This small novel turned out to be one of the most moving reads of 2015 for me. It took a while for me to accept its rhythms and to realize that this bThis small novel turned out to be one of the most moving reads of 2015 for me. It took a while for me to accept its rhythms and to realize that this book has been completely misunderstood by anyone who thinks the tiger living within Margio has anything to do with making this a book of fantasy--this novel instead feels like a glimpse of the real world, from the perspective of those living in a small village on an Indonesian coastline. It feels like a place where belief in the supernatural fits easily into the natural world. It's a place full of life, where for instance a garden grows so abundantly that the village feels in danger of being taken over at any moment by the jungle; where the spirits of the dead make their demands on the living; where animals both natural and supernatural inhabit the empty places just next to civilization.
It's also the story of how one young man comes to a breaking point when confronted with the suffering of his family and loved ones. It's a story grounded in a squalid reality, for all its supernatural overtones. The lives of the women in this novel in particular are lovingly drawn, breathtakingly humane, heartbreaking. The style is digressive and yet deeply affecting, as, one by one, the author dwells on what makes each individual unique and worthy of having his/her story told. The village itself is as much a character in this brief novel as any of the people inhabiting it and the lifelong relationships between characters unfold in a pace that is somehow both languid and breathless. In the end what feels digressive suddenly becomes central to understanding its extraordinary conclusion....more
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