The Mysterious Marksman
1993
First Published
3.90
Average Rating
192
Number of Pages
Between 1983-1985, a series of extrajudicial executions of criminals took place throughout Indonesia in which bodies, many of which had tattoos, were found shot and left in public places. The killings, which became known as petrus, an acronym for penembak misterius (mysterious marksman) and were later admitted to be a government effort to control crime, terrified the unsuspecting public. Three of the stories in this collection are related to this confusing and fearful time. All of the stories deal with despair—sometimes tender, sometimes absurd, sometimes grotesque. Seno Gumira Ajidarma is a master storyteller who can capture a sentiment and turn it into events that unfold as comedy or heartbreaking tragedy, each revealing a desperate struggle to deal with memories and change.
Avg Rating
3.90
Number of Ratings
767
5 STARS
29%
4 STARS
38%
3 STARS
27%
2 STARS
4%
1 STARS
2%
goodreads
Author
Seno Gumira Ajidarma
Author · 48 books
Seno Gumira Ajidarma is a writer, photographer, and also a film critic. He writes short stories, novel, even comic book. He has won numerous national and regional awards as a short-story writer. Also a journalist, he serves as editor of the popular weekly illustrated magazine Jakarta-Jakarta. His piece in this issue is an excerpt from his novel "Jazz, Parfum dan Insiden", published by Yayasan Bentang Budaya in 1996. Mailing-list Seno Gumira fans: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/senogum...
