Novel
The Rape of Sukreni
Sukreni Gadis Bali
Anak Agung Pandji Tisna · 1936
Synopsis
In Bingin Banjah, a Balinese hamlet surrounded by coconut groves, Men Negara keeps a stall where the plantation workers eat and drink; the beauty of her daughter, Ni Negari, the most beautiful girl in the district, draws customers, and the girl has her eye on Ida Gde Swamba, the overseer of the pickers. One day Luh Sukreni arrives, of rare beauty, come looking for that same Ida Gde. The new police chief, I Gusti Made Tusan, takes an interest in her, and Men Negara, who dreams of seeing him marry her daughter, keeps the visitor with her by inviting her to see Ni Negari as a sister.
Context
Balai Pustaka, the publisher of the colonial administration, published the novel in 1936, a year after the author's first book. His novels, all set in Bali, brought a new colour to a literature then dominated by the writers of Sumatra. The plot follows the belief in retribution for one's deeds, which makes the evil done fall back on each person. George Quinn translated it into English for the Lontar foundation in 1998, and a Sinhalese version exists.
Who it is for
A short novel, in Indonesian; the English translation runs to one hundred and sixteen pages, and no French version exists.
Prizes and reception
Critics have studied its treatment of Balinese religion, and the national language centre published a study of its local colour in 2002.
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