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Rating:  Summary: Who's Talking Now? Review: It took me awhile to realize that there is a different narrator in this book than on the previous three. While the story itself progressed as expected, the changeover is disturbing. I can't relate to this character as easily as I did to Minke.
Rating:  Summary: A must-read book! Review: The book awakens national consciousness.It is an inspiration to those who dream of true freedom and oneness.
Rating:  Summary: a masterwork Review: The great strength of this book is its thoughtful exploration of the often contradictory lures of Westernisation and nationhood for the early 20th-century Dutch East Indies. But for me, the real eye-opener was the insight it provided into the Javanese mind and its thought processes. It was illuminating to read the narrator's reactions to certain situations and statements -- I often found myself being surprised by the conclusions the narrator drew from the events around him, but eventually came to realise that the gap between his reactions and mine is exactly the gap between western and Indonesian culture with which the narrator is wrestling. The result is a book that makes the western reader more aware and appreciative of the differences between Indonesian and western culture and thinking, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of each. And on the political side, the parallels between the Dutch colonial authority and the modern Indonesian government are striking. A must read for anyone spending time in Indonesia. Side note: I was a little distracted by the phrasing, which was often choppy or even clumsy at times. Translation troubles?
Rating:  Summary: An Inspiration Review: This book is truly an inspiration for everyone. The story awakens your nationalism. It might be a little confusing in the beginning as the narrator is not Minke anymore, but this is the best thing of the last part of the quartet. The book is like a summary of all the parts of the series and given from a different point of view.
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