A review by theaceofpages
This Earth of Mankind by Pramoedya Ananta Toer

challenging emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Set in colonised Indonesia, we follow  Minke as he navigates two worlds - his own home and culture and the new views and culture he is being exposed to (and starts to accept) at his Eurocentric school (where he is the only Native student) and his realisations after about how tenuous his position as one of the "acceptable" ones is.

Although the actual events of the story were just okay in my opinion, I really enjoyed the setting. There were some beautiful descriptions and I loved getting an insight into what the climate of the region was at the time. I enjoyed the inclusion of culture and the impacts of colonisation, which I feel was the strongest part of the book. I'm not sure if I will be diving into the next book or not but I'm glad that I read this one.
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