Jakarta Jive is a chronicle of the jaman edan through the eyes of those who lived through it: Monica, an ethnic Chinese Trisakti student who discovered a latent talent for photography as she documented the struggle of the Chinese Indonesians to comprehend unfathomable horror; Heri and Yani, a downwardly mobile professional couple who survive and eventually prosper by adapting to the new economic environment; and Pak Trisno, a former political prisoner turned antique furniture dealer whose unexpected success following the rupiah’s dramatic devaluation does not alter his mystic outlook on life.
The jaman edan, while a time of horror and suffering, had its share of absurdity and farce. Jakarta Jive also looks at members of the foreign community, focusing on a Kemang household where the author, his Javanese girlfriend, and a visiting American academic are immersed in endless domestic squabbles while Jakarta seethes with unrest.
At times humorous, at others harrowing, Jakarta Jive evokes the multifaceted character of that seminal period in the Indonesian nation’s eventful history. Through accurate portrayal of public events and intriguing insight into private lives, Jakarta Jive will become a must-read for anyone with an interest in modern Indonesia.
What others have said about Jakarta Jive:
It is hard to know what to expect, confronted by a book promising a chronicle of jaman edan, the months following the fall of Soeharto in May 1998, written by an expatriate. Many Indonesians, myself included, often become defensive when reading an account about aspects of the country from a foreigner’s or an expatriate’s points of view. more...
Jeremy Allan’s book Jakarta Jive is very readable, so much so that I read it all in one go. And it wasn’t until I had finished the book that I realized I had devoured a total of 225 pages. Jakarta Jive is literally a breath of fresh air after the volumes of “bad news only” about Indonesia more...
If anyone ever asked what it must have been like to live through those heady days directly before, during and after the fall of Soeharto, you could do no better than to recommend Jakarta Jive. Having lived in Indonesia for over twenty years, the author Jeremy Allan has gained the kind of in-depth understanding of Indonesian culture and society that is rarely seen in foreigners. more...
Long-time expat Jeremy Allan has managed to pull off what many a bule with literary pretensions has only dreamed of doing: write a book about his experience in Indonesia and see it through to publication. Unfortunately for all of us would-be authors, Mr. Allan has set the bar fairly high with Jakarta Jive. more...