Name: This Earth of Mankind (Buru Quartet)
ISBN: 9780140256352

Pramoedya Ananta Toer

This Earth of Mankind (Buru Quartet)

Maureen

"They can’t stand seeing Natives not being trodden under their feet. Natives must always be in the wrong, Europeans must be innocent, so therefore Natives must be wrong to start with. To be born a Native is to be in the wrong."

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I came to read this book thanks to my literature class. Glad I was able to secure a physical copy later on. Pramoedya Ananta Toer is a master storyteller. Through Minke, a Native, we are reminded once again of how colonialism has caused irrevocable damage on the lives of the oppressed. In particular, I didn't know Nyais were treated so horribly back then. Minke's love story merely served as a backdrop for everything else. An eye-opening read with great plot twists too.