Monkeys in the Dark - Softcover

D'Alpuget, Blanche

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0140061304 ISBN 13: 9780140061307

Publisher: Penguin, 1982

Synopsis

An exceptional portrayal of life and love in Indonesia among foreign residents after the 1965 coup. Alexandra Wheatfield, a young journalist, has come to work in the Australian Embassy in Djakarta at a time of chaotic change: the coup of 1965 has been crushed, but the Indonesian Army has not yet overthrown the revered President Sukarno. Sukarno has warned that without him the people will bring anarchy upon themselves, like 'monkeys in the dark'. The privileged Australian diplomats view this scene with benign contempt. The problem of security officer Frank Greaves and his protÚgÚ, Anthony Sinclair, is to find new sources of information and power in the crumbling and corrupt city. But Alex sets her mind to a different task, attracting the affections of Maruli Hutabarat, an Indonesian poet who is in hiding for publicly supporting Sukarno's regime. Sexual tensions blaze, and Alex believes that she might have come to understand the deeply sensual but cruel city. However, neither her love nor her wit can protect Alex against the demands of two conflicting societies. How deep a betrayal might people be willing to perform in the name of politics, and how brutal a sacrifice might one have to make in the name of 'security'?

About this title

Synopsis

ALEXANDRA WHEATFIELD, A YOUNG JOURNALIST, HAS COME TO WORK IN THE AUSTRALIAN EMBASSYIN DJAKARTA AT A TIME OF CHAOTIC CHANGE; THE COUP OF 1965 HAS BEEN CRUSHED BUT THE NEW ORDER OF THE INDONESIA ARMY HAS NOT YET OVERTHROWNTHE REVERED PRESIDENT SUKARNO. HE HASWARNED THAT WITHOUT HIM THE PEOPLE ARE 'MONKEYS IN THE DARK'. AS A PRIVILEGED GROUP THE AUSTRALIAN DIPLOMATS VIEW THISSCENE WITH BENIGN CONTEMPT. THE PROBLEM OF RANK GREAVES OF SECURITYAND HIS PROTEGE, ANTHONY SINCLAIR, IS TO FIND THE NEW SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND POWER IN THE CUMBLING AND CORRUPT CITY. BUT FOR ALEX THE CITY MIRROS HER AFFAIR WITH MARULI HUTABARAT, POET AND PARTY ACTIVIST. ITS COLOURS, FRUITS, SMILES AND CRUELITIES COUNTERPOINT THE SENSUALITY OF THEIR RELATIONSHIP.HER LOVE IS NO PROTECTION AGAINST THE DEMANDS OF THETWO CONFLICTING SOCIETIES - SHE IS USED AND BETRAYED, FIRST BY HER LOVER, THEN BY BRUTAL DEMANDS OF 'SECURITY'. THE SEXUAL TENSIONS AND PERSONAL BETRAYALS OF THIS RICHLY PERCEPTIVE NOVEL MIRROR WIDERBETRAYALS IN THE TWO DIFFERENT SOCIETIES UNTIL THE ROLE OF 'MONKEYS IN THE DARK' IS GRIMLY REVERSED.

About the Author

Blanche d'Alpuget is the author of seven books, including four novels - Monkeys in the Dark (1980), Turtle Beach (1981), Winter in Jerusalem (1986) and White Eye (1993). These works earned her a number of literary prizes including the PEN Golden Jubilee Award, The Age Book of the Year Award and the South Australian Government's Award for Literature. d'Alpuget's first book, Mediator: A Biography of Sir Richard Kirby was published in 1977 to critical acclaim. Robert J. Hawke: A Biography (1982) was both a national bestseller and the winner of several awards. She is also the author of On Longing and Hawke: The Prime Minister. She has served on the boards of the Copyright Agency Ltd and the Australian Film Commission, and was the Chair of the Australian Society of Authors in 1991. She lives in Sydney with her husband and son.

Edition details

• Publisher: Penguin
• Publication date: 1982
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0140061304
• ISBN 13: 9780140061307
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 184