[Kabar-indonesia] 1965 coup is subject of journalist Noorca's third novel

[Joyo at aol.com]

The Jakarta Post
Sunday, October 8, 2006

Noorca Releases Novel on 1965 Coup 

Journalist and writer Noorca Marendra Massardi (wearing baseball cap) has 
recently released his third novel, a work of historical fiction titled September, 
which is set against the country's dark history of the failed 1966 coup.

While the New Order regime of former president Soeharto blamed the Indonesian 
Communist Party (PKI) for the coup, Noorca's 600-page novel posits an 
alternative scenario, with the coup carried out by elements of the army. 

Although Noorca applies fictional names to the characters in his novel, such 
as Maj. Gen. Theo Rosa, Tasnio Hanu, Mahya Nida, Armandhio and U.S. Ambassador 
Sheerman Grail, readers might guess at the real identities of figures who 
played key roles in the actual events. 

"You can discover who was the mastermind, the intrigues (that occurred) in 
the novel. Readers may think it is real, but I have stated that it is (a work 
of) fiction," Noorca said. 

Commenting at the launch of September, noted historian Asvi Warman Adam 
of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) said literature and history 
possessed similarities. 

"Both historical and literary writings need imagination. History and 
literature have only slight differences," he said. 

Asvi opined that the novel would stimulate readers to take a closer look at 
the coup, which was followed by the mass persecution and murder of about one 
million alleged PKI members. 

He said the black cover of the novel, published by Tiga Serangkai Solo, 
symbolized the dark side of modern Indonesian history. 

Noorca, who was born in February 1954, has written two earlier novels, 
Sekuntum Duri (Budding thorn, 1978) and Mereka Berdua (Both of them, 1981). Sekuntum 
Duri was turned into a film adaptation in 1979. 

-- JP/A. Junaidi 

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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