Name: Padang Bulan
ISBN: 9786028811095

Andrea Hirata

Two works bound together back-to-back. Title and author of 2nd work: Padang bulan by Andrea Hirata.

Padang Bulan

Ignatia Doringin

Seru! I felt a bunch of emotion reading this one. I laughed and I cried a bit. This novel gave me more understanding, love, and the urge to contribute more to Indonesia. I enjoyed how the book talks about important subjects and underlying issues that is yet to be solved but also packages it with comedy. I appreciate the cultural and historical references as well.

I think it was great and I enjoyed reading it, but I can’t help to think that the characters lack depth. We follow Enong’s and Ikal’s journey yet there is so much gap into the stories that made me very much curious about their upbringing. I also feel like along the chapters, there is a drastic change on the genre…? I feel deep emotions in the first half and yet half towards the end just felt very comical and somewhat amusing…

[Spoiler]
Enong experienced a lot of pressure as a child with the lose of her parent, her leaving school to have to work to feed her family, and ultimately neglecting her dream. Not to mention, Enong experienced a near death experience with adult men trying to kill her. Yet further into this book, this crucial point of her life was not brought up and she just continues her life – now more successful, with more money, and finally able to pursue her dreams. But what about these experiences? The abuse? The pressure on a child…? It surely caused some trauma and I’m just dissappointed this was not mentioned, I feel that this made Enong’s character to lack so much depth and meaning.

Ikal somehow became the main character further reading into the chapters and I just feel like there are so much contradiction with his character? He seems smart at certain points but can also be very confusingly foolish… I guess I haven’t experience love enough to understand him though 😂. One thing I would love better though, if we can get more dimension on A Ling’s character. I know Ikal love her so much and it’s from Ikal’s POV that is somewhat blinded by love but it seems the reader perception and acquaintanceship of A Ling is only base of this too…

Overall, it was nice to read! And I enjoyed it! Just felt that it has so much more potential? And I know the author can deliver, so I was a tad dissappointed. I would still recommend it though!

CINTA DI DALAM GELAS bertutur tentang tugas berat di pundak Ikal. Dia harus membantu Maryamah memenangkan pertandingan catur saat 17 Agustus nanti. Maryamah, yang menyentuh bidak catur saja belum pernah, harus mengalahkan juara catur selama dua tahun berturut-turut yang sekaligus juga mantan suaminya. Namun, lebih dari itu, jenis kelamin Maryamah menjadi tantangan berat untuk bisa mencebur ke dalam pertandingan penuh harkat bagi kaum lelaki ini. Bagi penonton yang pro maupun kontra, usaha Maryamah jelas sebuah suguhan yang sangat menarik. Begitu pulakah dengan Maryamah? [Mizan, Bentang, Novel, Inspirasi, Indonesia]

Cinta di Dalam Gelas

I love this book! Chess, women empowerment, kampung dynamics, people power, friendship, and Maryamah finally getting all that she deserves.

Padang Bulan

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