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A review by crybabybea
Man Tiger by Eka Kurniawan
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I get the point but the execution was just meh for me. This is not really magical realism and it is not a thriller, this is a family melodrama. It is a murder mystery in a way, except it starts with the murder on the first page and the murderer is already revealed. Instead of spending the novel trying to find the suspect, we instead learn the reasons behind the murder. I did find this premise interesting but it took me a minute to realize we were going backwards in time, which made it super confusing to get through. I did like it when I finally realized what was happening lol. This might be thrilling to some, but for me it was easy to guess why Margio did what he did and I simply continued to read the book to confirm my suspicions.
Even though this is a character-focused book, I found the characters quite boring and flat. I felt like the characters existed as plot devices to further Margio's arc into a murderer, and it was off-putting because the characters experienced some pretty graphic violence with not much sustenance to their character besides.
I liked the usage of the tiger inside Margio as a metaphor for so many things; it represents Margio's inner desires that are kept pushed down, it represents generational trauma, and even the trauma of colonialism to an extent. I felt like the usage of the tiger needed to be pushed further to really be considered "magical realism", but I still enjoyed what it represented and how it played a part in the story.
My favorite part was the immersive atmosphere of the unnamed Indonesian village the story takes place in. There were detailed descriptions of rural Indonesian life and filled with hints toward colonialism that really sold the time period. The writing itself got a bit dull toward the middle of the book, but I liked the description of the setting throughout.
Because of my initial confusion with the timeline, and the fact that the writing didn't really grip me, it took me longer than it should have to read a book with only 170 pages. I'm glad I read it even though I didn't love it.
Even though this is a character-focused book, I found the characters quite boring and flat. I felt like the characters existed as plot devices to further Margio's arc into a murderer, and it was off-putting because the characters experienced some pretty graphic violence with not much sustenance to their character besides.
I liked the usage of the tiger inside Margio as a metaphor for so many things; it represents Margio's inner desires that are kept pushed down, it represents generational trauma, and even the trauma of colonialism to an extent. I felt like the usage of the tiger needed to be pushed further to really be considered "magical realism", but I still enjoyed what it represented and how it played a part in the story.
My favorite part was the immersive atmosphere of the unnamed Indonesian village the story takes place in. There were detailed descriptions of rural Indonesian life and filled with hints toward colonialism that really sold the time period. The writing itself got a bit dull toward the middle of the book, but I liked the description of the setting throughout.
Because of my initial confusion with the timeline, and the fact that the writing didn't really grip me, it took me longer than it should have to read a book with only 170 pages. I'm glad I read it even though I didn't love it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Animal cruelty, Physical abuse, Rape, Abandonment, Alcohol, Animal death, Grief, Sexual assault, Blood, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Child death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Infidelity, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, and Violence
Contains graphic sexual content, both consensual and non-consensual. Graphic depictions of domestic abuse, and arranged child marriage.Margio's mother experiences psychosis due to abuse. She continues to be abused throughout her pregnancy which results in the death of the baby.