Cerita Calon Arang – Pramoedya Ananta Toer

Judul : Cerita Calon Arang
Penulis : Pramoedya Ananta Toer (1954)
Penerbit : Lentera Dipantara
Edisi : Cetakan 5, Mei 2007
Format : Paperback, 94 halaman

Adalah sebuah negara. Daha namanya. Daha yang dahulu itu kini bernama Kediri. Negara itu berpenduduk banyak. Dan rata-rata penduduknya makmur.
. . . .
Negara Daha termasyhur aman. Tak ada kejahatan terjadi, karena tiap orang hidup makmur, cukup makan dan cukup pakaian. Karena makmurnya itu makanan penduduk teratur, dan karena itu pula tak ada penyakit berjangkit.
(hal.9)

Namun ketenangan dan kemakmuran itu terganggu lantaran Calon Arang, seorang tukang teluh (dukun yang merusak orang dengan ilmu gaib) dari dusun Girah menyebarkan kutukannya ke penjuru negeri. Pasalnya adalah putri satu-satunya, Ratna Manggali, tak juga diperistri orang karena takut pada ibunya. Berbagai macam cara diusahakan oleh Baginda Raja untuk menghentikan teror dan kekacauan yang diciptakan oleh Calon Arang.

Adalah Empu Baradah, seorang pertapa dari Lemah Tulis, yang terkenal dengan kebaikan dan ilmunya kemudian diperintahkan untuk menghentikan Calon Arang. Dengan siasat, kecerdikan dan kekuatannya, Empu Baradah berusaha menciptakan Daha yang aman dan makmur seperti sedia kala.

Ia selalu berjalan bergegas. Sekalipun sudah tua, ia masih kuat, karena selain banyak mempelajari kitab, ia pun banyak berolahraga dan kerja berat mengolah ladangnya. (hal.59)

Kisah ini merupakan legenda yang secara turun-temurun diceritakan dari mulut ke mulut. Pram menuliskannya kembali, dengan gaya penceritaan dongeng untuk anak-anak. Kisahnya sederhana, dengan pesan moral yang jelas, untuk senantiasa menyebarkan kebaikan, giat menuntut ilmu dalam bidang apa pun, sopan santun, dan lain sebagainya.

“Semua manusia bersaudara satu sama lain. Karena itu tiap orang membutuhkan pertolongan harus memperoleh pertolongan. Tiap orang keluar dari satu turunan, karena itu satu sama lain adalah saudara.” (hal.21)

Ini adalah fiksi pertama Pram yang saya baca. Saya menikmati rangkaian kalimat beliau, sangat berbeda dengan bahasa masa kini, tapi terkesan indah dan tetap mudah untuk dipahami. Alur kisahnya mengalir, meski terkadang pada beberapa paragraf saya merasakan adanya pengulangan fakta yang sudah tercakup dalam kalimat sebelumnya.

Buku ini memang ditulis untuk anak-anak, tapi menurut saya kisah ini terlalu gelap untuk anak usia dini. Banyaknya kekerasan dan ide-ide yang selayaknya dicerna oleh anak yang sudah agak besar. Saya rasa usia 13 tahun cukup aman. 3/5 untuk dongeng si tukang teluh.

Review #1 untuk Membaca Sastra Indonesia 2013 (Klasik #1)

Review #2 for What’s in a Name Challenge 2013

Wishful Wednesday (22)

Bulan ini saya baru membaca sebuah buku yang ‘sulit’; sulit dipahami awalnya, sulit dilepaskan di tengah-tengah, dan sulit di-review setelahnya. Saya belum puas hanya dengan membacanya satu kali, sayangnya yang saya hanya pinjam baca, jadi tak bisa ditimbun untuk dibaca kapan-kapan. Ini dia bukunya:

Atau versi lain:

Kenapa baca ulang? Karena saya merasa banyak hal yang saya lewatkan akibat ketidakpahaman saya pada awalnya, bahkan saat membuka-buka kembali sepintas untuk membuat review, saya semakin merasakan ‘keindahan’ dari buku ini. Walaupun kalau sudah dapat mungkin bakal ditimbun juga, lumayan kan koleksi buku pemenang Pulitzer.

Sebenarnya review-nya sudah selesai, tapi belum siap untuk di-publish (kemungkinan akhir bulan ini). Jadi sementara tengok sinopsis dan review orang lain di sini ya.

