Christopher J. Koch

An intelligent, compelling tale of political turmoil in mid-twentieth-century Indonesia. "Well conceived and beautifully executed."—Larry McMurtry.

The Year of Living Dangerously

shellybn

I loved this book. I found the writing to be lyrical, and it is worth reading for the rich descriptions alone. I have been a fan of the movie since the 80s, but have never read the book until now. The character of Billy is much more mysterious, almost sinister, in the book than in the movie. The book has a richness and depth that I did not expect. It is well worth reading.

Christopher Koch

Jakarta, 1965. Waiting for explosions, the city smells of frangipani, kretek cigarettes, and fear. It is THE YEAR OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY. The charismatic god-king Sukarno has brought Indonesia to the edge of chaos - to an abortive revolution that will leave half a million dead. For the Western correspondents here, this gathering apocalypse is their story and their drug, while the sufferings of the Indonesian people are scarcely real: a shadow play. Working at the eye of the storm are television correspondent Guy Hamilton and his eccentric dwarf cameraman Billy Kwan. In Kwan's secret fantasy life, both Sukarno and Hamilton are heroes. But his heroes betray him, and Billy is driven to desperate action. As the Indonesian shadow play erupts into terrible reality, a complex personal tragedy of love, obsession and betrayal comes to its climax. 'A profound and beautiful book' - Les Murray, The Sydney Morning Herald 'A richly and fully realised work of fiction, well conceived and beautifully executed.' - Larry McMurtry 'Intelligent, compassionate, flavoursome, convincing ...In Billy Kwan, Mr Koch has created one of the most memorable characters of recent fiction.This book is to be prized.' - The Times Literary Supplement

The Year of Living Dangerously

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