Monkeys in the Dark

d'Alpuget, Blanche

ISBN 10: 0140061304 / ISBN 13: 9780140061307

Published by Penguin Books, Ringwood, 1982

About this Item

Fiction by Blanche d'Alpuget. Front cover blurb: "A passionate novel by the author of Turtle Beach". Cover illustration by Mike Hollands. First published 1980, this copy is the first Penguin edition, 1982. Mass market paperback. Printed in Hong Kong. Slight handling wear, bookseller's small label to first page, otherwise a nice clean tight solid softcover copy. 176pp. SB-82.

Seller Inventory # 034809

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Monkeys in the Dark
• Publisher: Penguin Books, Ringwood
• Publication Date: 1982
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0140061304
• ISBN 13: 9780140061307
• Binding: Pictorial Wraps
• Edition: First Thus
• Condition: Very Good
• Seller catalogs:
  • Fiction

About this title

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'?

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.