:
* Kranji-Bekasi Jatuh (1947)
* Perburuan (The Fugitive) (1950)
* Keluarga Gerilya (1950)
* Bukan Pasarmalam (1951)
* Cerita dari Blora (1952)
* Gulat di Jakarta (1953)
* Korupsi (Corruption) (1954)
* Midah - Si Manis Bergigi Emas (1954)
* Cerita Calon Arang (The King, the Witch, and the Priest) (1957)
* Hoakiau di Indonesia (1960)
* Panggil Aku Kartini Saja I & II (1962)
* The Buru Quartet
o Bumi Manusia (This Earth of Mankind) (1980)
o Anak Semua Bangsa (Child of All Nations) (1980)
o Jejak Langkah (Footsteps) (1985)
o Rumah Kaca (House of Glass) (1988)
* Gadis Pantai (The Girl from the Coast) (1982)
* Nyanyi Sunyi Seorang Bisu (A Mute's Soliloquy) (1995)
* Arus Balik (1995)
* Arok Dedes (1999)
* Mangir (1999)
* Larasati (2000)

Reviews

[Kumasama]

*Score: 7/10* (3.5/5)

This a very tiny collection of 3 short stories, by Indonesian author Pramoedya Ananta Toer, all set in village type settings in Indonesia.

First is about someone who has lost his legs and eyesight from the war with the Dutch prior to Independence, and it recounts his experience with his family as he returns a hero but also a cripple without much "use" to them.

Second about an 8 year old girl who gets married as per tradition at such young age, and consequences of child marraige.

Third is about the circumcision of a 9 year old boy and how this is necessary in this village to be a "True Muslim"

A mix of commentary on politics as well as social traditions, I don't think this set of stories offered me much new or any kind of unforgettable experience, yet it was good and simply but well written, and its a good exposure to this author's style.

I liked his approach and simple prose with soft messaging on key themes, and his characters were pretty decent. The stories themselves are pretty standard and average, nothing groundbreaking.

But this has helped me to decide trying his famous Buru Quartet to see what he can do in a longer novel setting as I feel there much more potential in his style to shine with longer works.

[Jo]

Two stars for the title story where I know I was supposed to feel sympathy for the main character but struggled.
Four stars for Inem which was a heart-breaking story of domestic abuse and both male and female acceptance of this.
Three stars for Circumcision which is a short almost sweet story with a muted ending about a young boy going through this coming-of-age ritual

[Galatea]

Exceptional short stories from rural Indonesia. The first story is of a man blinded and crippled in the war for independence, now in a free country that has no place for him. The second is of an 8 year old being married off, told through the eyes of her friend as the adults in the story react with joy sorrow, and all the normal emotions one feels seeing a child being forced to "grow up". The author condemns the practice in no uncertain terms. The third story is of a boy's circumcision.

This is probably the first piece of Indonesian literature I've read, and damn is it good.

[JMJ]

An independence fighter now crippled, a child bride in an impossible position and a young boy hoping circumcision will make him a true Muslim. Each of these short stories has a sting in the tale that shows Toer’s ability to convey the highs and lows of life in a newly-established Indonesia.

[Maliana Amani]

good