Mataram

出版者:Monsoon Books

作者:Tony Reid

页数:336

出版时间:2018

价格:0

装帧:Paperback

isbn号码:9789979553007

具体描述

Seventeenth-century Java is in turmoil between its Hindu-Buddhist past and its Muslim future, while pepper draws Europe’s quarrelling spice-hungry traders to its shores.

Thomas Hodges of the East India Company seizes a chance at glory by being the first to venture ashore at the pepper port of Banten in 1608. Will he unlock the mysterious riches of Java for the English, or die forgotten with a Javanese kris or Portuguese poignard between his ribs? He falls under the spell of a captivating interpreter, Sri, but can only retain both her and his Englishness by inventing a mission from King James to the mysterious great ruler of the interior – Mataram.

In Mataram he finds a kingdom poised to decide its destiny – between a rich past of gods and spirits, a sterner Islam and pushy Europeans offering both science and God. For Hodges and Sri, survival alone will be a challenge; reconciling survival and desire with conscience in this baffling spiritual landscape appears impossible.

“Mataram should be read by everybody who wants to understand Indonesia today in the context of a great history. It will fascinate anyone who is interested in problems of cultural pluralism, commercial globalisation, the issue of mixed marriage, Kejawen [Javanese religion], religious syncretism, political-religious entanglement, feminism and the history of European modernity that brought pistols, spectacles, maps and telescopes to Java. But I am sure that Mataram will also not disappoint those who don’t care about all these weighty social problems and only want to enjoy the love story of two people of very different backgrounds.” Prof Ariel Heryanto, Monash University, in Tirto (translated from the Indonesian)

“Creative expression is many an academic’s dream, but few manage to pull it off. Reid has done this wonderfully with his novel set in early 17th century Java.” Jennifer Lindsay, author and translator, in Mekong Review

“Romance, intrigue, warfare, adventure– Mataram has all the ingredients necessary to bring seventeenth-century Java to life. A young Englishman’s efforts to gain cultural acceptance of his marriage to a well-born Javanese woman illuminate the religious and cultural conflicts of this period as competing groups, including Europeans, sought to gain economic and religious advantage. Written by an eminent historian, Mataram will be welcomed by all those who see historical fiction as a means of illuminating the past.” Prof Barbara Andaya (University of Hawai‘i)

作者简介

Tony Reid is better known as Professor Anthony Reid, author of ten historical works on Southeast Asia, including the much-read and translated Southeast Asia in the Age of Commerce. He has taught Southeast Asian history at universities in the US (Yale, UCLA, Hawaii) and Australia (ANU), as well as in Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. He now lives in Canberra, Australia. Mataram is his first work of fiction.

用户评价

这本书带给我的惊喜是持续不断的。每一次翻开，我都会发现新的细节，新的解读。作者的伏笔埋设非常巧妙，那些看似不经意的描写，在后续的情节中往往会起到至关重要的作用。我惊喜于自己能够跟随作者的思路，一点点地解开谜团，最终抵达故事的终点。这种抽丝剥茧般的阅读过程，让我感觉自己像一个侦探，在探索一个古老而神秘的宝藏。

读完《Mataram》，我的内心久久不能平静。它留给我的思考是长久的。这本书不仅仅是提供了一个精彩的故事，更重要的是它打开了我新的视野，让我对历史、对人性有了更深的理解。我非常庆幸自己读到了这样一部杰出的作品。

《Mataram》这本书的篇幅不算短，但每一个字都充满了力量，每一个章节都引人入胜。我很少有能如此专注地读完一本书，但《Mataram》做到了。我沉浸其中，忘记了时间的流逝，忘记了周围的一切。

《Mataram》让我感受到了文学的巨大魅力。它能够超越时空，连接不同文化背景的人们。我能够从这本书中感受到一种跨越国界的共鸣。书中描绘的那些普世的情感，如爱、恨、忠诚、背叛，都是人类共同拥有的。通过这本书，我更加理解了不同文化的差异与共通之处。

这本书的名字叫《Mataram》，光是这个名字就带着一股历史的厚重感，以及一种神秘的异域风情。我拿到它的时候，就迫不及待地想知道，Mataram究竟是一个怎样的存在？它会是一个王朝的辉煌，一个地理位置的标记，还是一个传说故事的源头？翻开书页，我仿佛被一股无形的力量拉扯，进入了一个我从未涉足过的世界。作者用极其细腻的笔触，勾勒出一幅幅生动的画面。我能感受到空气中弥漫的香料气息，听到遥远寺庙传来的梵音，甚至能触摸到古老石雕的冰凉。故事的人物并非脸谱化的符号，而是有血有肉、有情有欲的个体。他们的喜怒哀乐，他们的挣扎与选择，都深深地触动着我。我仿佛与他们一同经历了一段波澜壮阔的岁月，见证了权力的更迭，爱情的萌芽与凋零，以及信仰的坚守与动摇。

这部作品最让我印象深刻的是其对细节的极致追求。作者对历史背景的考证，对风俗习惯的描绘，都力求真实。这不仅仅是一部小说，更像是一部带有文学色彩的史书。我仿佛置身于那个时代，亲身感受着那个社会的脉搏。

《Mataram》的叙事节奏把握得非常到位，时而舒缓细腻，时而紧张急促，牢牢抓住了我的注意力。我发现自己常常在阅读的某个节点，因为情节的跌宕起伏而屏住呼吸，又因为某个温情的瞬间而潸然泪下。书中对于人物内心情感的刻画尤为出色，作者能够深入到角色的灵魂深处，挖掘出他们最真实的想法和最隐秘的渴望。我感觉自己不仅仅是在读故事，更是在与这些角色进行一场心灵的对话。

《Mataram》给我带来的是一种前所未有的沉浸式阅读体验。它不仅仅是一本书，更像是一扇通往另一个时空的窗户。我惊叹于作者构建世界观的宏大与精巧，每一个细节都经过了细致的打磨，没有丝毫的敷衍。从政治格局的错综复杂，到社会阶层的森严等级，再到民间流传的古老习俗，都描绘得淋漓尽致。我仿佛看到了繁华都市的喧嚣，也感受到了偏远乡村的宁静。人物的对话充满了智慧与哲理，他们之间的每一次交锋，每一次坦诚的倾诉，都让我受益匪浅。我被书中主人公的勇气所折服，也被他们的无奈所唏嘘。

我不得不说，《Mataram》是一部非常有深度和思想性的作品。它所探讨的不仅仅是历史事件本身，更是人性在历史洪流中的沉浮。我看到了权力对人心的腐蚀，也看到了坚守原则的伟大。书中对社会现实的批判，也让我反思当下。我喜欢作者这种不回避问题，敢于直面残酷的写作风格。它没有给出简单的答案，而是鼓励读者自己去思考，去探索。

这本书的文字有一种独特的韵律感，读起来不像是在阅读，更像是在聆听一首古老的史诗。作者的语言功底深厚，遣词造句恰到好处，既有古典的庄重，又不失现代的流畅。我特别喜欢作者在描绘场景时所用的比喻，那些意象新颖而贴切，瞬间将我带入其中。例如，当作者描述一次重要的集会时，他用“人群如潮水般涌动，每一个面孔都承载着不同的故事，如同星辰点点，汇聚成一片璀璨的银河”这样的句子，让我瞬间脑海中浮现出宏大的画面。