Book Review

Rindu

Rindu is written by Tere Liye and published on September 25^th  2014  within  544 pages including forty nine chapters. Editor of this book is Andriyati, cover by EMTE, and the lay out by Alfian. It is the 20^th of Tere Liye’s works. The genre of this book is fiction. This novel tells about hajj pilgrimage trip in 1938. As you know hajj is harder in the past year. We have to go there by ship and it takes a long time to arrive.  A long trip full of longing started in big ship of Blitar Holland. In this book also tells  about history of Indonesia, and many question of the past, hatred, destiny, and love is completed this novel.

There are many characters in this novel. The first is Gurutta Ahmad Karaeng. He was a famous person who liked to give religious speech and he also wrote many books. Sergeant Lucas was strict because he was the leader officer who resolved the problem in the ship. He was like police in this era. Captain Philips was kind, wise, and polite. Daeng Andipati and his family was kind and friendly. Ambo Uleng was mysterious. Ruben was Ambo Uleng's friend. He was so helpful.  Bunda Upe was a teacher for children in the ship. Eyang Kakung and Eyang Putri were elder who have romantic stories.

When I read this novel, I felt like I came back to the past. When Indonesia was still taken over by Holland government, we had to followed their rules. Horror hit citizen. But there were still many younger generation who fought for their country. They had a great spirit to fight for their country. But it causes many lost. They didn’t know what time they would pass away or their family would left them because of war. They just believe that the independence of Indonesia would come.

A few days before Blitar Holland sailed, Captain Philips met a young man. He was Ambo Uleng. Almost his entire life was spent in the sea, so he became a good sailor. He was a silent person because there was something hidden in his heart, and he closed it very tight. Even Captain Phillips was not told the reason he hid his problem and why he decided to work in the ship of Blitar Holland. Captain Phillips liked the character of Ambo Uleng and he knew that Ambo Uleng was a good sailor therefore he accepted Ambo Uleng, but Ambo Uleng need to learn many things so he was put as the worker in the canteen. In the ship Ambo Uleng met his roommate named Ruben, and he also met  Guruta, Chef Lars and Daeng Andipati’s family.

Daeng Andipati had beautiful wife and 2 children named Elsa and Anna. Elsa as older sister and Anna as younger sister. Both of them like argued each other. It made me remember about my sister and I. We always argue for everything so our parents need to overcome us. So did Elsa and Anna. Elsa and Anna were cheerful and made others happy. The story feels alive because of them. They also met many new friends.

I love the story of Eyang Kakung and Eyang putri. How Eyang Kakung treated Eyang Putri was very gentle. He came to Eyang Putri’s parents and told them that he wanted to marry her daughter. At the first time the father of Eyang Putri rejected him because Eyang Kakung didn’t have a good job, but after Eyang Kakung promised to make Eyang putri always happy, he lets his daughter married. Eyang Kakung always do the best to make Eyang Putri happy. He also promised to go to Mekkah and they would hajj together. Until they already old, they finally actualize their dream. Everybody who heard that story felt so happy. And there were still many romantic stories about two of them.

The summary of this novel is every person that I told before has their own problems. Those problem was well described and to resolve all of the problems you just have to understand the problem, try to open your mind, try to accept, and try to forgive all the problem in your life. However destiny is something that you cannot predict, what will happen in the future is beyond your imagination. And you have to accept it if you want to find happiness.

What I can learn in this novel is in every books, like fairy tales, novel, and many other books have the writer. And God is the owner of the most perfect  stories on this earth. You have to believe that  the story of your life is the best thing God has written. With that believe, then you will not feel broken heart, disappointed, or feel hopeless.

So I want to tell you once again that you must read this novel because there are many things that you can get after reading this novel. So enjoy reading