Ssstt, ada yang spesial untuk Wishful Wednesday minggu depan, cek di sini ya.

February Meme for The Classics Club

The question for this month meme is :

 “What classic has most surprised you so far, and why?”

I was surprised after reading The Old Man and The Sea by Ernest Hemingway. I’ve read the book at high school (the Indonesian translation edition) and I failed to enjoy the book. So, when I read it for the second time (in English), I have no expectation at all. Actually, I haven’t even planned to read the book, so that I didn’t have it on my list. Surprisingly, I love the book so much! It has simple plot but very deep meaning. Here is my review. (By the way, I’ve mentioned this book at January Meme :D)

To make it fair, I’ll mention one book from my list that has surprised me: Dracula by Bram Stoker. Why? Because I didn’t find the horror of the story, not at all! So much different from what I’ve heard, and from my expectations too. Otherwise, I felt pity and sad all the time, especially after a third part, because the first chapters were rather boring. I didn’t quite enjoy the writing, but I was driven emotionally through the story. Unfortunately, I haven’t reviewed the book yet (my bad habit!).

That’s from me, check also from the other Classics Clubbers here.

“Reading” – Auguste Renoir (1890-1895)

My (Personal) Letter for Charles Dickens

Dear Mr. Dickens,

My name is something you’re hard to spell, so you can just call me Bzee. I’m from Indonesia, and I’m not good in English. Though, I hope you’ll understand my letter (if you read this). I said that because I don’t want you to have Hard Times of reading my letter, eh, you see, I’ve made one error (or maybe more?).

I want to tell you that Our Mutual Friend is hosting an event to celebrate your 201st birthday, isn’t it sweet? She invites us to read your works as many as we could this whole February. She also allows other readings, such as your biography, or even watching movies based on your works. Actually, she’s a big fan of you, Mr. Dickens. I think you should have known her, because I don’t know how many bloggers mentioned your name and your works as many as her in Fanda Classiclit.

This letter I wrote is for her challenge, to make something connected with you. I’ve known your name years ago, I’ve heard that you’re famous, I’ve heard that you wrote masterpieces, but I was a little girl at that time. I met Oliver Twist at motion pictures, that poor little boy. I think destiny made my friend gave me Great Expectations as my birthday present, but it was written by another person, using your plot.

What should I wrote, Mr. Dickens? You are a great writer, I’m afraid I’d make you mad because I ruined your language. What about a proposal, to be your apprentice? Yes, I want to be your pupil! I’ve decided. I’ll write something, I hope you have patience to read my errors, so that you can tutor me to write better.

Once upon a time, David Copperfield was walking around the city. He had no idea where he was heading, he was just following where his feet would bring him. It wasn’t December yet, but from a distance he heard A Christmas Carol. He followed his ear, and suddenly he arrived at the end of the road. He entered a door, then suddenly he was at the totally different surroundings. It was not the city he has known, it was different. There, he stood in front of a Bleak House. He did not dare to pass another door. So he moved to the left passage, he felt like a magic-traveler, and maybe he would tell A Tale of Two Cities he was passing by that day. It was strange that he didn’t meet anyone in that big city, until he entered The Old Curiosity Shop at the corner of the street. There, he found a first edition of The Mystery of Edwin Drood. He was moving around, found so many old books. He bought all the books, and suddenly he changed.

Oh, Mr. Dickens, you don’t know how serious this story became. It was almost revealed my disguise as Ordo Timbunan, you know, a person that has so many pile of books that are unread yet. But I won’t go further today. I just want to know, will you be good accepting me as your pupil? I won’t ask your opinion about my writing, not yet. I know it’s so cheesy and not even close to good.  That’s why I want to learn, and you will be perfect as my teacher. If you need another consideration, I’ve attached my CV and a review of Holiday Romance.

Thank you so much.

By the way, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Mr. Dickens.

Sincerely yours,
Bzee

This post is entered to Me and Dickens meme & giveaway, to celebrate Charles Dickens’ 201st birthday (7th February 2013)

Holiday Romance – Charles Dickens (Part 4/4)

Comments in Bahasa Indonesia at the last words.

Title : Holiday Romance [Part IV. – Romance from the Pen of Miss Nettie Ashford (Aged half- past six.)]
Author : Charles Dickens (1867)
Publisher : Project Gutenberg (ebook)
Edition : February, 1997 [Etext #809]

THERE is a country, which I will show you when I get into maps, where the children have everything their own way. It is a most delightful country to live in. The grown-up people are obliged to obey the children, and are never allowed to sit up to supper, except on their birthdays. The children order them to make jam and jelly and marmalade, and tarts and pies and puddings, and all manner of pastry. If they say they won’t, they are put in the corner till they do. They are sometimes allowed to have some; but when they have some, they generally have powders given them afterwards.

