Against All Odds: The Strange Destiny of a Balinese Prince
by Idanna Pucci, illustrated by A.A. Made Djelantik
This collection of illustrated stories recounts dramatic episodes from the long and illustrious life of one of Bali’s most loved personalities, A. A. Made Djelantik, son of the Raja of Karangasem. Growing up in feudal times and educated abroad, he experienced the entire sweep of changes in Bali, from Dutch colonization to independence and modernization.
As a child, young Made absorbed the magic of early 20th century Bali, a world steeped in myth and tradition. One of the few privileged students to be educated in the first European-style schools of Indonesia, he went on to spend his entire life in the service of others as a doctor working in some of the most remote regions of the planet.
Over the years, with his wisdom and endless enthusiasm, Dr. Djelantik, as he is known today to everyone in Bali, has greatly supported the medical community as well as the island’s legendary cultural heritage.
Then, one day in 2001, Dr. Djelantik suddenly picked up a brush and began to paint for the first time in almost fifty years. Drawing from memory, he created a remarkable sequence of watercolors depicting many miraculous experiences drawn from his own life.
Idanna Pucci tells his poignant stories with gentle respect and inspiration, in the end turning them into universal fables. The underlying theme which subtly emerges is the doctor’s sensitivity, innocence, and unbound curiosity which cast him into all sorts of dangerous situations, and yet mysteriously lead him unscathed through valleys of death and fear, leaving him filled with a never-ending sense of wonder.
This inspiring book, with both Indonesian and English texts, is a modern-day series of fables taken from real life that will delight and inspire readers of all nationalities, ages and creeds.
Against All Odds: The Strange Destiny of a Balinese Prince by Idanna Pucci, illustrated by A.A. Made Djelantik, forward by Goenawan Mohamad, translation by Kadek Krishna Adidharma, ISBN 979-96975-4-9, 193 pages, illustrated.
Available for Rp355,000 at Periplus Bookshops in the Bali Galleria and in the Matahari in Kuta, Warung Made in Seminyak, Ngurah Rai Airport (both international and domestic terminals); in Gramedia Bookstores, and in Ary’s, Ganesha and Periplus bookshops of Ubud.
For comments and suggestions, please write : pakbill2003@yahoo.com
Copyright@2005 PakBill
You can read all past articles of
Toko Buku at www.BaliAdvertiser.biz
