"Tidak ada lagi orang Jawa yang lain. Juga camat, juga kepala polisi. Ah, tahunya apa camat-camat sekarang. Adu jago saja patohan, membuat cendrasengkala mesti ke Pak Mantri Pasar. Inilah kelirunya. Zaman dulu pegawai itu mesti tahu sastra. Bukan sekadar bisa baca tulis...." Novel ini menceritakan proses pewarisan nilai-nilai Jawa dan perubahan sosial di sebuah kota kecamatan. Benturan tokoh-tokohnya yang mewakili kelas priyayi agraris, wong cilik, birokrat dan pedagang kapitalis dikisahkan dengan segar dan jenaka. Di antara mereka, siapa yang akhirnya dianggap mampu "memimpin"?
Author
Kuntowijoyo was born at Sanden, Bantul, Yogyakarta. He graduated from UGM as historian and received his post-graduated at American History by The University of Connecticut in year 1974, and gained his Ph.D. of history from Columbia University in year 1980. His father was a puppet master (dalang) and he lived under deep religious and art circumstances. He easily fond of art and writings and became a good friend of Arifin C. Noer, Syu'bah Asa, Ikranegara, Chaerul Umam, and Salim Said. His first work was "Kereta Api yang Berangkat Pagi Hari".