This is another favourite of mine, about how children see the grown-up people. As the first paragraph has mentioned, in that country, ‘children’ means adults. So the children played roles as adults, and when the ‘children’ troubled them, they would send their ‘children’ to school.

The school was something to give the ‘children’ lessons about their wasted and useless life, like these two people:

‘Come here, White,’ said Mrs. Lemon, ‘and tell this lady what you have been doing.’
‘Betting on horses,’ said White sulkily.
‘Are you sorry for it, you naughty child?’ said Mrs. Lemon.
‘No,’ said White. ‘Sorry to lose, but shouldn’t be sorry to win.’

‘Now, here is a child, Mrs. Orange, ma’am, who is always at play. She can’t be kept at home a single day together; always gadding about and spoiling her clothes. Play, play, play, play, from morning to night, and to morning again. How can she expect to improve?’
‘Don’t expect to improve,’ sulked Mrs. Black. ‘Don’t want to.’
‘There is a specimen of her temper, ma’am,’ said Mrs. Lemon. ‘To see her when she is tearing about, neglecting everything else, you would suppose her to be at least good-humoured. But bless you! ma’am, she is as pert and flouncing a minx as ever you met with in all your days!’

In this story, the children made a party, and the host made separate place for ‘children’. The writer showed us how ridiculous adults could be. The ceremonial manners, their habits, etc, seemed silly in the eyes of children. I was driven to agree with the children, because their reasons were made sense.

‘O, it’s very hard indeed to get these vexing children to be entertained!’ said Mrs. Alicumpaine to Mrs. Orange.

This story criticized our ways of life. How we always make our problems seem so big and important, while children are just disturbers of the ‘big things’ that happened. It showed us that for children, our problems also aren’t as big as theirs. Does that make us right and children wrong? No, just think, and tolerate. Let the children grow as they should, without worrying about adults’ problems.

About the whole four parts, I would say that I enjoyed three of them. It seems that they were indeed written by children. Although, the writings were so neat and very well-written. Some themes and settings didn’t work on me, but still could deliver the meaning and the purpose of this book. Actually, I don’t know the real purpose, but for me as adult, it gave me different perception of life and as a reminder about our feelings when I was a child. And for children, it should entertain well, because that world inside represented their dreams, their fantasies, their hopes, that they are seen and heard.

Part I
Part II
Part III

Holiday Romance adalah kumpulan cerita pendek yang ‘ditulis’ oleh empat orang anak. Dipenuhi dengan sindiran untuk orang dewasa, dan hal-hal yang seringkali kita temukan dalam imajinasi anak-anak. Dickens menuliskannya sedemikian rupa, sampai-sampai saya pun bisa percaya bahwa penulis buku ini adalah anak-anak–seandainya tidak diberi tahu sebelumnya.

Banyak sekali pesan moral yang bagus dan berbobot di sini, namun diberikan melalui tangan seorang anak. Di sini, Dickens menggambarkan kesalahan orang dewasa yang dikritisi oleh anak-anak. Justru berkebalikan dengan anggapan kebanyakan orang tua bahwa dirinya jauh lebih baik dan merupakan contoh terbaik untuk anak-anak. Di antara kebijaksanaan yang ditunjukkan dalam buku ini adalah kepahlawanan dan kesetiaan yang diceritakan di Part I, nilai sebuah kerja keras dan kemandirian di Part II, petualangan dan keberanian pada Part III, serta toleransi dan menghargai orang lain pada Part IV ini.

4/5 bintang untuk kisah lucu dan menawan.

Review #4 for Books in English Reading Challenge 2013

Agak sulit menentukan kelayakan baca untuk buku ini, karena buku ini selain menghibur untuk anak, juga dapat menjadi sindiran bagi orang dewasa. Beberapa kontennya mungkin dapat dimaknai secara salah, misalnya saat anak melawan orang tua. Jadi menurut saya, buku ini sebaiknya dibacakan untuk anak usia berapa pun, karena bahasa klasiknya juga relatif sulit dipahami. Kemungkinan untuk anak usia 10 tahun dapat membacanya sendiri.