Excellent engagement with themes of colonialism, native identity/resistance, gender, and class within the context of the tyrannical Dutch Indies. Minke's story is filled with the twists and turns and contradictions of thought that make a character truly human. Through his struggles and failures, Minke shows how colonial brainwashing can unravel when the colonized intellectual is faced with the unfairness of the reality they face.

Man struggles with the structuring of his society and explores the interpersonal dynamics.

This earth of mankind is the first novel in the Buru Quartet. Ed learned about the author while in Indonesia and I loved reading this book. The author dictated the story to prison mates while a political prisoner in Indonesia and it was later published. The story and characters are wonderful but the rich background surrounding the author and the political repression and upheaval of the time makes the book that much more engaging.