Book Review : House of Glass

Title : House of Glass, 2001.
Author : Pramoedya Ananta Toer.

In this fourth sequel Pramoedya described the efforts of the Dutch colonial government to defeat the growing freedom movement in early 20th century in the Netherland east Indies or present day Indonesia. The main character is not Minke anymore but Jacques Pangemanann, a native police officer who was promoted to become a stafff of Algemenee secretarie in Buitenzorg or the present day Bogor. His duty was to observe the social and political situations especially about political activities of native people and then report it.
He ordered Robert Suurhof, the chief of De Knijppers gang, and his men to terrorize Minke. Then Raad van Justitie decided that Minke was exiled in Ambon.
Besides Minke, he also had to observe and control Syarikat Islam (Association of Islam), Boedi Moelyo and Indische Partij. To discredit Syarikat Islam he designed an anti Chinese riot. He ordered Cor Oosterhof, a chief of gangster. Riot broke in many towns. But SI still developed.
The threat to colonial government grew even stronger. After Minke exiled the chief of SI was Tjokro. SI's influence grew stronger in the society. Peroetoesan, SI's newspaper written in Malay grew rapidly. Indische Partij's newspaper was De Expres written in Dutch language. Meanwhile the Chinese had Sin Po. All of them were anti colonial government and pro- independence. They offered education and modern thought. Indische Partij was anti European and pro Eurasian people. Pangemanann's chief was suspicious that someday IP would manage to hold its own adminstration. Boedi Moelyo established an insurance company, schools and social activities. There were also many local native organizations based on ethnic group, professions and other background. The emergence of nationalism and political powers in colonial society was serious problem for colonial government. Consequently Pangemanann had to keep IP, SI, BM and Kuo Min Tang away from each other.
His duties was getting harder so he did not have any chance to get a vacation. Meanwhile his wife who was a French woman really want to go home to Europe. His work was so hard that finally he fell to alcoholism and prostitution. Eventually he had to sacrifice his family. They left him to Europe.
His chief pushed him to arrest the triumvirate of IP - Wardi, Daouwager and Tjipto. He was assigned to supervise the arrest and find appropriate official argument. His argument was that they were arrested due to their journalistic activities, not for being politicians. They were exiled to the Netherlands.
When Minke was released from his exile in Ambon the colonial government kept oppressing him. Before he came his wife was pushed to go home to Ambon. His house and all his asset was taken over. All of his friends also pushed not to receive him. Even when he was sick doctors and hospitals were forced not to treat him properly. Eventually Minke died because he never got appropriate medical treatment when he was sick.
In short in this novel Pramoedya nicely described the dirty and immoral efforts of colonial government to defeat political movement of native people to get their independence.
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