Rating: 
Summary: A poignant, unforgettable masterpiece, cinematic in scope.
Review: On one level, the book captures a moment in history - the legacy of the Dutch colonization of Indonesia. It is also a love story, a romance ripped apart by that very moment of history. The hero, Minke, falls in love with the daughter of a Dutch settler and his Indonesian concubine. The results are ultimately tragic. But along the way, the author offers the reader a glimpse into a world peopled by unforgettable characters -- rich, complex, not at all stereotypical. Using a first-person narrative that is in turn both deeply personal and strangely detached, the author allows the reader to similarly immerse himself or herself in the story, and yet stand back and observe the unfolding of the drama as a curious bystander.. a bystander who is ultimately ensnared by the characters and their plight -- and consquently tied to the book forever. "This Earth of Mankind" reminds one of a David Lean film, such as "Lawrence of Arabia" -- at once grand and panoramic, and yet at the same time warm and intimate
Rating:
Summary: Compelling. Thoughtful.
Review: Once, when writing about _This Earth of Mankind_ I quoted Bertolt Brecht:"...But the compassion of the oppressed for the oppressed is indispensable. It is the world's one hope." I believe one of the central ideas of this novel is encapsulated quite well in these lines. Pramoedya, whose own voice of a political prisoner and persona non grata had been silenced for years, serves as a loudspeaker of sorts through which the voice of Nyai Ontosoroh is delivered to a large audience. Nyai, an Indonesian Native and a Dutchman's concubine, by law is denied of all political, financial, and legal freedoms. Yet her voice and her very presence are resolutely powerful despite many obstacles. Exaggerated pathos aside, Pramoedya narrates a compelling story, full of revelations into the nature of Indonesian societal structure, national history, and into the nature of all humankind. A couple of years ago I had the privelege of attending a conference where Pramoedya's life and works were discussed and where he was in attendance. Being in his presence, along with dozens of others in the auditorium, was an incredible experience. I'm grateful to Pramoedya Ananta Toer for his existence, his strength, and his words. His work is an important part of recorded human experience, and I recommend it highly.
Rating:
Summary: An incredible series of novels
Review: Pramoedya is one of the great humanist authors. This Earth of Mankind should be read with the other three books of the Buru quartet, though the first two are definitely the stand-outs. He gives such an incredible sense of the sweep of early 20th century Indonesian history, filling his work with historical detail, yet also managing to create memorable characters. To my mind, Pramoedya has exceptional and highly original female characters, though they are more visible in the second and third volumes. He has deep sympathy for marginalized groups, including the Chinese and Eurasians, who are rarely portrayed in other Indonesian literature (except as villains). Anyone interested in the history of Asian anti-colonialism in general, or Indonesia in particular, should read this quartet.
Rating:
Summary: A Power of Beauty
Review: Sometimes, novels have a way of captivating their readers. It is a magic, a talent that cannot be taught to writers. Toer has this magic in his prose, and this novel will cast a spell on you. The beauty of this novel can only be compared with the beauty of Annelies. This is one of the most emotional books I've ever read, and scrape away all its emotions, the objectivity of Toer's subjects remains in tact and just as beautiful. Read this book. It is better than the most epic of motion pictures.
Rating: 
Summary: A Love Story Introduction to Indonesian Nationalism
Review: The history of South East Asia is often misunderstood and misrepresented. By itself, this book stands as a classic love story of a timeless beauty. As an historical passage, this book brings home an understanding of the seeds of Indonesian nationalism. Anyone wishing to learn more about South East Asian history around the period of colonial rule and/or the struggles of a people against a cycle of abuse will find this story compelling, especially given the circumstances under which it was written. I loved the book from both the love story and historical perspectives.
Rating:
Summary: One of the great political novels of this century
Review: The Kirkus review printed above damns Toer's novel with faint praise when it states that the book is "too obvious a polemic." Too obvious for whom? I wonder if the reviewer would take the same view of any other number of political novels which were used by their authors as a barely disguised fictional framework to attack flawed or unjust cultural values. Is The Grapes of Wrath too obvious a polemic? Of course not, and neither is This Earth of Mankind. Toer makes no effort to disguise the nature of his critique of the social and political values of colonial Indonesian society. Toer's narrative is brilliant; the characters are vivid and developed so well that we have no trouble identifying with them personally, and yet at the same time they are patently obvious symbols of the different racial and social strata in the world of which the novel is set. Toer has been accused of being overly melodramatic in this novel, and while I think that is a reasonable criticism, I have to disagree. The antagonists here are hissable characters, but Toer plays fair with them. They have a clear rationale for what they do and the justification for their actions may seem reasonable and even honorable to them even if we view it as an outrage. Toer balances this all with a tone that never comes across as angry, although given the hardships he himself has endured would make it perfectly understandable if the novel had been tinged with more brimstone. But the narrative does give one the sense of social and political displacement felt by Minke, the book's narrator, and by the family he meets in whose fate he becomes entangled. In This Earth of Mankind, Toer exposes the evils of a society based on and obsessed with castes of race and money, and in doing so has produced one of the essential political novels of the 20th Century.
