Goodfellow combines an ability to bring people and places alive with insight into the underlying structural features of Indonesian society. His themes are not always novel (once or twice I felt he laboured unnecessarily to highlight corruption and massive inequalities of wealth), but the stories are thought-provoking and in some cases, such as a description of the tricks used by crooked moneychangers, practically useful. More importantly, they are entertaining: complemented with ten pages of vibrant colour illustrations by cartoonist Weldon Neville, they will provide a pleasant hour's reading for anyone who has travelled in Indonesia.
March 2000
- Related reviews:
-
- Rob Goodfellow - Api Dalam Sekam: The New Order and the Ideology of Anti-Communism
- books about Indonesia + Indonesian history
- books about Java + Javanese culture
- more travel