Rating: 
Summary: what about the women?
Review: The Kirtus review wrote that this novel is unsatisfactory in comparison to Toer's first US publication, which is "The Fugitive". Then the review gives the idea that the novel, unlike the universal theme in "The fugitive", is too obvious a polemic. I disagrees with the Reviewer to place the polemic subject as a disadvantage. The novel is supposed to make an arguement in controvertial issues especially on subject such as colonialism, which is in the very heart of Indonesia after 300 years or more of Dutch occupation. The first novel captured the social tention in this society by telling love story between a native and an Indo-girl. Toer is a master in balancing the objective of telling a good story while at the same time critizising social issues. When finished with this novel, read 2nd, 3rd and 4th novel and I will guaranteed that your life will be richer. You'll see the beauty as well as the dark sides of humankind.
Rating:
Summary: Kirkus review--above, is unreasonable. This is a great book
Review: The Kirtus review wrote that this novel is unsatisfactory in comparison to Toer's first US publication, which is "The Fugitive". Then the review gives the idea that the novel, unlike the universal theme in "The fugitive", is too obvious a polemic. I disagrees with the Reviewer to place the polemic subject as a disadvantage. The novel is supposed to make an arguement in controvertial issues especially on subject such as colonialism, which is in the very heart of Indonesia after 300 years or more of Dutch occupation. The first novel captured the social tention in this society by telling love story between a native and an Indo-girl. Toer is a master in balancing the objective of telling a good story while at the same time critizising social issues. When finished with this novel, read 2nd, 3rd and 4th novel and I will guaranteed that your life will be richer. You'll see the beauty as well as the dark sides of humankind.
Rating:
Summary: A must read for every Indonesian
Review: The most stunning thing about this novel is the fact that Toer composed it, orally, while in prison. That accomplishment alone puts him in a league way above any to which most modern writers even pretend to aspire. However, if you're looking for a book that is an easy read, this isn't it. Originally composed in Indonesian, This Earth of Mankind follows a year in the life of a young Javanese student in 1898. At eighteen Minke is a true tabula rasa - guileless, impressionable, awed by the Dutch academic institution in which he finds himself. He is a child with his feet in two distinct worlds, the world of Dutch colonialism, and the world of his native culture, Java. But even as his intellect and education appear to open doors of opportunity for him, he discovers that the fact of his birth will restrict and oppress him. For Minke is not European, nor even Indo (half European, half native), but merely a native Javanese. Like other native peoples subjugated by European colonials, the Indonesians suffered humiliating restrictions in every arena: legal, political, financial, educational and social. Although the story line is reminiscent of other classic works of drama and fiction, Toer does not invest his characters with any emotional energy. The star crossed romance of Minke and Amelie, reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet, lacks the intensity that makes us weep for Shakespeare's lovers. Minke's stunned recognition of the cruelty of white man's justice is bland if one compares it to the sharp, satiric edge of Twain's Huckleberry Finn. Toer seems to be less interested in creating memorable characters than in revealing the character and history of the Indonesian people. If read with that in mind, the book is fascinating and rewarding. Toer's purpose, in the end, is political. For him, art and politics are two strands of the same rope. But his political agenda comes at a price. The story, as literature, suffers. Still, it does instruct.....especially someone as woefully ignorant about Indonesian history as myself.
Rating:
Summary: Difficult, but rewarding
Review: The most stunning thing about this novel is the fact that Toer composed it, orally, while in prison. That accomplishment alone puts him in a league way above any to which most modern writers even pretend to aspire. However, if you're looking for a book that is an easy read, this isn't it. Originally composed in Indonesian, This Earth of Mankind follows a year in the life of a young Javanese student in 1898. At eighteen Minke is a true tabula rasa - guileless, impressionable, awed by the Dutch academic institution in which he finds himself. He is a child with his feet in two distinct worlds, the world of Dutch colonialism, and the world of his native culture, Java. But even as his intellect and education appear to open doors of opportunity for him, he discovers that the fact of his birth will restrict and oppress him. For Minke is not European, nor even Indo (half European, half native), but merely a native Javanese. Like other native peoples subjugated by European colonials, the Indonesians suffered humiliating restrictions in every arena: legal, political, financial, educational and social. Although the story line is reminiscent of other classic works of drama and fiction, Toer does not invest his characters with any emotional energy. The star crossed romance of Minke and Amelie, reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet, lacks the intensity that makes us weep for Shakespeare's lovers. Minke's stunned recognition of the cruelty of white man's justice is bland if one compares it to the sharp, satiric edge of Twain's Huckleberry Finn. Toer seems to be less interested in creating memorable characters than in revealing the character and history of the Indonesian people. If read with that in mind, the book is fascinating and rewarding. Toer's purpose, in the end, is political. For him, art and politics are two strands of the same rope. But his political agenda comes at a price. The story, as literature, suffers. Still, it does instruct.....especially someone as woefully ignorant about Indonesian history as myself.
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